Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

"Lake Bottom Railway," a scene reminiscent of a famous Japanese anime, has been trending on social media. Located in Hokkaido, this railway is situated in Lake Shikaribetsu within Daisetsuzan National Park, the highest elevation lake in Hokkaido.

At approximately 810 meters above sea level, this natural lake is a pristine ecosystem. Known as the "Sky Lake," it's also called the "Lake of Stars" because on clear nights, countless stars reflect and sparkle on its transparent surface. 

Surprisingly, this seemingly mysterious railway is actually a boat launch rail. During winter, when Lake Shikaribetsu freezes, these rails are used to haul boats onto land. 

The railway descending into the sky lake creates an incredibly ethereal, anime-like atmosphere, appearing to extend endlessly and evoking a sense of mystique.

Lake Shikaribetsu is located in the southwestern part of Lake Shikaribetsu. Travel time by car to the lake bed railroad tracks is approximately 1 hour and 20 minutes from Obihiro. It is recommended to search for “underwater rail Shikaribetsu-ko” on Google Maps for easier understanding.

The secret to making the underwater railroads look more mysterious is the transparency of the lake. Lake Shikaribetsu is one of the most transparent lakes in Japan.

The clarity of the lake and the surrounding natural scenery make the railway tracks leading to the lake look even more beautiful and mysterious.

It is recommended to take photographs of the railway tracks at the bottom of the lake on a clear day with relatively little wind, as you can see the tracks clearly.

Please note that during the winter, the lake is frozen over and the tracks cannot be seen.

Depending on the conditions of the year, you can usually see the tracks from late May to late October, when the sightseeing boats are in operation.

Lake Shikaribetsu is attractive throughout the four seasons: green in summer, autumn leaves in fall, and “Shikaribetsuko Kotan,” a world of snow and ice that appears only in winter.

The best time to view the autumn leaves is usually from late September to early October.

During the fall foliage season, we recommend taking a walk on the lake by canoe, resting on the terrace, or taking a free footbath.

The floating terrace on the lake will make you feel as if you have the lake all to yourself.

A sightseeing boat that circles the lake is also in operation, so it is recommended to enjoy the autumn leaves at the water's edge, which cannot be seen from the lakeside.

The Tokachi area, where Lake Shikaribetsu is located, has a large difference in temperature between morning and evening, making it a very beautiful area for autumn foliage.

Fukuhara Sanso, which is open to the public only during the autumn foliage season from mid-September to mid-October every year, is a popular spot in the Tokachi area.

The 8.5-square-meter site is planted with 300 mountain maples, which all turn color at once in autumn, creating a wonderful autumn scene all covered with maples. In fact, this is the site of the villa of Jihei Fukuhara, the founder of “Fukuhara Supermarket,” which operates stores in the Tokachi region. It is his private property.

Why not visit and enjoy the spectacular autumn scenery as well, when the private property is specially opened to the public free of charge for a limited time from mid-September to mid-October, for a period of about one month.

Lake Shikaribetsu has a completely different appearance in summer and winter.

Shikaribetsuko Kotan, a world of only snow and ice that appears only in winter, is also exceptional.

Please take a look at our winter recommendations page.