EDITORIALS
An exhilarating feeling of running through like the wind! Do you know the Esanuca Line, a single road surrounded by pastures?
Hokkaido is known among motorcycle enthusiasts as a "mecca for riders," with so many touring spots to choose from. Dutifully riding through the wilderness on roads with no traffic lights ...... is truly a pleasure unique to Hokkaido.
One of the most recommended is the "Esanuka Line" (hereafter referred to as the "Esanuka Line") that stretches along the Sea of Okhotsk. What kind of scenery awaits you?
The Esanuka Line is located along the Sea of Okhotsk in northern Hokkaido. The Esanuka Line is a paved road that runs through a pasture.
When you actually stand on the road, you will find that there are no traffic lights in sight, and the road stretches straight ahead until it reaches the horizon, and its end is immeasurable.
The Esanuca Line runs approximately 4.2 km south of Hama Sarufutsu, and then turns inland for about 8.4 km. It is said to have been created in the mid-1970s to connect several farm roads stretching from inland to the Sea of Okhotsk after a farmland development project was started.
"I'd love to run on it!" For those who want to try it, here is a route from the north down to the south.
Drive south along Route 238 from Wakkanai to Abashiri, and around Hama Sarufutsu you will see a sign that says "Turn left 500 meters ahead on the commonly known Esanuka Line. Drive about 500 meters from there, and you will come across a sign that indicates the entrance to the Esanuka Line.
Turn left at the sign and you will come to a T-junction, where you can turn right onto the Esanuca Line. There is a turn inland on the way, but other than that, just keep going straight. Note that the road is not plowed in the winter, so there may be snow on the ground until around Golden Week.
The existence of such a long straight road is something that can only be found in Hokkaido. Feel the scale of the road with your whole body.
Supported by
Tourism Section, Planning and Policy Division, Sarufutsu Village Office
Location: 172 Kishibetsu Nishi-machi, Sarufutsu-mura, Soya-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 01635-2-3132
Official website: https://www.vill.sarufutsu.hokkaido.jp
Photo provided by
Tomoya Kasugai
One of the most recommended is the "Esanuka Line" (hereafter referred to as the "Esanuka Line") that stretches along the Sea of Okhotsk. What kind of scenery awaits you?
The Esanuka Line is located along the Sea of Okhotsk in northern Hokkaido. The Esanuka Line is a paved road that runs through a pasture.
When you actually stand on the road, you will find that there are no traffic lights in sight, and the road stretches straight ahead until it reaches the horizon, and its end is immeasurable.
The Esanuca Line runs approximately 4.2 km south of Hama Sarufutsu, and then turns inland for about 8.4 km. It is said to have been created in the mid-1970s to connect several farm roads stretching from inland to the Sea of Okhotsk after a farmland development project was started.
"I'd love to run on it!" For those who want to try it, here is a route from the north down to the south.
Drive south along Route 238 from Wakkanai to Abashiri, and around Hama Sarufutsu you will see a sign that says "Turn left 500 meters ahead on the commonly known Esanuka Line. Drive about 500 meters from there, and you will come across a sign that indicates the entrance to the Esanuka Line.
Turn left at the sign and you will come to a T-junction, where you can turn right onto the Esanuca Line. There is a turn inland on the way, but other than that, just keep going straight. Note that the road is not plowed in the winter, so there may be snow on the ground until around Golden Week.
The existence of such a long straight road is something that can only be found in Hokkaido. Feel the scale of the road with your whole body.
Supported by
Tourism Section, Planning and Policy Division, Sarufutsu Village Office
Location: 172 Kishibetsu Nishi-machi, Sarufutsu-mura, Soya-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 01635-2-3132
Official website: https://www.vill.sarufutsu.hokkaido.jp
Photo provided by
Tomoya Kasugai
Writer Profile
Hokkaido Sightseeing Turtle Writer Bubu-Neko
I'm "Bubaneko," a writer with many connections to sightseeing spots and tourist facilities in Hokkaido. There are many wonderful resources, even the ones we take for granted when we live in Hokkaido. I will be sharing these wonderful attractions of Hokkaido with you.
