‘Sunken Forest’ Appears in Yamagata Emerald Lake; Visitors Canoe in Shirakawako Lake, View Shiroyanagi Willows Up Close

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:12 JST, May 6, 2025

IIDE, Yamagata — The beautiful annual sight of a “sunken forest” has appeared at the Shirakawako lake in Iide, Yamagata Prefecture.

The phenomenon is only visible between late March and mid-May, when meltwater flows into the lake, raising the water level and making appear as if shiroyanagi willows are growing in the lake.

On Monday morning, visitors enjoyed the view from their canoes, drifting across the lake’s emerald surface.

“It is beautiful to see the red and yellow canoes standing out against the green [lake],” a visitor from Ageo, Saitama Prefecture, said while taking photos.