Mikata Five Lakes
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Mikata Five Lakes (Japanese: 三方五湖, Hepburn: Mikata-goko), also called the Five Lakes of Mikata, are a series of brackish and freshwater lakes located in Mihama and Wakasa, Fukui, Japan, which are close to the coast of Wakasa Bay. They consist of Lakes Mikata (三方湖), Suigetsu (水月湖), Suga (菅湖), Kugushi (久々子湖) and Hiruga (日向湖). These five lakes are all located in Wakasa Wan Quasi-National Park. In 2005 the lakes were designated as a Ramsar site. The Lake Suigetsu is famous for its varves, which were adopted as a global standard for dating geological and historical relics in 2012.[2][3][4][5][6][7][8]
| Mikata Five Lakes | |
|---|---|
| 三方五湖 | |
IUCN category IV (habitat/species management area) | |
 Composite aerial photograph from the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism | |
  Location within Fukui Prefecture | |
| Location | Japan |
| Nearest city | Mihama, Fukui |
| Coordinates | 35°34′19.9″N 135°53′04.0″E |
Official name | Mikata-goko |
| Designated | 8 November 2005 |
| Reference no. | 1549[1] |
Geography
Mikata Five Lakes refers to Lakes Maikata, Suigetsu, Suga, Kugushi and Hiruga. Lakes Mikata, Suigetsu and Suga, which are located in the southern part, are connected with each other via natural straits. In addition, Urami Canal built in 1664 connects Lake Kugushi with Suigetsu, and Saga Tunnel built in 1934 connects Lake Hiruga with Suigetsu.[5]
| Name | Salinity | Surface area[6] | Elevation[6] | Max depth | Shore length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lake Mikata | Fresh water[9] | 3.56 km2 (1.37 mi2) | 0 m | 5.8 m [10] | 9.6 km (6.0 mi)[11] |
| Lake Suigetsu | Brackish water[12] | 4.16 km2 (1.61 mi2) | 0 m | 34 m [13] | 11 km (6.8 mi) [13] |
| Lake Suga | Brackish water[6] | 0.91 km2 (0.35 mi2) | 0 m | 13.0 m [14] | 4.2 km (2.6 mi)[11] |
| Lake Kugushi | Brackish water[11] | 1.40 km2 (0.54 mi2) | 0 m | 2.5 m [15] | 7.0 km (4.3 mi)[11] |
| Lake Hiruga | Saline water[16] | 0.92 km2 (0.36 mi2) | 0 m | 38.5 m [16] | 4.0 km (2.5 mi) [16] |
