Japan/Hokkaido: Shiretoko NP – Shiretoko Five Lakes
Shiretoko Five Lakes aka Shiretoko Goko is an area of five small ponds fed but underground volcanic hot springs. The lakes are right on the edge of the Shiretoko Peninsula at the Sea of Okhotsk. Creeping Kuril Bamboo (that I had to fight with in the Kuril Islands) covers the ground here with an impenetrable thicket, but fortunately the Japanese built elevated boardwalks making walking around a breeze. On a clear day, the entire mountain chain at the heart of the peninsula is clearly visible on one side of the lakes, while the blue waters of the sea of Okhotsk lap the shore on the other side.
