Shirakami Sanchi – the mountainous region of the white gods, according to the name – is the last remaining expanse of primeval beech forest in Japan. The area is therefore listed as a UNESCO Natural World Heritage since 1993. We went to see what it is all about. „Oh yes, that is very blue!“ – „Oh, look – how blue it is!,“ shout the Japanese tourists. Aoike means Blue Pond, and the water is indeed very clear and blue against the fresh green backdrop of the Shirakami Sanchi beech forest. In prehistoric times this forest covered much of Northeast Asia. The core zone of the World Heritage protection area is off-limits to all visitors, but some places around the periphery can be visited. Read in this blog post what to see in Shirakami Sanchi and how to get there!
