Beautifully located around 1,5 hours easy walk from Kappa bridge. Calm green lake in the middle of the forest. We need to pay 500 JPY to enter this lake area. Took a 10 minutes queue to be able to take a picture in the lake side where there is small tori.
The hike to the pond is amazing but the pond itself is the least maintained part of the park, not impressive in my opinion, and the fact that they charge extra for admission is honestly embarrassing. Enjoy the hike itself and skip the pond!
Myojin pond is one of the attractions in kamikochi. Came here after a long walk from the entrance
If you visit Kamikochi in the first time and love basic hike, this place would be good for you. From Kappa bridge, it takes more than 6-7 km to reach here. Try to plan for morning or late afternoon. It gets dark around 4.30pm in autumn time.
Paid entrance fee to visit this place.
I would think Myojin Pond 明神池 is at it's prettiest at early morning with the soft and warm sunlight and calm weather. If you are lucky enough like me you will see perfect reflection on both ponds, plus there are very few tourist.
I Visted at 6-7am, 28/4/23. But to be there so early one has to stay in one of the nearby lodge (e.g. 明神館, or like me in Tokusawa-en and set off at 5am to catch the first sunlight at Myojin bridge and pond)
(Also attached are some photos of Myojin Bridge at early morning)
