Monet's Pond
モネの池
A small pond of clear spring water, water lilies and colourful carp in the Gifu hills, famous online for looking just like Monet's Water Lilies.
How a nameless pond became "Monet's Pond"
Monet's Pond sits beside the approach to Nemichi Shrine in the Itadori area of Seki, Gifu Prefecture. It was dug around 1980 as an irrigation pond to hold water for the rice fields, and it has no official name. Even Seki City's tourism website introduces it as "the nameless pond".
Around 1999, people connected with the nearby Flower Park Itadori cleared out the weeds and planted water lilies and kohone, a water plant with yellow flowers. The carp swimming in it were released by local people who could no longer keep them at home. Around 2015, photos spread on blogs, Twitter and Instagram, newspapers and TV picked up the story, and almost overnight the pond was drawing visitors from all over Japan and from abroad.
Crystal-clear water through the seasons
The water is spring water from nearby Mount Koka. The rock of the mountain is low in nutrients, so microorganisms struggle to grow in the water, and it stays clear enough to see right to the bottom. Water lily leaves and flowers float on the surface while carp glide between them, a scene that calls to mind Claude Monet's Water Lilies series.
From spring to autumn you get water lilies and clear water, and in autumn the leaves change colour too. Because the pond is fed by a spring, it does not freeze in winter, and Gifu Prefecture's tourism website says you can sometimes see water lilies even in the cold months. By 2024 the footpath around the pond had been rebuilt as a boardwalk that wheelchairs can use.
Getting there and when to go
By public transport, take the local bus (Gifu Itadori Line) from JR Gifu Station to Horado Kiwi Plaza, then change to the Itadori area bus and get off at Monet no Ike-mae. The pond is about 150m from the bus stop. Check bus times before you set off.
If you are driving, car navigation systems do not always find "Monet's Pond", so Seki City suggests setting nearby Flower Park Itadori as your destination. There is a car park, and visiting the pond is free.
According to the Seki City and Gifu Prefecture tourism websites, the light is best and the water looks its most beautiful between about 9 and 11 in the morning.
Tips
- After heavy rain or when the water level rises, soil and fallen leaves can be stirred up and cloud the water. Avoid visiting straight after a run of rainy days and aim for a sunny morning instead.
- The pond belongs to the local community and lies in the grounds of Nemichi Shrine; it was not built as a tourist attraction. Keep your voice down on the shrine approach and at the shrine.
- Signs by the pond ask visitors not to feed the carp snacks or anything else. Feeding them makes the water dirty, so please don't.
Sources
Updated 29 September 2026. Opening hours and prices change, so check the official site before you go.
