Ura-Bandai Goshikinuma: Walks Through Fantastical Lakes of Differing Colors

The Goshikinuma spread across Urabandai in Kitashiobara Village, Yama District, Fukushima, is a group of more than thirty ponds born of the great 1888 eruption of Mt. Bandai. Each pond holds water of a different hue, from emerald green to cobalt blue to reddish-brown, and their mysterious beauty gives them the name Five-Colored Ponds. Against the backdrop of majestic Mt. Bandai, they let you enjoy nature's wonder of color and rank among Urabandai's signature scenic spots.

Highlights

The Goshikinuma formed when the 1888 eruption of Mt. Bandai collapsed the mountain and dammed rivers. That massive eruption greatly reshaped the terrain and created countless ponds and wetlands. Differing hues arise from each ponds volcanic minerals, aquatic plants, and the way the light falls. The appeal of the Goshikinuma is that even a single pond changes its expression with the weather, the season, and the time of day.

The best way to savor them is the roughly 3.6-kilometer Goshikinuma Nature Trail. This hiking course runs from Bishamon-numa to Yanagi-numa, taking in a series of distinctive ponds in about an hour one way. The largest, Bishamon-numa, glows emerald green and offers rowboat rental. Clear blue Ruri-numa, greenish Benten-numa, vivid Ao-numa, and mysteriously tinted Aka-numa appear one after another, and each brings fresh delight as you walk. The pleasure of strolling through rich forest is exceptional too.

Season by Season

The wider Urabandai area, Goshikinuma included, is a resort where beautiful nature can be enjoyed year-round. In early summer, when fresh green dazzles, the blue of the ponds stands out all the more. In autumn the surrounding trees turn to foliage and the interplay of colored forest and ponds is exceptional, with the peak around late October. Winter brings a world of snow, and snowshoe tours across the plains are popular. Urabandai also has large lakes such as Hibara, with plenty of activities like canoeing and cycling.

Getting There

The nearest station is Inawashiro on the JR Banetsu-sai Line, about 30 to 35 minutes by bus to the Goshikinuma entrance. By car, come via the Inawashiro-Bandai-Kogen IC on the Banetsu Expressway. The Goshikinuma Nature Trail is about 3.6 kilometers, roughly one hour one way, well maintained and easy even for beginners. Bishamon-numa offers rowboats. Admission is free.

Practical Travel Notes

The colors show best on a clear morning. Because the trail runs one way, parking a car at each end or combining it with the bus is efficient. To avoid crowds, aim for before 8 a.m. Bring good footwear and water, and plan on about an hour one way. A stroll alone takes one to two hours; adding the Bishamon-numa rowboats fills about half a day. With free admission, costs center on transport and meals, so it is easy to enjoy. Touring it alongside nearby sights such as Lake Inawashiro and Aizu-Wakamatsu is also recommended.

One Piece of Advice

In the late-October foliage season, the contrast between the pond colors and the autumn leaves is breathtaking, but it is correspondingly crowded. An early-morning visit lets you savor the still water and vivid colors at leisure. The highland mornings and evenings are cool even in summer, so bring a layer and take your time with these mystic ponds born of an eruption.

📚 Sources

Information on Urabandai and Goshikinuma can be confirmed through public sources from Kitashiobara Village, the Urabandai tourism association, and Bandai-Asahi National Park, and guidance on the Goshikinuma nature trail and the boats at Bishamon-numa is also helpful. Bus schedules, the trail's winter conditions, and activities on Lake Hibara may change, so please confirm official information and on-site conditions before you set out.

Visitor Checklist

• Estimated time: One to two hours just for a stroll, or about half a day if you add the boats at Bishamon-numa.
• What to bring: The trail is one-way, so park a car at each end or combine it with a bus for efficiency. Bring comfortable shoes and a drink. The highland is cool morning and evening even in summer, so a layer adds comfort.
• Suggested route: Walk the Goshikinuma nature trail from Bishamon-numa to Yanagi-numa (about 3.6 km, roughly an hour one way) and enjoy the colors of Ruri-numa, Benten-numa, Ao-numa, and Aka-numa. Canoeing or cycling on Lake Hibara and touring with Lake Inawashiro and Aizu-Wakamatsu are also recommended.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• [IMPORTANT] Access restrictions (as of July 25, 2026): The section of the Goshikinuma Nature Trail between the Bishamon-numa observation deck and the Benten-numa observation deck had been closed since July 18, 2026 because of bears, but the restriction was partially lifted on Saturday, July 25. The trail may be used between 9:00 and 16:00, and visitors are asked not to enter outside those hours (Urabandai Visitor Center / Kitashiobara Village Office)
• Goshikinuma Nature Trail: About 4 km one way, taking around 1 hour 30 minutes, rated beginner level. It is a single path running east to west with almost no change in elevation, but watch out for exposed rock and for muddy ground after rain or during the thaw
• Entrances: The eastern entrance is beside the Urabandai Visitor Center (nearest bus stop "Goshikinuma Iriguchi") and the western entrance is beside the Urabandai Bussankan souvenir hall (nearest bus stop "Urabandai Kogen Eki"). You can start from either end
• Facilities along the way: There are no vending machines and no toilets anywhere on the trail. Get ready before you set off
• Bus fare: The fare between Goshikinuma Iriguchi and Urabandai Kogen Eki is 250 yen per adult (as of August 2024 / Urabandai Visitor Center)
• Bear precautions: The whole of Urabandai is Asian black bear habitat. Make noise with a bear bell or the like to let bears know you are there. Bells can be rented at the Urabandai Visitor Center
• Legal protection: The area is a "Special Protection Zone" within Bandai-Asahi National Park, and harming plants or animals, taking earth and stones, and riding bicycles or other vehicles are restricted by law. Please stay on the trail to protect the vegetation
• Winter equipment: In the snow season you can walk the trail on snowshoes (rentals available at the Urabandai Visitor Center). Be aware, however, of hazards such as whiteouts, falling into water, cornices, snow dropping from trees and the whiplash of snow-laden branches, so far more careful preparation is needed than in summer
• Urabandai Visitor Center (Ministry of the Environment): 1093-697 Kengamine, Hibara, Kitashiobara Village, Yama District, Fukushima Prefecture / Tel 0241-32-2850
• Opening hours: Summer season (April to November) 9:00 to 17:00, winter season (December to March) 9:00 to 16:00
• Closed: Tuesdays (open when Tuesday is a public holiday, closing instead the following day) and over the New Year period. Open during Golden Week and the Obon period (this varies from year to year)
• Parking: Available 24 hours / 70 spaces for ordinary cars, 5 for large buses and 3 for visitors with disabilities
• The public toilets outside the building are free of charge and open 24 hours (an accessible toilet is available). Coin lockers and wheelchairs can be borrowed free of charge
• Opened on April 25, 2003, and reopened after renovation on April 18, 2025
• How it was formed: The Goshikinuma pond group is the collective name for more than 30 ponds of various sizes. They were created when the debris avalanche from the phreatic eruption of Mount Bandai in 1888 (Meiji 21) dammed the Nagase River and its tributaries

Note: The journey time and frequency of buses from Inawashiro Station to Goshikinuma Iriguchi are not published officially (please check the Aizu Bus timetable). Note: The fee and operating season for the rowing boats on Bishamon-numa are not published officially (the Urabandai Tourism Association states only that they are "closed in winter"). (Sources: official website of the Urabandai Visitor Center (Ministry of the Environment), Kitashiobara Village Office, Urabandai Tourism Association)