Lake Penketo
Overview
In the Ainu language, Lake Penketo means “upper swamp.” Located in the eastern foothills of Mt. Oakan, a single outflowing river at the northern end of the lake connects it to Lake Panketo.
Long ago, Lake Penketo, Lake Panketo, and Lake Akan were joined together as one large body of water. However, due to volcanic activity from Mt. Oakan from approximately 10,000 to 6,000 years ago, the original Old Lake Akan was partially filled in and split into the three lakes that exist today. Said to resemble the shape of Hokkaido, Lake Penketo is the smallest of the area’s three lakes. It has a circumference of 3.9 kilometers, compared to Panketo at 12.4 kilometers and Akan at 25.9 kilometers. Lake Penketo is approximately 39 meters deep and is 520 meters above sea level.
Activities
As with Lake Panketo, the forest and road around Penketo is managed by both the government and private organizations. To protect the area’s natural environment, the general public is usually prohibited from going near the lake. However, visitors can view both Lake Panketo and Lake Penketo from the Sokodai Observatory.