One of the most picturesque areas on the coast of the Sea of Japan is Mikata Go-ko, known as Mikata Five Lakes, in southern Fukui Prefecture. From the Rainbow Line Summit, visitors can take in the sprawling panorama view of Mikata, Suigetsu, Sugako, Kugushiko and Hiruga Lakes.
This page will give you all the information you need to make planning a trip to this often-overlooked part of Japan, easily accessible from Kyoto, Osaka, Fukui City and Kanazawa!
What is Mikata Five Lakes?
The Five Lakes of Mikata is a series of both brackish and freshwater lakes near the towns of Mikasa and Mihama in southern Fukui Prefecture. Each lake has a different depth and salt concentration, giving each a different blue hue.
Due to how the lakes interconnect with each other or the Sea of Japan, they have been the subject of study for decades. Microfossils have found in abundance in Mikata Lake, while the others have been used to study seismic activity, estimate the risk and intensity of flooding, and even migration patterns of birds.
Visiting Mikata Five Lakes
The main attraction at the Mikata Five Lakes is the Rainbow Line Summit. The garden has five terraces offering different angles of the lakes and a point where you are able to capture a 360-degree panoramic view of both the lakes and the nearby Wakasa Bay.
There is also a cafe, serving coffee and ice creams; a rose garden, in bloom from May to June and then again from October to November; a free open-air footbath to enjoy while taking in the views; an area with hammocks; and Wago Shrine, dedicated to long and happy marriages.
There is also a sightseeing cruise that travels Lake Suigetsu. The cruise takes around 40 minutes but is a favourite of bird watchers.
How to Get to Mikata Five Lakes
Visiting Mikata Five Lakes isn't difficult but will take some time and preparation.
The first step is to get to Tsuruga Station. If you're coming from Kanazawa Station or Fukui Station, take the Shinkansen to Tsuruga. If you're coming from Kyoto or Osaka, take the JR Thunderbird to Tsuruga.
From there, take the Gokoichi Bus for one hour to Santyo Koen, which is a two-minute walk from the Rainbow Line entrance. Once you're there, you'll climb the last hurdle of the mountain by going up a miniature ski lift, be careful not to drop your valuables!
Nearby Attractions
Fukui Prefecture is known as the Dinosaur Kingdom for its treasure trove of paleontological sites and for the world-leading Fukui Prefectural Dinosaur Museum. For this reason, Fukui Station has several animatronic dinosaurs in its vicinity. There are also "dinosaur eggs" that can be sat in, Augmented Reality (AR) points around the station which can be scanned to bring the dinos to life and plenty of dinosaur-themed snacks and foods to be consumed!
Fukui is not just dinosaurs, though. A partnership with the Pokémon company means that Fukui has its own designated Pokémon - Dragonite. Fukui has original merchandise featuring Dragonite and pals and also houses 17 unique manhole covers dotted across the region. Catching them all is quite a task but will take you to some of Fukui's most scenic areas. If that sounds like something you'd be interested in doing - check out our page on the region's Pokémon Manhole Covers!
For the history buffs out there, Fukui is home to one of the most historically significant temples in Japan - Eiheiji! This temple is one of the two head temples of Soto Zen Buddhism and was built on the side of a mountain. The grounds are stunning to behold and the temple is almost ethereal in its atmosphere. For those reluctant to visit a place as remote as Fukui, Eiheiji is an excellent reason to spend a day in the region.
If we've caught your eye, Eiheiji is included in our "Eiheiji Temple and Fukui Castle Town" tour, running all year round! Why not check it out?
