Akan National Park

Akan National Park

Location: Hokkaido Island Map

Area: 904.81 km2 (349.35 mi2)

 

Description of Akan National Park

The Akan Mashū National Park (Japanese 阿寒摩周国立公園 ) is a national park on Hokkaidō, the northernmost of Japan's main islands. The park was established on December 4, 1934. This makes it and Daisetsuzan National Park the two oldest national parks in Hokkaidō. The park area is 904.81 km², the second largest in Hokkaidō. The park area is classified as a national park with IUCN protection category II.

 

History

1934: designation of the national park.
1938: designation of a special area.
1950: Release of Akan National Park stamps.
1954: designation of a special protection area.
1968: Lake Akan Visitor Center opened.
1978: Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center opened at Lake Akan.
1996: The Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center at Lake Akan is renewed.
1999: Kawayu Eco Museum Center opened.
2002: The Lake Akan Visitor Center reopens as the Lake Akan Eco Museum Center.
2005: Lake Akan is registered in the Ramsar Convention.
2014: The Wakoto Campground is renewed and the Wakoto Field House opens.
2017: The park area is expanded to include Kamiko-ike and the Mashū Caldera, and the name is changed from "Akan National Park" to "Akan Mashū National Park".

 

Parking area

The protected area is divided into ordinary, protected and specially protected zones. The Japanese Ministry of Environment is responsible for administration. Akan is an area of volcanic mountains, forests and hot springs. Major mountains and volcanoes in the park include Akan-dake, an active volcano, Meakan-dake, an active stratovolcano (1499 m), Oakan-dake (1370 m) and Mt. Fuppushi (1225 m). Other smaller peaks are Mount Kikin (995 m), Mashū-dake (857 m), Nishibetsu-dake (800 m) and Iō-zan (508 m).

There are also several crater lakes within the national park. The largest is Lake Kussharo in the north of the park, covering an area of about 80 km². The next largest are Lake Mashū (19 km²), Lake Akan (13 km²) and Lake Panketo.

The national park is part of an Important Bird Area designated by BirdLife International in 2004 according to criterion A3 (species with restricted biotope requirements), which has a total area of 142,000 hectares. Lake Akan has also been registered as a Wetland of International Significance under the Ramsar Convention since November 8, 2005.

 

Flora and fauna

Lake Akan is famous for the giant seaweed balls (marimo) growing there, which have been designated as a natural monument. Fish species found in Lake Akan include char Salvelinus leucomaenis, sockeye salmon, carp, smelt Hypomesus nipponensis and rainbow trout, as well as other species in the other lakes. In addition, this signal crustacean species Pacifastacus trawbridgii occurs. However, signal crabs pose a potential threat as invasive species. Colonies of dwarf pine and marsh tea, a white-flowering species of rhododendron, grow around Mount Iwo-san.

The national park is known for the occurrence of red-crowned cranes and many other bird species live in and around the lakes of the park area such as whooper swans, black woodpeckers, great spotted woodpeckers, Japanese snipe and blue nightingales (Larvivora cyane). It is also a wintering ground for Steller Sea Eagles, which return to Russia's Far East in March and April. Smaller bird species such as the goldcrest and coal tit can often be seen in the coniferous forests. Mammals found in the national park include Hokkaido sika deer, brown bears, red foxes (Vulpes vulpes schrenckii subspecies), raccoon dogs and sable.

 

Culture

On the shore of Lake Akan there is a settlement of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Japan. Located to the east of Akanko Onsen, it comprises around 30 households, making it the largest Ainu settlement in Hokkaidō.