The Okhotsk area has nurtured its own unique culture in the rich nature facing the Sea of Okhotsk. Why don't you go on a trip full of learning and discovery? Now is a good time to take advantage of various discount plans offered by various public transportation companies!

In this issue, we will introduce a model route to enjoy the Okhotsk area in 3 days and 2 nights. Please take a look at it as a reference for creating your summer memories.

Start your trip from Sapporo Okadama Airport! The trip starts at Sapporo Okadama Airport, where you will board a flight departing from Sapporo Okadama Airport and arriving at Memanbetsu Airport with a ticket booked through JAL's "Let's Go Nippon! The "Let's go Nippon! Douchi Gurutto Wari" can be booked up to 7 days prior to the boarding date, and you will receive a special bus ticket that can be used upon arrival at the airport.

From Sapporo Okadama Airport, take a 55-minute flight (JAL) to Memanbetsu Airport.

Upon arrival at Memanbetsu Airport, you can use the ticket to get off the bus for free! The bus will take you to Abashiri City.

Take the bus from Memanbetsu Airport to Abashiri Bus Terminal (about 35 minutes).

Don't forget to pick up your "Eco Card" at JR Abashiri Station when you get on the Abashiri Bus! This Eco-Card is for the "Let's protect drift ice by riding public transportation! Campaign" and if you stamp it at the designated place, you can apply for the present project.

Photo courtesy of the Hokkaido Okhotsk Promotion Office

There are also stamps at the facilities you plan to visit on the course of this trip, so be sure to apply. You can also learn about the campaign to protect Okhotsk drift ice from global warming through this campaign.

20:00 Abashiri City

And speaking of Okhotsk, seafood is what it is all about!

We will stay overnight in Abashiri city on this day, so please take the opportunity to enjoy it for dinner!

Abashiri is also full of other local delicacies such as Okhotsk Abashiri zangi-don, Abashiri moyoro nabe, and Abashiri chanpon. You can find these restaurants on the website of the Abashiri City Tourist Association, so please refer to their website for more information.

After enjoying gourmet food, there is one more thing you need to do before leaving the next morning. That is to purchase the necessary tickets for the second day from "OkhoNavi " (hereinafter referred to as " OkhoNavi "). OkhoNavi is a service that allows you to purchase public transportation tickets in the Okhotsk area at a discount anytime, anywhere from your smartphone. There is no need to download an app.

What you get is the "Abashiri Sightseeing Facility Meguri Bus and Whereabashi Bus Common 1 Day Pass" (1,500 yen including tax), which allows you to use the "Whereabashi Bus" as much as you like throughout the day. The Doko Bus is very convenient for sightseeing in Abashiri, but it is different from regular local buses. Let's learn a little about it here.

The Doko Bus does not have a timetable. There are bus stops all over Abashiri, and passengers first check the number of the bus stop from which they will board the bus and at which stop they will alight. Then, they simply call the call center and give the number. This completes the reservation.

Then, go to the designated bus stop, give the reservation number when the bus arrives, and board the bus. For the location of the bus stop, please check the User's Guide distributed at various locations in Abashiri City. Reservations can also be made from a smartphone, and an electronic version of the bus stop MAP can be obtained from the QR code. Please note that the bus is in operation from 9:00 to 16:00, and the reservation desk closes at 15:45.

On the second day of the trip, let's do plenty of sightseeing while making good use of the Whereabashi Bus. First of all, Abashiri is famous for "Museum Abashiri Prison". Depart from Abashiri Station and take the Doko Bus for about 10 minutes to get there. The Abashiri 1-Day Pass not only allows unlimited rides on the Doko Bus, but also offers discounts at various facilities. Admission to Abashiri Prison is discounted by 10%!

Take the Doko Bus from the Abashiri Station (1) bus stop (stop #509) to the "Museum Abashiri Prison" (stop #903), a 10-minute ride.

Photo courtesy of Museum Abashiri Prison

Photo courtesy of Museum Abashiri Prison

The name "jail" may sound a bit daunting, but you may be surprised at the size of the prison once you actually enter. The building has actually been used as Abashiri Prison since the Meiji era, and some of the thick beams and pillars still bear the marks left by the prisoners. It is a strange sensation, as if you have time-traveled.

Photo courtesy of Museum Abashiri Prison

If you are so inclined, have lunch here as well. The prison cafeteria offers a menu that reproduces the prison food that prisoners used to eat. You may feel more like a prisoner if you eat it. ...... After such a valuable experience, you will leave the museum.

Museum Abashiri Prison

Location: 1-1 Yobito, Abashiri-city
Hours: 9:00-17:00
*Varies according to the season.
Last admission is 1 hour before closing.
Admission: Adults: 1,100 yen, University and high school students: 770 yen, Elementary and junior high school students: 550 yen
View details about "Museum Abashiri Prison" on Domingo

From "Museum Abashiri Prison" (bus stop #903), take a 10-minute bus ride to "Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum" (bus stop #905).

Photo courtesy of Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum

Ride the bus again and arrive at the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum in about 15 minutes. As the name suggests, the theme of the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum is drift ice and the creatures of the Sea of Okhotsk. Visitors can learn while having fun by viewing clione, also known as drift ice angels, watching one of Hokkaido's largest permanent projection mapping displays, and experiencing a drift ice terrace with temperatures of -15 degrees Celsius.

Photo courtesy of Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum

By the way, if you use the Abashiri 1-Day Pass benefit, you can get a 50 yen discount on soft-serve ice cream sold here.

After learning about drift ice, visit the observation terrace on the third floor. From the observation terrace, you can see a magnificent view of the Sea of Okhotsk, Lake Abashiri, Lake Nodori, Lake Toto, Lake Mokoto, and the Shiretoko mountain range.

Photo courtesy of Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum

Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum / Tentozan Observation Deck

Location: 244-3, Tentozan, Abashiri-city
Hours: May-Oct 8:30-18:00, Nov-Apr 9:00-16:30, Year-end and New Year (Dec 29-Jan 5) 10:00-15:00
Last admission 30 minutes before closing
Admission: 770 yen for adults, 660 yen for high school students, 550 yen for elementary and junior high school students
View details about Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum / Tentozan Observation Deck on Domingo

Arrive at the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples (about 15 minutes on foot from the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum).

Photo courtesy of Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples

After leaving the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum, it is about a 15-minute walk to the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples. The Abashiri 1-Day Pass also offers a discount from 550 yen to 500 yen for this museum.

Photo courtesy of the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples

On display here are a variety of specific materials on the cultures of the various peoples of the northern region and the prehistoric cultures closely related to their formations. In particular, the prehistoric culture is introduced with a focus on the Okhotsk culture that once flourished along the Sea of Okhotsk coast, which is of great interest to those who travel to this region.

Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples

Location: 309-1 Shiomi, Abashiri-city
Hours: 9:30-16:30 (9:00-17:00 from July to September)
Admission to the permanent exhibition: Adults: 550 yen, High school and university students: 200 yen
View details about "Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples" on Domingo

Arrive at Hana Tento (about 15 minutes on foot from the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples).

Photo courtesy of Abashiri Tourist Association

After you have seen and learned a lot, and your head is getting full, it is time to fill your heart with beautiful scenery. A 15-minute walk from the Northern Folk Museum is the flower garden "Hana Tento. It is a spot with a spectacular view where you can take some nice commemorative photos.

Flower Garden Hana Tento

Location: 15 Yobito, Abashiri-city
Flowering season: Early July to mid-October
Best time to visit: Early August to late September
View details of Flower Garden Hana Tento on Domingo

After leaving Hana Tento, take the bus again. The next stop is the Moyoro Shell Mound Museum.

Take the Whereabouts Bus from Hana Tento (stop #908) to the Moyoro Shell Mound Parking Lot (stop #77), about 15 minutes by Whereabouts Bus.

Photo courtesy of Abashiri City Tourist Association

About 1,300 years ago, people who came from the northern continent lived in Abashiri, making use of fishing techniques. This is said to have been the origin of the Okhotsk culture, which established its own unique culture.

Photo courtesy of Abashiri City Tourism Association

The Moyoro Shell Mound Museum exhibits the lives of the ancestors as revealed through excavations, with exhibits organized by theme.

Moyoro Shell Mound Museum

Location: Kita 1-jo Higashi 2-chome, Abashiri-city
Hours: 9:00-17:00
Open until 16:00 during winter (Nov. to Apr.)
Fees: Adults 300 yen, high school and university students 200 yen, elementary and junior high school students 100 yen
View more information about Moyoro Shell Mound Museum on Domingo

15 min. walk from Moyoro Shell Mound Museum to Michi no Eki Dorii Kaido Abashiri (Michi-no-Eki Drift Ice Road Abashiri)

Photo courtesy of Abashiri City Tourist Association

From Moyoro Shell Mound Museum, it is about a 15-minute walk to the Roadside Station "Drift Ice Kaido Abashiri. Many local specialties are sold there, so enjoy shopping for souvenirs or for yourself.

Photo courtesy of Abashiri City Tourist Association

Minato Tourist Exchange Center (Roadside Station "Drift Ice Road Abashiri")

Location: Minami 3-jo Higashi 4-chome, Abashiri-city
Hours: April-September 9:00-18:30, October-March 9:00-18:00
See details of Minato Kanko Koryu Center (Roadside Station "Drift Ice Road Abashiri") on Domingo

20 minutes on foot from "Roadside Station Drift Ice Kaido Abashiri" to "JR Abashiri Station".

17:44 JR Abashiri Station