In Kitashiobara, Fukushima, the Goshikinuma ("five-color ponds") is the collective name for a cluster of ponds spread across Urabandai. Each pond carries its own color — emerald green, cobalt blue, milky blue — and the surface shifts with the angle and the weather.
Why the colors differ
The differences come down to varying amounts of volcanic sulfur, iron, and aluminum in each pond. The eruption of Mount Bandai in 1888 reshaped the terrain and created the cluster as it stands today. Light scattered by the components on the lake bed produces the mysterious blues and greens.
Walking the nature path
The nature trail from Bishamonnuma to Yanaginuma runs about 3.6 km and takes roughly an hour and a half on foot. Looking at the ponds as you walk, you really notice that each one has a different color. Especially beautiful in autumn foliage season.
The landscapes that volcanoes leave behind connect the bleak Bandai-Azuma Skyline with the calm of Goshikinuma. Same Fukushima nature, two very different faces.