Bishamonnuma (Goshikinuma Pond Group)
Bishamonnuma is the largest of the Goshikinuma ponds, a colorful cluster of around 30 shallow ponds and marshes formed when Mt. Bandai erupted in 1888 and triggered a landslide that dammed a nearby river.
Bishamonnuma appears either blue or green, depending on the light. The pond’s relatively low acidity allows plankton and aquatic plants, such as watermilfoil (Myriophyllum) and pondweed (Potamogeton) to flourish. Several species of fish, including Amur minnow and Japanese dace thrive here.
Bishamonnuma is the first pond encountered walking westwards along the trail that leads from the Visitor Center. It is the only pond on the trail at which you can hire a paddle boat for views from the water. The pond's name comes from Bishamon, one of the four guardian deities in the Buddhist pantheon, and also one of Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods, which have been worshipped since the Muromachi period (1136–1573).