Sakase-ike Lake

The silhouette of flowers reflected in the water, the serenity of Sakase-ike Lake.

Sakase-ike Lake has been chosen as one of Kagawa Prefecture's 100 most beautiful sites, and shows a different beauty during each season. Long used as a source of water for irrigation, it was converted into a reservoir in 1956.
The Lake has been renowned for its beauty for many years. It's especially popular in the Spring, when the cherry trees bloom and their flowers are reflected in the still waters of the lake. Two trailheads on the Shikokunomichi Nature Trail are located near the lake shore and are frequented by locals.

【The Legend of the Dragon God】
According to legend, there has been a lake here for as long as anyone can remember. Above it, in a place called Shotai, lived a dragon god. Every year in May, the dragon god would come down and play in the waters of the lake. Once it had finished playing and returned home, the locals would open the sluice gates and use the water to flood their rice fields.
One year, tired from playing in the lake, the dragon god rested in the shade of tree instead of returning to Shotai. The local people, thinking the dragon god had already gone home, opened the sluices and flooded their fields. Seeing this, the dragon god was enraged. He caused the remaining water in the lake and all the water flowing in from the river to reverse direction and flow upstream and be sucked into Shotai. This is why the lake's name, which means "reversed current." Nowadays there is a festival held every year so that the dragon god will allow the locals to have as much water as they need.
(Information taken from the Mitoyo City homepage.)

Address

2300 Kouchi, Yamamoto-cho, Mitoyo, Kagawa (香川県三豊市山本町河内2300)

Additional
Information

【Directions】20 minutes from the Sanuki Toyonaka Interchange. From the Tsuji intersection on national route 377, follow prefectural route 6 South. The lake is 5 minutes past Kouchi Elementary