Marimo balls are a rare curiosity. In Japan, the Ainu people hold a three-day marimo festival every October at Lake Akan. Legend has it that long ago the daughter of a chief from a tribe living near Lake Akan in Japan fell in love with a commoner. When her parents opposed the union, the couple ran away but tragically fell into the lake and sunk to the bottom. According to the myth, it was here that they turned into Marimo moss balls and why this plant is now known as a token of love, affection and good luck.