Bokke Walking Trail
The Bokke Walking Trail stretches from Marimo-no-Sato Pier on the shore of Lake Akan to the Akankohan Eco-museum Center. The wide, forested path offers an introduction to Akan-Mashu National Park and takes about 45 minutes to walk. Along the trail you can see views of the lake, diverse plant life, and volcanic pools of bubbling mud.
The bubbling mud pools, known as bokke, are one of the highlights of the trail. They are the result of steam and volcanic gases escaping through vents in the earth’s surface. Their name comes from the Ainu word pofuke, meaning “to bubble up.” The trail offers good views of these steamy pools from the lakeshore.
The Bokke Walking Trail merges with the Forest Trail, which runs through a mixed coniferous and deciduous forest and leads to the Akankohan Eco-museum Center and Akankohan Parking Lot. Panels along the trail describe the types of wildlife and trees seen along the way, including Sakhalin spruce, Sakhalin fir, Yezo spruce, and Katsura. The Forest Trail takes about 20 minutes, but this can vary according to fitness level.