Monet's Pond is a hidden gem of Japan, find out why

Monet’s Pond or Namonaki Pond (meaning ‘nameless’) is one of the most scenic and colourful man made ponds that remained anonymous for a long time, even in Japan! The sight gained popularity only after people started posting and talking about it on social media. Hidden perfectly inside the woods, in the outskirts of Seki, Japan, the pond even has a small Shinto shrine. The location of the pond is also spectacular, on the foot of a hill that overlooks a valley below.
The pond is spectacular, and what makes it even better is the lilies that bloom, and the colourful ‘koi’ fish that swim in the crystal clear waters. So why the pond got so popular? So apart from it’s ‘painter’s dream’ like look, the pond resembles a series of gorgeous paintings that were created by the famous French Impressionist painter Claude Monet, and that is how it got its name ‘Monet’s Pond.’ Before this, the pond had no name, no identity!


It’s a soothing sight, looking at the colorful fish, swimming through the flowers. One of the most interesting facts about this beautiful pond is is that it wasn’t made to attract tourists but the prime aim of this waterbody was to be an irrigation reservoir for rice fields.
However, it wasn’t the same back in the 1990s. The pond was smelly and full of weeds back then. The local people decided to clean the pond and then added fish and water lilies in the pond for good.


Those interested in visiting this stunning pond, which is actually situated in the middle of nowhere, can do so in their own vehicle. Because reaching the pond without your own vehicle is a problem, as not many are aware of its existence till date. Maybe that’s one of the prime reasons that the pond escaped attention for all these years.

But thanks to social media, Monet’s Pond today gets enough visitors who come here in the hope of getting a perfect picture that can do justice to the beauty of the pond.