Asanai Numa

Overview

Asanai Numa is the largest lake within the city of Noshiro, Akita Prefecture. Formed behind the coastal dunes near the Sea of Japan, it is a dune-backed pond fringed by soft grassland and pine woods, a quiet body of water woven into the life of the Noshiro countryside. Because walking once around it comes to roughly one ri, it is also called Ichiri-numa, the one-ri pond, and it is even sung in the school song of the local Asanai Elementary School, a sign of how deeply it is rooted in daily life. There are no flashy tourist facilities, but the calm reflections of sky and trees on its surface make it ideal for strolling, birdwatching, and feeling the turn of the seasons. At about 1.04 square kilometers, it is just the right size for a leisurely circuit on foot.

Highlights

• ●A calm waterside that is Noshiro City's largest lake
• ●A dune-backed pond formed behind the coastal dunes
• ●The nickname Ichiri-numa, roughly one ri around
• ●A local presence sung even in Asanai Elementary School's song

History

Asanai Numa is a dune-backed pond, created when the dunes developed along the Sea of Japan coast dammed the flow of water, a natural product of Noshiro's sea and land meeting. Its alternate name, Ichiri-numa, arose from the felt sense that a walk around it measures about one ri, hinting at a history in which local people paced out distances as they lived alongside the pond. Its name is sung in the school song of the local Asanai Elementary School, telling of a waterside cherished across generations. For the detailed age of its formation and its flora and fauna, consult official Noshiro City information or regional records to enjoy it more fully.

Map

40.1489, 140.0086 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Get tourist guidance in central Noshiro and confirm the route to Asanai Numa
2. 2Drive to the lakeside and enjoy the sky and pine woods mirrored across the water
3. 3In the spirit of the name Ichiri-numa, take a comfortable stroll and watch for waterbirds
4. 4On the way back, extend the trip to Noshiro's sea and dunes and compare the coast with the pond

Did you know?

💡 Asanai Numa is called Ichiri-numa because a circuit of the pond comes to about one ri. One ri is roughly four kilometers, so a walk around the water lets you feel that country measure of distance with your own feet, part of the pond's easy appeal. Sung in the school song of the local Asanai Elementary School, it is a lake that lives on in the community's memory.

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