There are tourist attractions all over the vast Hokkaido, but if you've come all the way to the north, why not try standing at the northernmost point of Japan? Wakkanai city is the northernmost point of Japan. Further north, at the tip of Wakkanai, is Cape Soya. Let's take a look at what you can actually find when you go to Cape Soya, and what kind of place Cape Soya is in the first place. Cape Soya is the northernmost point on the Japanese mainland and anyone can go there without any special permission. It is located at 45 degrees 31 minutes 22 seconds north latitude. Whenever Cape Soya is featured on television or other media, the one thing that almost always appears on screen is the "Monument to the Northernmost Point of Japan." The triangle that reaches the sky is based on the ridge of the North Star, and the circular base is said to represent "peace and cooperation." Looking out to sea from Cape Soya, on a clear day you can see Benten Island, located about 1.2 km offshore to the northwest. Benten Island is the northernmost island within the area under effective control of Japan. It is also a landing site for sea lions, so if you're lucky you may be able to see it. Now that you have come all the way to the northernmost point of Japan, you'll want something to commemorate it. And it turns out that there is a perfect item called a "Certificate of Arrival at the Northernmost Point of Japan." You can purchase it at Kashiwaya, a long-established souvenir shop located right next to the monument we introduced earlier. Also, if you fill up your car with gas at the Yasuda Oil gas station, which is only about 200 meters from the monument, you will receive a "Certificate of Japan's Northernmost Refueling." If you're visiting by car, why not get one as a memento? In addition to the above, you can encounter various other "northernmost points of Japan" in Wakkanai city. It might be interesting to search for various northernmost points while you are visiting Cape Soya. ▼For more information, please see the Domingo spot page. Monument at the northernmost point of Japan <Interview cooperation and thumbnail photo provided> Wakkanai Tourism Association Address: Kitakara 1F, 3-6-1 Chuo, Wakkanai, Hokkaido Phone: 0162-24-1216 Official site: http://www.welcome.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp