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Experience the Nature and History of the Sarobetsu Wetland! A Report on the Sarobetsu Wetland Backyard Tour
I recently joined the Sarobetsu Wetland Backyard Tour! This special tour allows you to walk on the “research boardwalk,” an area normally off-limits to the public, accompanied by a guide. What's more, this luxurious two-and-a-half-hour tour, where you get to experience the wetland's nature up close while listening to expert commentary, is completely free! You can even rent the necessary rubber boots for just 230 yen. I had an incredible time, and I'd love to share my experience with you.
The tour starts at the Sarobetsu Wetland Center, located in Toyotomi Town, a place famous for its globally rare crude oil hot springs. (A relaxing dip in a Toyotomi onsen after the tour is pure bliss!) The Sarobetsu Wetland Center itself is fantastic, with extensive exhibits and videos about the wetland. Learning about the wetland's formation, plants, and animals beforehand can help you better absorb the guide's explanations, so a little “homework” is recommended.
(The Sarobetsu Wetland Center, with its comprehensive exhibits.)
After tying my bootlaces tight, the tour finally began. First, we entered the Peat Industry Museum next to the Wetland Center. Inside the dimly lit building, large machines from the era of peat mining are crammed together. We learned that the wetland was excavated to produce and sell “peat moss” as a soil conditioner, and we even got to touch some of the products from that time.
As we were guided outside, the silhouette of a massive, rust-red vessel lying heavily at the wetland's entrance caught my eye. This is a peat dredger, a workboat used for excavating peat. Its rough surface and imposing presence give it an ancient feel, but it was actually in use until the early 2000s. The handrails and ladders covering its hull create a sense of adventure.
Up close, it's huge...
Passing by the dredger, we headed into the wetland. After a short walk on the boardwalk, the view suddenly opened up before us. A magnificent wilderness, swaying in the wind, stretched as far as the eye could see, under a deep blue sky streaked with clouds.
On the horizon, where the waves of swaying reeds met the white clouds, the pale, bluish form of Mount Rishiri was faintly visible. The weather was particularly good that day, and the mountain's ridges were sharply etched against the sky.
At this point, you might be thinking, “Wait, isn't the Sarobetsu Plain a wetland?” The photos certainly look like a field. In fact, the central part of the Sarobetsu Wetland is a “raised bog,” which looks completely different from “fens” like the Kushiro Wetland. A raised bog is formed when peat accumulates in the wetland, and sphagnum mosses grow in colonies, raising the ground level. Low-growing wetland plants then thrive on top. So, while there is abundant water stored beneath the ground, the surface looks like a grassland.
Walking along the path, we encountered the delicate and rich ecosystem unique to the wetland, including cranberries, Grass of Parnassus, and even the carnivorous sundew.
(The adorable, round red berries of the cranberry.)
(A solitary white flower in a sea of blue-green: the Grass of Parnassus.)
(The carnivorous sundew, exuding an eerie yet alluring charm.)
As the tour continued, a huge pond with dark reddish-black ripples appeared. This, we were told, is the site where the peat dredger had once operated. It is now a resting place for water birds.
However, efforts are being made to restore nature here. The climax of the tour was participating in an initiative to bring nature back.
Following the guide, we came to a patch of bare ground along the boardwalk where no plants were growing. Here, for the first time that day (and in my life), we were given special permission to step off the boardwalk and onto the Sarobetsu wetland. The land, stripped bare by peat excavation, felt soft and spongy underfoot. When the guide jumped, ripples spread across the surface of the surrounding soil. This strange phenomenon occurs because water is stored abundantly beneath our feet, gently covered by soft peat. When we tried jumping, the ground trembled like jelly, as if we were standing on unset concrete. It was a very peculiar sensation.
But we weren't just there to play. To contribute to nature's restoration, we followed the guide's instructions. We covered the exposed land, where plants couldn't take root, with biodegradable jute netting (a special coarse cloth). This helps new plant seeds and vines that are carried by the wind to catch on. Nearby, we could see small, light green leaves sprouting from a cloth that had been laid a few years ago. From here, over an incredibly long period of time, nature will be restored, little by little.
(Placing the jute netting on the ground. Mount Rishiri watches over us from across the sea.)
In this way, I was able to fully enjoy nature with all five senses, experiencing its richness while also feeling the fragile and delicate side of the wetland and the scars that still remain. Why must we protect nature? What have humans done until now? It felt as though the beautiful scenery was confronting me with questions I don't often consider.
The Sarobetsu Wetland Backyard Tour ended, leaving me completely satisfied. The beautiful scenery of the Sarobetsu Plain, normally off-limits, is still etched in my memory. The guide's fascinating explanations and enthusiastic answers to our questions gave me a glimpse of their sincere dedication to the wetland's nature. I almost felt guilty that such a wonderful tour was free. The tour runs every weekend in October. Why not take a step into the northern wilderness yourself?
Finally, after the tour, I had a bowl of Sarobetsu Ramen at Resthouse Sarobetsu. The rich umami flavor of the local seafood from Wakasakanai soaked into my tired body.
(Sarobetsu Ramen (milk flavor) for 1,000 yen. You can choose between surf clam and scallop. Contains rich butter.)
The tour starts at the Sarobetsu Wetland Center, located in Toyotomi Town, a place famous for its globally rare crude oil hot springs. (A relaxing dip in a Toyotomi onsen after the tour is pure bliss!) The Sarobetsu Wetland Center itself is fantastic, with extensive exhibits and videos about the wetland. Learning about the wetland's formation, plants, and animals beforehand can help you better absorb the guide's explanations, so a little “homework” is recommended.
(The Sarobetsu Wetland Center, with its comprehensive exhibits.)The Tour Begins!
After tying my bootlaces tight, the tour finally began. First, we entered the Peat Industry Museum next to the Wetland Center. Inside the dimly lit building, large machines from the era of peat mining are crammed together. We learned that the wetland was excavated to produce and sell “peat moss” as a soil conditioner, and we even got to touch some of the products from that time.
As we were guided outside, the silhouette of a massive, rust-red vessel lying heavily at the wetland's entrance caught my eye. This is a peat dredger, a workboat used for excavating peat. Its rough surface and imposing presence give it an ancient feel, but it was actually in use until the early 2000s. The handrails and ladders covering its hull create a sense of adventure.
Up close, it's huge...
Passing by the dredger, we headed into the wetland. After a short walk on the boardwalk, the view suddenly opened up before us. A magnificent wilderness, swaying in the wind, stretched as far as the eye could see, under a deep blue sky streaked with clouds.
On the horizon, where the waves of swaying reeds met the white clouds, the pale, bluish form of Mount Rishiri was faintly visible. The weather was particularly good that day, and the mountain's ridges were sharply etched against the sky.
At this point, you might be thinking, “Wait, isn't the Sarobetsu Plain a wetland?” The photos certainly look like a field. In fact, the central part of the Sarobetsu Wetland is a “raised bog,” which looks completely different from “fens” like the Kushiro Wetland. A raised bog is formed when peat accumulates in the wetland, and sphagnum mosses grow in colonies, raising the ground level. Low-growing wetland plants then thrive on top. So, while there is abundant water stored beneath the ground, the surface looks like a grassland.
A Unique Wetland Ecosystem
Walking along the path, we encountered the delicate and rich ecosystem unique to the wetland, including cranberries, Grass of Parnassus, and even the carnivorous sundew.
(The adorable, round red berries of the cranberry.)(A solitary white flower in a sea of blue-green: the Grass of Parnassus.)(The carnivorous sundew, exuding an eerie yet alluring charm.)As the tour continued, a huge pond with dark reddish-black ripples appeared. This, we were told, is the site where the peat dredger had once operated. It is now a resting place for water birds.
However, efforts are being made to restore nature here. The climax of the tour was participating in an initiative to bring nature back.
Following the guide, we came to a patch of bare ground along the boardwalk where no plants were growing. Here, for the first time that day (and in my life), we were given special permission to step off the boardwalk and onto the Sarobetsu wetland. The land, stripped bare by peat excavation, felt soft and spongy underfoot. When the guide jumped, ripples spread across the surface of the surrounding soil. This strange phenomenon occurs because water is stored abundantly beneath our feet, gently covered by soft peat. When we tried jumping, the ground trembled like jelly, as if we were standing on unset concrete. It was a very peculiar sensation.
Nature Restoration Over a Long Time
But we weren't just there to play. To contribute to nature's restoration, we followed the guide's instructions. We covered the exposed land, where plants couldn't take root, with biodegradable jute netting (a special coarse cloth). This helps new plant seeds and vines that are carried by the wind to catch on. Nearby, we could see small, light green leaves sprouting from a cloth that had been laid a few years ago. From here, over an incredibly long period of time, nature will be restored, little by little.
(Placing the jute netting on the ground. Mount Rishiri watches over us from across the sea.)In this way, I was able to fully enjoy nature with all five senses, experiencing its richness while also feeling the fragile and delicate side of the wetland and the scars that still remain. Why must we protect nature? What have humans done until now? It felt as though the beautiful scenery was confronting me with questions I don't often consider.
The Sarobetsu Wetland Backyard Tour ended, leaving me completely satisfied. The beautiful scenery of the Sarobetsu Plain, normally off-limits, is still etched in my memory. The guide's fascinating explanations and enthusiastic answers to our questions gave me a glimpse of their sincere dedication to the wetland's nature. I almost felt guilty that such a wonderful tour was free. The tour runs every weekend in October. Why not take a step into the northern wilderness yourself?
Finally, after the tour, I had a bowl of Sarobetsu Ramen at Resthouse Sarobetsu. The rich umami flavor of the local seafood from Wakasakanai soaked into my tired body.
(Sarobetsu Ramen (milk flavor) for 1,000 yen. You can choose between surf clam and scallop. Contains rich butter.)
