The Twelve Lakes is the collective name for a group of 33 lakes and marshes surrounded by beech forests in the western part of the Shirakami Mountains.

Aoike Pond is one of them, famous for its cobalt blue color. It is part of the Twelve Lakes Walking Course, which takes less than one hour from the base at “Mori No Bussan Kan Kyororo (Forest Products Shop Kyororo)” around the “Ketoba No Ike (Chicken Head Pond),” “Ao Ike (Blue Pond),” “Buna Shizen Rin (Beech Natural Forest),” “Waki Tsubo No Ike (Boiling Pot Pond),” and “Ochikuchi Pond (Falling Mouth Pond).”

The pond is so clear that you can see the bottom, yet it is a clear blue as if ink had been poured into it. The principle behind this mysterious color is still unknown. It is said that the best time to view the pond is around 11 a.m. on a sunny day from April to August when the angle of sunlight is high. Please come and see the secret of the mysterious blue color.