“Seven days…”
– Sadako, “The Ring”

Many of us with social network accounts have received menacing chain messages. These messages often warn us of eternal bad luck or burning in hell. This occurs if we do not spread the message to others. We can do this by private messages or by posting them on our accounts’ walls. This was, nonetheless, not the case with the challenge I received recently through my Facebook account. The challenge is to post pictures of nature for a week on the Facebook wall. You must also nominate other people to do the same. It is much like the ice bucket challenge without the ice, the bucket, and the money donations (lol!). I was invited to do this challenge five times. This is the only time I gave in to the challenge.

And what photos should I post for seven days? Of course, I need to boast the beauty of Hokkaido. I’ve been living here for nearly seven years. Seven pictures are surely not enough to describe how lovely the Hokkaido scenery is. I just finished the challenge yesterday, and these are the seven pictures I posted since I started last week.

Day 1

I have started the challenge with my favorite Hokkaido lake, Lake Mashu. Located in Akan National Park, Lake Mashu is a caldera lake of an active volcano.

Day 2

On the second day of the challenge, I chose to show the tallest mountain in Hokkaido. Mount Asahi, or Dake, is part of the Daisetzusan volcanic group of the Ishikari mountains.

Day 3

When the hill turns pink, it is simply magical. The shibazakura will soon bloom again in Higashimokoto, and this photo fits well with the third day of this challenge.

Day 4

For the fourth day, I showed the Kussharo Lake with the whooper swans against a wintry backdrop. I already posted an entry about these regal-looking birds on this blog.

Day 5

Sika deer are native to Hokkaido. In this picture, I spotted a group of sika deer. It was taken on the fifth day of the challenge at the Shiretoko Peninsula. Shitetoko was designated a World Heritage Site in 2005.

Day 6

The Furano area in Hokkaido is more famous for its lavender fields. But, I find the lupine flower fields more attractive with their candy-colored flowers. I chose this colorful picture for the sixth day.

Day 7

When nature meets man-made structures, the result should be fabulous. An example of this is the star-shaped Goryokaku Park in Hakodate. Originally built as a fortress in 1855, the blooming cherry blossoms accentuate the already interesting park during spring.