Teshikaga Town is located about an hour and 20 minutes by car from Kushiro Station. It is a region rich in nature where you can find spectacular scenery born from the dynamism of the earth, such as calderas that collapsed due to volcanic eruptions and mountains that were formed by the weathering of lava domes, all close to home.

Near Lake Mashu in Teshikaga Town, there is a pension called "Poraris." As the name suggests, you can enjoy starry skies and other activities at this facility, and we will introduce some of its unique features.

Pension Polaris opened in Teshikaga Town in 2010. It is currently run by the founder and owner, Ichiro Baba, and his wife, Ayana. Both of them are originally from the Tokyo metropolitan area, but they happened to come across Teshikaga Town, and decided to move there for real after attending a migration fair.

Ichiro Baba (left) and Ayana (right)

When you enter Polaris, which is run by these two people, you will find an open space made of solid wood.

Bright interior made of solid wood

Meals are served in the open-air dining room.

True to the concept of "open the window and you're in Hokkaido," the large windows reveal vast fields, a spectacular view that is truly "Hokkaido-like." "I hope you'll feel as if you're one with nature," says Ayana.

There is a little space between each of the three guest rooms, so you can relax without worrying about the noise from the rooms next door. The owner, Ichiro, also believes that the rooms do not have televisions, as he wants guests to "enjoy their quiet time."

Furthermore, all rooms have a bathroom and toilet, so you can use them whenever you like.

Bathroom in a 24㎡ room

In addition, one of the three rooms is barrier-free. It is fully flat, making it easy for wheelchairs and strollers to enter, and is slightly larger at 24 m2 than the other two rooms, which are 19 m2. There are handrails in the bathroom and toilet, and every corner is designed to make the room comfortable for anyone, including those with disabilities.

The toilets in the guest rooms have handrails on the left side, while the shared toilets in the hallways have handrails on the right side, making the facility designed to accommodate a variety of needs.

The biggest attraction of Polaris is stargazing. Teshikaga Town has far fewer streetlights than cities, making it the perfect environment for stargazing.

Furthermore, the owner of Polaris, Ichiro, is an astronomy fanatic who has loved watching the stars since he was a child, and later became a certified starry sky guide. In addition, in order to protect the beautiful starry sky of Teshikaga Town, he is working to have the area certified as a "starry sky conservation area." One of the great attractions of Polaris is being able to receive explanations from Ichiro, who is, so to speak, a "starry sky master."

The telescope that Polaris rents out is one that the owner, Ichiro, has been using since he was an elementary school student.

If the conditions are right, you can even take a commemorative photo with the starry sky.

Also, if you have a camera, you can receive a lecture on how to photograph the starry sky. Of course, you can just place yourself in the starry sky and quietly enjoy it. They will teach you how to enjoy the starry sky in a way that suits you.

Sunrise on a clear day

There are also other activities such as "sunrise watching" and "darkness experience." Please enjoy the unique ways to spend your time in Teshikaga Town, which is rich in nature and has few street lights.

Cat members Kuma-kun (right) and Kiki-chan (left)

Aside from stargazing, Polaris has another feature worth mentioning. That is the presence of its cat members. The two cat members, who were given to Polaris by an acquaintance, are Kuma-kun, a black cat, and Kiki-chan, a tortoiseshell cat.

He usually stays in his office, but when he feels like it, he'll come out into the dining room and visit customers' tables to serve them.

Kiki, a tortoiseshell cat, especially loves having the base of her tail gently stroked. It all depends on the mood of the cat members, but if you'd like to interact with them, the owners will be happy to give you a lesson on how to interact with them.

<DOTO Young Discount x Polaris>

■Benefits: 10% off for reservations of 2 or more people/Any number of nights *However, consecutive nights are limited to 2 nights.

For more information about "DOTO Young Discount", please see this special page