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663highland / CC BY 2.5
Shiretoko Five Lakes
知床五湖Hokkaido
Five secluded lakes formed by an ancient eruption of Mount Io, each mirroring the Shiretoko mountain range and the surrounding primeval forest. A raised, wheelchair-friendly boardwalk reaches the First Lake, while a ground-level loop through all five runs through brown-bear country and requires a guided walk or a short lecture-and-registration in peak season.
- Best season
- Summer
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Rating
- 4.6· 523 reviews
- Opening hours
- Seasonal — see below
- Admission
- Ground pathway adult admission 450 yen (individual-walk seasons); May-Jul bear season requires paid guided tour (~5,000).
Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.
Seasonal hours
- Elevated boardwalk ~Apr 20–Nov 8; ground trail by guided tour/registration during brown-bear season (approx May–Jul)
How to get there
From Sapporo Station · ~6h 10m by car
Tags
naturelakehikingunescoviewpoint
Location
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