Izunuma and Uchinuma

Along the quiet water’s edge, birdlife and aquatic plants are the main draw. Izunuma and Uchinuma are among Miyagi Prefecture’s largest freshwater lakes and are designated as a Ramsar Wetland of International Importance (especially as waterfowl habitat).

Every winter, 2,000–3,000 whooper swans arrive from Russia’s Far East to spend the season. From the embankments around the marsh, you can watch their graceful silhouettes flying overhead, and even see them stick their rumps above the surface as they dig hard for lotus rhizomes (renkon) growing in the marsh, which serve as food.

The area is also known as a wintering site for white-fronted geese, with over 100,000 gathering each year. During the day, they feed on fallen rice grains in nearby paddies, then rest in the marsh at night. As one of Japan’s largest wintering sites for geese and ducks, birds stay here from October to February. The sight of them taking off with the sunrise was selected by Japan’s Ministry of the Environment for the “100 Soundscapes of Japan to Preserve,” drawing many visitors from Japan and overseas. Depending on the season, you can also spot a wide variety of birds, including Japanese reed warblers, ospreys, ducks, and herons.

From late July to late August, pink lotus flowers, yellow Nymphoides peltata (asaza), and small white Nymphoides indica (gagabuta) bloom, bringing vivid color to the water’s surface. Beneath the flowers live fish such as bitterlings, Pseudorasbora parva (motsugo), and gobies, and many people also come to enjoy carp and crucian carp fishing.