Exploring Miyagi Wetlands

All photos by the author

The wind was blowing hard across the open flat space as we arrived at Izu-numa. All boats had been stranded and moored by the lakeside. This was a disappointment but understandable. I could see the bamboo thickets on the northern side of the lake bending in the wind while hawks soared above taking advantage of the lift provided by the airflow.

Izu-numa is one of the wetlands in Miyagi Prefecture of Japan, designated as a Ramsar Site. It’s located north of the prefectural capital of Sendai, which received some international fame during the 2011 earthquake and tsunami that killed thousands of people and led to a partial meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear plant. We had arrived from the opposite direction, from Oshu in Iwate Prefecture just some 100 km further north on the Japanese mainland. I was traveling with a small group of friends from Oshu in their van.

Instead of getting on a boat, we walked around the shore where the lake gave way, first, to a carpet of water lilies, then a brush of reeds growing in the soft, muddy soil. Some birds, including a couple of egrets with their wings shiny white under the summer sun, took of from the undergrowth as they detected our approaching steps. The whole landscape was deep green against a blue sky on which fluffy cumulus clouds traveled fast driven by the wind.

The lake, although shallow – 1.6 meters at its deepest point – is very rich in biodiversity. There are 40 fish species that have been identified in the lake. That is many more than in most freshwater lakes or ponds. Several of these fishes belong to the family of carps. The lake and the surrounding wetland is one of the most important wintering locations for birds, such as whooper swans, in Japan. It is estimated that 90 percent of the greater white-fronted geese traversing Japan stop at the lake. All of 236 bird species have been identified in the area. The wetland is also well-known for its insect life, especially that of dragonflies. For all these reasons, the Isu-numa – Uchi-numa wetland complex was the second in Japan to be designated a Ramsar site in 1985, just after the Kushiro wetlands in Hokkaido. Wetlands are among the most productive and biologically rich ecosystems in the world. As such, they are also essential for human well-being.

After spending time on the lake shores, we entered the well-equipped Sanctuary Center on a knoll just above the wetland. Operated by the Miyagi Prefectural Izunuma-Uchinuma Environmental Foundation, the modern building is designed to resemble a white swan spreading its wings. Despite its size, it fits well into the landscape, with large panoramic windows overlooking the natural area. The Foundation engages in conservation, information and research work. The exhibits in the two-story hall were very interesting. Luckily for me, there was a staff member who was delighted to explain some of it in fluent English to me.

The Ramsar Convention was adopted in 1971 and came into force in 1975. It is thus one of oldest modern international environmental agreements. Its official name is the Convention on Wetlands and it provides an international framework for the conservation and wise use of these productive landscapes that are extremely important for the preservation of biological diversity, water and other assets that are essential for the survival of our species. Ramsar is a city in Iran where the agreement was created. Since then, almost nine-tenths of the world’s countries have become “contracting parties” to the Convention. The United States has been a member since 1986 and boasts 41 Ramsar sites, ranging from the Aleutian Islands and Hawaii to all over the continental lower 48 states.

Japan joined in 1980 and has all of 53 Ramsar sites, again ranging from Hokkaido in the north to Okinawa in the south. Six of the sites are in the Tohoku region, which comprises the northern segment of the main island, Honshu. 

These include the Izu-numa and Uchi-numa National Wildlife Protection Area and Nature Protection Area covering 559 ha. Izu-numa and Uchi-numa are two interconnected freshwater lakes and their surrounding peat swamps in the In the Hasama River basin. Outside of the protected area, agriculture and especially rice cultivation prevails. The Hasama itself is a tributary of the Kitakamigawa, the largest river in northern Japan and one of my absolute favorites in the world, flowing from its origins at Mt. Nanashigure through Iwate and Miyagi prefectures until it reaches the Pacific Ocean. 

The two lakes and wetlands have extensive reed beds and are characterized by submerged vegetation, including water lilies. The alluvial plain is also one of the very few locations in Japan where wild rice grows, providing important nutrition to visiting waterfowl. Numerous species of Anatidae — ducks, geese, swans and related water birds — winter in the Izu-numa / Uchi-numa area. Already in 1967, the Government of Japan designated the area’s birdlife and habitat as a National Monument. One of the curiosities that demonstrates the closeness of the Japanese people and nation to nature is the designation of national soundscapes. In 1996, the call of the greater white-fronted goose (Anser albifrons) was selected as one of the 100 Soundscapes of Japan by the MInistry of Environment (in another blog, I mentioned that the wind chimes at Mizusawa train station are also designated as such). 

Current Ramsar-related research in the area focuses on the declining growth of wild rice and the wintering bird populations. Some of this research – and conservation action – is conducted by the Izunuma-Uchinuma Environmental Foundation, which engages in prevention of further shallowing of the lakes, eradication of harmful invasive species (like the largemouth bass), planting wild rice, and clearing excessive reed beds.

Leaving Izu-numa and its excellent information center, we circled the lake by its eastern end, exiting the nature protection area. Our next destination was Naga-numa, another shallow lake of similar size and oblong shape. It is located about 10 km southeast of Izu-numa and Uchi-numa in the town of Tome.  At the entrance to the lake there is a park, Naganuma Futopia Park, with its landmark Dutch windmill erected in 1991.

Luckily for us, the wind had abated and we were able to find a boater who would take us on the lake. We entered the small vessel covered with a canopy made of reeds. Even more than Izu-numa, Naga-numa was almost entirely covered by water lilies, except for two open water areas, in front of the small boat harbor and the center of the lake. The local boatman explained that this summer there were more water lilies than ever in the past decade.

Traversing the water lily beds, the boat gained speed entering the open water until we reached the other side of the lake where the lilies floated thick in a wide stretch. We lingered a good while, floating amongst the beautiful red flowers and large green leaves. The day was hot and sunny but there was a cooling breeze on the water. I felt very calm and satisfied with our outing in the beautiful and unique nature.

My friends taking a selfie among the Lotus