Summer in Lake Onneto

Wild Hokkaido!

In east Hokkaido lies Lake Onneto.

Around 2,000 years ago,

a volcanic eruption birthed the small lake.

The forest that surrounds the lake

is one of the most animal rich kingdoms in Hokkaido.

This year, a brand-new visitor center opened in front of the forest

and quickly became an underground boom for tourists.

A famous nature guide, Kin-chan, invites us into the deep woods.

He comes from China and fell in love with Onneto.

This is toxic mushroom.

I love how the tree fall and return to earth in this forest.

Let's set out on Kin-chan's nature walk in Onneto.

(Lake Onneto)

Lake Onneto is a small lake

located at 600 meters above sea level.

The deep woods surrounding the lake has been inaccessible for centuries

so has kept its primeval appearance.

Hello. I'm NHK cameraman Frank,

and I was born in Canada,

and these beautiful mountains and lakes remind me of my hometown.

From here, I'm going to discover these deep woods with a nature guide, Kin-chan.

You can get to the entrance by car.

This is nature guide Jin Gen,

who also goes by "Kin-chan."

He also studied forestry during university

and spends around 200 days a year here.

Today with Kin-chan,

we're going on a 2.4-kilometer nature walk to Onneto Lake.

Kin-chan noticed something in the trees.

The birds are singing.

Yes, they are.

Kin-chan slowly approaches the voice.

Oh! It's Eurasian nuthatch.

You guys move fast!

That's a usual long-tailed tit with a black hat-like head.

Come out please...

good, good, I got it!

Kin-chan says there are about 30 different wild birds in this forest.

Thanks to the rich amount of fruit and insects on the trees,

it's a paradise for birds.

(Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker)

There's a beautiful tree!

Some trees have been around for more than 300 years.

In these beautiful trees,

birds like black woodpeckers make their nests.

The black woodpecker is an endangered animal in Japan.

The Onneto forest helps to protect them.

In this primeval forest, the trees compete for their survival.

The strong remain whilst the weak trees are left behind.

What is that big tree?

It's Glehn's spruce.

There are many Glehn's spruces around here.

The ones with a light green colour are young Glehn's spruces.

I find some which likely took about 10 years to grow up.

This Sakhalin fir also fought so hard to grow up

but suddenly, bigger tree fell on it and it became tilted.

There's no way to avoid those falling objects, right?

Yes, that's why they became like this.

I think it's amazing how the trees fall down.

They return back to earth and start rotting.

It's fascinating which is why I love these types of things.

Most of the soil is made from lava bed,

so it is difficult for trees to grow deep roots.

Only those trees which can secure their root foundations can thrive.

One other element that makes Onneto forest so special

is the vast amount of waterfalls and streams.

The moisture from such water fosters another important character...

This is toxic mushroom.

which is mushrooms.

This is young "egg mushroom" because it looks like eggs.

Foraging is prohibited here,

but these mushrooms taste fantastic in soup.

The quick ones just take a half day to grow into this big size.

Kin-chan found about 30 different kinds of mushrooms in the forest.

The local deer also have their favorite mushrooms.

They play a significant role in supporting those lives of many animals.

Deep in the forest,

Kin-chan heard a slight sound.

Listening carefully, he prepares his camera.

Ah! It's a hawk!

It was the first time Kin-chan saw a hawk around this forest.

There is still so much more to discover.

You can see the lake now!

So that's Lake Onneto.

Today, it's a bit windy, so you can see some waves on the lake.

Our goal of the nature walk,

Lake Onneto finally came into sight.

Lake Onneto shows us different faces according to the weather and season.

For a moment,

the wind drops.

Mt. Akanfuji and Mt. Meakan reflect on the lake.

Onneto is also called the "lake of five colors."

Kin-chan prepared us one last surprise.

The moment comes at night

whilst we wait at the only camping site approved at Onneto.

We can use the fallen trees of Onneto to make a small campfire.

To be honest, I feel like we should not come here.

When we try to protect the natural environment

from the bottom of my heart humans are the most harmful beings to nature.

So I want to coexist with nature

with as small an impact as possible.

On the shore of the lake, we can find even better views.

However, Kin-chan reminds us these ideas come from our selfishness.

Dragonflies fly around here.

There is also a tree that fell off a couple years ago.

I do understand why people want to camp in places like here.

But there is a stream behind us.

When people camp, they leave their trash behind

which affects the surrounding environment.

We need to step back to save them.

It's a nice word, "We need to step back to save nature."

You know, this quietness is luxurious.

Kin-chan's surprise finally emerged.

The primeval forest and lake opens their door for everyone.

"Step back and save nature" finishes Kin-chan,

as he tells us an important lesson to preserve this precious nature.