Overview
Koyama-ike is a brackish lagoon spreading across the northern part of Tottori City, Tottori Prefecture. Covering about 6.96 square kilometers, it is the largest of all Japanese lakes and ponds that bear the name ike (pond). It was originally a bay connected to the sea, but as coastal dunes grew and sediment accumulated, it was cut off from the ocean and became today's brackish lagoon. With its distinctive environment where seawater and freshwater mingle, it is also known for having Lake Jinzai in Shimane Prefecture as its sister lake. Close to the city yet expansive, it offers wide water views and rich waterside wildlife.
Highlights
- ●The largest in Japan among lakes and ponds named ike
- ●An origin as a sea bay cut off into a brackish lagoon by dune growth
- ●Waterside wildlife nurtured where seawater and freshwater mingle
- ●A geographic tie with Lake Jinzai in Shimane as its sister lake
History
Koyama-ike was once a bay open to the sea. Over long ages the surrounding sand dunes developed and sediment built up, sealing it off from the ocean and transforming it into an enclosed brackish lagoon. Because of this origin, the water retains a brackish character in which seawater and freshwater are mixed. The fact that it is the largest in Japan despite being named a mere pond shows that this is no small pool but a sizeable lake born of geographic change.
Access
It lies in the northern part of Tottori City on low-lying ground of roughly zero elevation, around latitude 35.51 and longitude 134.15. It is relatively close to central Tottori and easy to reach by car. Some shoreline areas have walking paths and parks, but sections and conditions of use can change, so please check official sources such as Tottori City tourism information for details.
Best season
It can be enjoyed year round, but spring to early summer, when the waterside greenery is vivid, and autumn, when the wide surface can be seen in clear air, are especially recommended. The waterbirds and creatures unique to a brackish lagoon change with the seasons, so each visit offers a different face.
Map
35.5139, 134.1490 · Wikidata
Suggested itinerary
- 1Drive from central Tottori to the shore and take in Japan's largest ike
- 2Walk the shoreline paths and parks while watching waterbirds and brackish-water life
- 3Photograph the open view that stretches to the far shore
- 4Combine the trip with sightseeing and local cuisine in central Tottori City
Did you know?
💡 Its greatest talking point is being the largest of all lakes and ponds named ike in Japan. Though called a pond, it is in truth a full brackish lagoon with a past as an ocean bay. Having Lake Jinzai in Shimane as its sister lake also reflects that the two share a similar origin.
Nearby spots
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