
Kagaminuma pond in Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture, on June 10
8:19 JST, July 6, 2022
HACHIMANTAI, Iwate — Snowboarders have reportedly disrupted a natural phenomenon at Kagaminuma pond in Hachimantai, Iwate Prefecture.
The circular pond located at the top of Mt. Hachimantai, which is 1,613 meters high and straddles Iwate and Akita prefectures, is nicknamed “Dragon Eye” as it resembles the eye of a massive dragon when the snow at the edge of the pond begins to melt.
On June 10, it was learned that snowboarders reportedly disturbed the still-frozen pond by sliding across the surface in May.
According to the city’s tourist association, the incident occurred at around 5 a.m. on May 25. An official of the association saw snowboarders cross the rope surrounding the pond. The snowboarders went toward the center of the pond, started hitting the snow with their boards and slid down the slope.
It was reported to the association that snowboarders were seen sliding down the nearby Gamanuma pond the same morning.
Both ponds are designated by the Environment Ministry as special conservation areas. Though it is not illegal to enter, the association reported the cases to the ministry.
As of mid-June, the snow on the edge of the pond was starting to melt and the dragon eye was about to “open.”
A spokesperson for the association said: “Many people are looking forward to seeing the dragon eye, so it’s regrettable that the phenomenon was artificially disturbed. Such actions are dangerous and could have led to an accident, so we’d like to discuss the issue.”
"Features" POPULAR ARTICLE
-
Neko Pitcher
-
Japan Tourism / Shirobara Dairy Factory Offers Visitors a Sweet Taste of Tottori Prefecture
-
5-Star Rice Meister in Japan Offers Personalized Blends, Advice to Customers; Clearly Explaining Rice Characteristics Is His Strength, Meister Says
-
Tokushima: British Man to Open Guesthouse in Nostalgic Port Village in Tokushima; Tebajima Island Has Charms of Quaint Fishing Village
-
Nature Walk in Japan’s Tohoku Region Draws Nearly 600; Michinoku Coastal Trail Links 4 Prefectures on Pacific Coast
JN ACCESS RANKING
-
Japan’s Agriculture Ministry Starts Survey of Rice Farmers Across Japan on Production Outlook
-
5-Kilogram Bag of Rice Price Falls Below ¥4,000: 1st Time in 4 Months
-
Japan’s Core Inflation Hits 2-year High, Keeps Rate-Hike Bets Alive
-
Carmakers’ Anxiety Grows as U.S. Tariff Talks Stall;Japan Exporters May Have No Choice But to Raise Prices
-
Japan to Collaborate with 3 European Countries on Infrastructure Development; Will Work With Romania, Bulgaria, Czech Republic to Build Railroads, Energy Systems