In Yamagata Prefecture on Honshu island, Japan, there is a small, isolated body of water by the name of Otori-ike (ike meaning pond), which lies high in the mountains, 1,000 meters above sea level. It is in fact a lake, created when a landslide blocked off a mountain stream long ago.
Other than being a beautiful and scenic area, It seems that the lake, even though it was made fairly recently, as far as bodies of water go, it still has it's secrets. The lake is 3.2 kilometers (2 miles) around and 68 meters (223 feet) deep at its deepest point. Located within Yamagata’s largest virgin forest, Otori-ike is again, known for the area’s stunning natural beauty, and is a haven for hikers.
The lake is also known for a perplexing natural mystery. The Otori-ike is said to be the home of giant fish lurking within its depths; fish known locally as Takitaro.
The Takitaro are said to be huge fish capable of reaching sizes of up to 3 meters (10 feet) long. Locals have long told of seeing these giant fish in the lake.
Takitaro were once claimed to have the ability to bring in storms, and the sight of one was said to mean that a storm was imminent. The fish were often said to attack small boats, and were blamed for the occasional disappearance of fishermen. These fish were also said to snatch deer and small mammals directly from the shoreline. There is even a story regarding a Takitaro carcass washing up, once cut open, the remains of an adult wild deer were found in its stomach.
There are of course, reports of huge fish from all over the globe, and from its mysterious depths. Legends from long ago like the kraken and other deep sea creatures capable of dragging boats beneath the dark waters
(episode from our podcast, right)
Similar stories also haunt the shores of Otoro-ike. villagers report not only seeing several of the giant fish, but have said they catch and eat them. The locals even claim the fish is fairly good to eat. Some reports though, show the true power of these fish. Several reports of boats being pulled around, nearly pulled under, or knocked around.
There are also reports of seeing the fish from the upper ridge lines swimming beneath the clear waters. People who have witnessed these fish from these better view points claim they are between 6-10 feet in length. There is even alleged news footage from the early 1980's showing large fish swimming beneath the surface.
Sadly, no carcass has ever officially been examined. This legend seems to be put on the Rural back burner as of late. However, in 1985, in the hopes of obtaining evidence of the Takitaro. Scientists conducted a thorough search of the lake using sonar equipment, during which they made some peculiar finds. In the deeper parts of the lake, sonar picked up readings at a depth of 30 to 40 meters (98.5 to 131 feet) of what appeared to be fish much larger than any known to inhabit the area.
Gillnets and fishing eventually brought up a surprise. The nets captured several Dolly Varden trout (Salvelinus malma malma), which were much larger than usual for the species, although not nearly as large as the alleged Takitaro. In addition, Dolly Varden are represented in Japan by a landlocked subspecies that only inhabit the northern island of Hokkaido. They were not previously known to be in Otori-ike at all, and indeed, the lake should have no natural population of fish at all.
So...Maybe do not go swimming in Japanese lakes!