Ōnuma Pond and the Daija Festival

The cobalt-blue water of Onuma Pond gets its color from copper sulfate runoff from nearby Mt. Akaishi. A red torii gate on the shore belongs to Daija Shrine, dedicated to a dragon said to live in the pond. A local legend tells of the dragon falling in love with a woman named Kurohime, her father sabotaging their union with hidden swords, and the dragon flooding the region in rage before Kurohime threw herself into the water in grief. In August, the Daija Festival commemorates this story with boat processions across the pond carrying dragon puppets, followed by portable shrines, and fireworks in the evening.