Mikurigaike Pond

Mikurigaike Pond is a pond of the Tateyama Volcano located at an elevation of 2405 meters above sea level on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route. This pond is located about a 10-minute walk along a well-maintained walking trail from the Murodo Terminal, and is the largest and deepest pond representing Murodo.

Mikuriga-ike is a volcanic lake formed about 10,000 years ago. The pond has a circumference of about 630 meters and is about 15 meters deep.

It is covered with snow until June, but from July to October, the 3,000-meter-high peaks of Tateyama are reflected in the beautiful clear azure water.

In the fall, visitors can enjoy a beautiful collaboration with the autumn leaves. Benches are set up around the pond, allowing visitors to take a relaxing break while gazing at Mikurigaike Pond.

It is called the most beautiful volcanic lake in the Northern Alps, and tourists never cease to come to see the mystical view of the lake.

The Mikurigaike Pond area is rich in alpine flora, and the lakeside is thickly covered with Japanese spruce. If you are lucky, you may even spot a grouse, the prefectural bird of Toyama Prefecture and a special natural treasure.

The clear blue surface of the lake is reflected in the reflection, creating a spectacular view.

Mikuriga-ike Pond is located in Tateyama-cho, Nakashinagawa-gun, Toyama Prefecture, at an elevation of 2,405 meters. It is usually written in hiragana as “Mikuriga-ike,” but topographical maps and signboards also use the katakana name “Mikuriga-ike.

This pond is located approximately 500 m northwest of Murodo and is the largest and deepest pond in Murodo. It covers an area of approximately 30,000 m2, is 15 m deep, and has a circumference of 631 m.

Mikurigaike Onsen, the highest hot spring resort in Japan, is located at an elevation of 2,430m northwest of the pond.

The pond is completely frozen over during the spring thaw, and icing can also be seen during the summer season. In autumn, the autumn leaves of the three Tateyama mountains are reflected on the surface of the water, making it a spectacular place to visit.

Mikuriga-ike is a crater lake of Tateyama volcano, and other crater lakes such as Midoriga-ike, Lindo-ike, and Blood-ike are scattered around it. 1984 designated it as a lake of the national park (Chubu-Sangaku National Park).

In the vicinity, a walking trail leads from Tateyama Kurobe Kanko Murodo Station on the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route to Jigokudani and the other Mikuriga Ponds. The surrounding area is a high pine belt and a habitat for grouse. There are also lodging facilities and mountain lodges such as Hotel Tateyama, Mikurigaike Onsen, and Murodo Sanso.

Mikurigaike Onsen is a natural hot spring located at the highest point in Japan. The source of the hot spring is drawn from Jigokudani (Hell Valley) and is 100% free-flowing with no added water or heat.

Tateyama worship

In Tateyama worship, Mikuriga-ike was considered to be a part of Tateyama Jigoku, or “eight cold hells. On the other hand, the name “Mikuriga” was also written as “Mikuriya,” meaning “kitchen of God.

The water in this pond was dedicated to Tateyama Gongen and was used when food dedicated to him was prepared. This is an example of the duality of the Tateyama faith, and shows that while scenic spots such as mountains and ponds were associated with hell, the opposite of the Pure Land faith, they were positioned as the opposite.

The water in this pond was also considered sacred to mountain ascetics.

Legend

According to legend, an ascetic monk named Koyama Houshi from Echizen Province (now part of Fukui Prefecture), after touring Jigokudani, saw this pond and laughed, saying, “This pond is nothing more than a reservoir for Echizen peasants.

Hearing this, Enmeibo, a monk in Murodo, became angry and said to the monk, “If you call it a reservoir, you must not mind swimming in this cold water.

The monk slowly pulled out the sword from his waist and put it in his mouth. After swimming a lap, he laughed and said, “It’s cooler and I don’t have anything to thank you for.

Enmeibo teasingly said, “In Echizen, do you enter a reservoir with a sword in your mouth?” The monk threw away the sword and dove into the pond again.

However, after making three rounds, he was touched by the wrath of God and sank down, sucked into the lake.

Since then, it is said that the name “Mikuri-ga-ike” was written as “Mikuri-ga-ike,” but it is also written as “Sanryo-ga-ike.