This route takes you to the easternmost tip of Japan currently accessible to the public. Here, magnificent nature, including the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site, and gourmet delights from rich dairy farming and marine resources await to heal travelers.

This Route's Coordinator

This Drive Route

Shiretoko-Nemuro-North Pacific Scenic Byway

The Shiretoko-Nemuro-North Pacific Scenic Byway is located at the easternmost tip of mainland Japan and boasts a wealth of attractive resources, including the Shiretoko World Natural Heritage Site, five Ramsar Convention wetlands, and natural landscapes reminiscent of Europe and North America. The region is also a thriving hub for the fishing and dairy industries, offering fresh, delicious seafood from its bountiful seas and high-quality milk, cheese, and other dairy products from cows raised on vast pastures. In recent years, a whiskey distillery has begun operations, creating a new local culture.

Let's Start the Drive!

1 〈Scenic Cafe〉 Akesato Ito☆Farm

Akesato Ito☆Farm is nestled within the beautiful landscape of the vast Konsen Plain, reminiscent of Europe. The restaurant offers a menu featuring carefully selected ingredients, including steaks from their own farm-raised Japanese Shorthorn Wagyu. The adjacent general store & cafe is popular for its stylish and cute products that celebrate a life connected to agriculture, as well as its rich-tasting soft-serve ice cream made with the farm's own low-temperature pasteurized milk.

Akesato Ito☆Farm Website

2 Bettoga Path

Five dairy farmers from the Atsutoko to Bettoga area in Nemuro City established the Nemuro Footpath, believing that preserving and sharing the region's landscape, climate, history, lifestyle, and nature would lead to a deeper understanding of the area. One of these, the Bettoga Path, strongly retains its primeval scenery. It is a trail that passes through natural forests and wetlands, leading to sheer cliffs with a panoramic view of the Pacific Ocean. The beautiful scenery, which feels otherworldly for Japan, is worth seeing.

Bettoga Path

3 Former Okuyukiusu Ekiteijo (Post Station)

An *ekiteijo* was a facility established in modern Hokkaido in areas with poor transportation. Equipped with a station building, staff, and horses, it was used for transporting goods and providing lodging. This nationally designated historic site is a transportation heritage that served as a crucial hub for the development of regions where railways were underdeveloped. Adjacent to it, you can also see railway heritage sites such as the former JNR Shibetsu Line Okuyukiusu Station and the remains of the former Betsukai Village Municipal Tramway.

Betsukai Town Website Public Opening Flyer

4 Kiritappu Wetland

Kiritappu Wetland, a registered Ramsar site, is blanketed with various flowers from May to August, such as Corydalis ambigua and daylilies, changing with the seasons. There are four wooden boardwalks that allow for pleasant strolls. In winter, you can also experience trekking with cross-country skis. At the Kiritappu Wetland Center, you can get a panoramic view of the vast wetland and find information about its attractions.

Kiritappu Wetland Center Website

Recommended Roads

Check out driving videos from scenic roads all over Hokkaido here!

5 Roadside Station Akkeshi Gourmet Park

When it comes to gourmet food on this route, Akkeshi oysters are an absolute must. At the Roadside Station Akkeshi Gourmet Park, you can savor them in various ways: at Restaurant Escal, which offers a diverse menu from Japanese to Western cuisine; at Sumiyaki Aburiya, where you can enjoy a do-it-yourself barbecue; and at Oyster Bar Pittoresque, where you can pair them with Akkeshi-produced whiskey.

Roadside Station Akkeshi Gourmet Park Website

6 “Jimotonatabi” Support Campaign

"Jimotonatabi" combines "jimoto" (local) and "otona tabi" (adult travel).
This is a proposal for "drive tourism in the age of COVID-19" by this scenic route and the Hokkaido Nemuro Subprefectural Bureau. The aim is to allow people to refresh themselves through travel while taking measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, by enjoying trips with loved ones without leaving their local area and rediscovering the charms of their hometown that they may have never noticed before.

Cape Namida

Shiretoko-Nemuro-North Pacific Scenic Byway "Jimotonatabi" Page

Conclusion

What did you think?
This route takes you to the easternmost tip of Japan currently accessible to the public. It's a journey filled with stunning views that change with the seasons and weather, where magnificent nature and delicious food heal both body and soul.

Hokkaido's long winter is beginning, but we hope you'll enjoy a drive while taking thorough precautions against infectious diseases.