Monet's Pond

The official name is Namonaki Ike, the nameless pond, but the nickname stuck because the spring-fed water, floating lily pads, and drifting koi create a scene that looks lifted directly from a Monet canvas. The underground springs keep the water clear enough to see every stone on the bottom. The scene shifts with the seasons: fresh green in spring, lush in summer, warm-toned in autumn, occasionally snow-dusted in winter. The small Shinto shrine behind the pond is simple and worth a brief visit. Mornings on weekdays offer the best light and the thinnest crowds before tour buses arrive. The pond is in Seki, about an hour from Nagoya.