Sogakudai and Sokodai: Mountain and Lake Lookouts on the Road to Akan

Driving Route 241 between Teshikaga (Lake Kussharo and Lake Mashu) and Lake Akan, you pass Sogakudai, Sokodai and Takimi Bridge. They are only a few minutes apart, but each shows something completely different: mountains, lakes and a waterfall.

1What are Sogakudai and Sokodai?

Both are lookouts with car parks beside Route 241, easy to stop at on a drive. The mountain road around them has many curves, but it is a scenic road with the great cone of Mt. Oakan ahead of you.

• Sogakudai ("two-peak lookout") faces Mt. Oakan and Mt. Meakan, the two mountains of Akan.
• Sokodai ("two-lake lookout") looks down on Lake Penketo in the forest, with Lake Panketo hidden behind it.

2Sogakudai

From Sogakudai you see the strong ridge of Mt. Oakan straight ahead. The view is open and the mountain feels close; stop here first if you want Akan's mountain scenery.

3Sokodai

At Sokodai, Lake Penketo, famous for being shaped like Hokkaido, lies in the forest below; Lake Panketo, behind it, is mostly hidden.

4Takimi Bridge

As its name ("waterfall-view bridge") says, from Takimi Bridge you look at a waterfall at the foot of Mt. Oakan. It is a quiet spot where all you hear is the water. There is a car park just before the bridge. There are no toilets or shops at the lookouts.

5How to get there

Getting there: eastern Hokkaido is a long way from Sapporo (about five hours to Teshikaga by car), so most people fly into Memanbetsu, Kushiro or Nakashibetsu airport and rent a car there. The lookouts are on Route 241 between Teshikaga and Lake Akan.

6Near Sogakudai and Sokodai

900 Grassland Observatory: Big Skies Between Lake Mashu and AkanA local's guide to the 900 Grassland observatory in Teshikaga: 1,440 hectares of pasture ("900 Sogen") under a huge sky, the cow monument, how it differs from the lake viewpoints and how to fit it into a drive from Lake Mashu to Lake Akan. Lake Akan: The Sightseeing Cruise, Marimo and Ainu KotanA local's guide to Lake Akan in eastern Hokkaido: the sightseeing boat to Churui Island, the marimo moss balls, Akanko Ainu Kotan, and how to fit the lake into a road trip. Lake Mashu, Lake Kussharo and Lake Akan: A Local's Eastern Hokkaido Road TripA two-night road trip around Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu and Lake Akan to the Kushiro Wetland, from a Sapporo local who drove it: the order that works, what each lake is like, the boat to the marimo, and weather and driving tips.

7FAQ about Sogakudai and Sokodai

Q1. What can you see from Sogakudai?

Mt. Oakan and Mt. Meakan, the two mountains of Akan.

Q2. What can you see from Sokodai?

Lake Penketo, shaped like Hokkaido; Lake Panketo behind it is mostly hidden.

Q3. Is there parking?

Yes, each lookout and Takimi Bridge have car parks beside Route 241.