Nakaumi

Overview

Nakaumi is a brackish lake straddling the cities of Matsue and Yasugi in Shimane Prefecture and Sakaiminato and Yonago in Tottori Prefecture. It is a lagoon formed when the mouth of a bay opening onto the Sea of Japan was closed off by a sandbar. It is the fifth largest lake by surface area in Japan.

Highlights

• ●It forms part of the main stream of the Class-A Hii River water system and is a linked brackish lake with Lake Shinji
• ●It connects to the Sea of Japan (Miho Bay) via the Sakai Channel to the east and to Lake Shinji via the Ohashi River to the west
• ●It is a registered Ramsar site and a lake designated under Japan's Law for Special Measures for the Conservation of Lake Water Quality
• ●The lake contains two large islands, Daikon Island and Eshima Island

History

The lake is a lagoon that formed when the entrance of a bay opening onto the Sea of Japan was blocked by a sandbar. Together with Lake Shinji, it is one of Japan's few linked brackish lakes. Bridges and roads connect the eastern and western shores of the lake by way of the two islands within it.

Map

35.4667, 133.2000 · Wikidata

Suggested itinerary

1. 1Set out from one of the shoreline cities such as Sakaiminato or Yonago that border the lake
2. 2View the eastern side of the lake, which connects to the Sea of Japan through the Sakai Channel
3. 3Travel around the two islands within the lake, Daikon Island and Eshima Island
4. 4Broaden the route toward the western side, which links to Lake Shinji via the Ohashi River

Did you know?

💡 In the city of Yonago the lake is also sometimes called Kinkai.

Nearby spots