EDITORIALS
The 20 recommended driving spots in the suburbs of Abashiri and Okhotsk! Spectacular spots with great views!
The area along the Sea of Okhotsk, which stretches to the northeast of Hokkaido, is famous for its rich marine products and drift ice. As the term "Okhotsk blue" suggests, the clear skies and scenery along the Sea of Okhotsk make it a unique driving spot. In this article, we will introduce some of the most attractive driving spots in the Okhotsk area.
1 . the spectacular panorama of "Bihoro Pass (Bihoro Town)," which is called the best view in the world
Kaminoko-ike Pond (Kiyosato Town), a fantastic pond that is crystal clear all the way to the bottom
(3 ) Lake Notoriko coral grass colony (Abashiri City), where the red coral grass contrasts with the blue of the sky
4 . beautiful countryside scenery that changes with the seasons "Meruhen no Oka" (Meruhen Hill) (Ozora Town )
Shiretoko Five Lakes (Shari Town), a primitive paradise created by five lakes
Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park (Yubetsu Town), a magnificent tulip field with 200 varieties of tulips
The Yama-no-Aquarium - Aquarium of the Northern Territories (Kitami City), one of the few aquariums in Japan featuring a collection of freshwater fish
North Plain Farm Milk Hall (Kobe Town), where you can enjoy soft-serve ice cream outside when the weather is nice
9 . the Hokkaido Okhotsk Drift Ice Science Center GIZA (Monbetsu City), where you can see and touch real drift ice all year round
10. "Seal Sea Paradise (Monbetsu City)" where you can feed cute seals.
11 . experience making glass works at the Drift Ice Glass Museum (Abashiri City )
Bihoro (Bihoro Town), where you can take a break in the rich nature
Cape Nodori (Abashiri City), where you can enjoy the view of the Sea of Okhotsk
14 . rose garden at Miharashi no Oka (Monbetsu City), where you can see roses and a variety of beautiful flowers
Abashiri Municipal Folk Museum (Abashiri City), the oldest museum in Hokkaido
16 ) Misato Cave (Kitami City), the first limestone cave site confirmed in Hokkaido
17 . twin cherry blossoms (Tsubetsu Town), the theme of a picture book
18 . "Bihoro Forestry Museum Kiterasu (Bihoro Town)," a facility where parents and children can play on wooden playground equipment
19 . "Raiun-no-mizu" (water of luck), a spring with an auspicious connection (Shari Town )
20 . the Piraolo Lookout (Saroma Town), a place associated with the Ainu people that overlooks Lake Saroma
1. Bihoro Pass (Bihoro Town), a magnificent panorama called the best view in the world
Located 525 meters above sea level, the Bihoro Pass Observatory overlooks Lake Kussharo, the largest caldera lake in Japan, and offers a magnificent panoramic view of Mount Io-zan, which is still emitting smoke, the Shiretoko mountain range, and the peaks of Taisetsu in the distance. The beautiful scenery has earned Bihoro Pass the title of "the best view in the world.
Location: Koume, Bihoro Town, Abashiri County
Click here for details and map information of Bihoro Pass.
2. Kaminoko-ike (Kiyosato Town), a fantastic pond that is crystal clear all the way to the bottom
Legend has it that Kaminoko-ike Pond, located deep in the mountains of Kiyosato Town, was formed from the underground water of Lake Mashu (Kamuito = Lake of the Gods). The water is surprisingly clear and you can clearly see the bottom of the pond, and trees are submerged in the blue water like fossils without rotting. The sight of a vermilion-spotted Oshorokoma swimming among the trees is as fantastically beautiful as a painting.
■Open days and times: Visiting is free.
Please note that snow is not removed during the winter and may remain until after May.
Closed: Winter *Kamiko-ike Forest Road is closed to vehicular traffic.
Location：Seisen, Kiyosato-cho, Shari-gun
Click here for more information about Kaminoko-ike and map information.
3. Contrast of red coral grasses and blue sky "Lake Notoriko Coral Grassland (Abashiri City)
In autumn, a part of Lake Notoriko is covered with bright red coral grass, creating a fantastic contrast with the blue of the sky and offering a view different from that of the autumn leaves. Walking along the wooden boardwalk, you can reach the coral grasses that spread all over the lake in red.
Best time to visit: Mid-August to mid-October
Location: 60-3 Uwaranai, Abashiri City
Click here for details and map information of "Lake Nodoriko Coral Grass Land
4. "Melchen Hill (Ozora Town)," a beautiful rural landscape that changes with the seasons
The seven symbolic trees that stand on a small hill and the fields that line the hillside change their expressions with the seasons, creating a beautiful rural landscape. The hills and picturesque scenery, with their changing colors with the seasons, are popular among photography enthusiasts: lush green fields in spring, white potato blossoms in summer, and golden wheat in autumn.
Closed：Open all year round
Location：Ohzora-cho Memanbetsu Showa
Click here for details and map information of "Melchen Hill.
5. Shiretoko Five Lakes (Shari Town), a primitive paradise created by five lakes
The mysterious five lakes are surrounded by virgin forest. The lakes are an oasis of tranquility in the midst of the pristine nature, with the lush forests and the Shiretoko mountain range reflected in the surface of the lakes. Many plants and wild animals can also be seen. From the observatory, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Lake No. 1 and the Shiretoko Mountain Range.
Open: Friday, April 19, 11:00 - early November
Closed: December to mid-April
■Location：Toonebetsu Village, Shari-cho, Shari-gun
Click here for details and map information of Shiretoko Goko (Five Lakes of Shiretoko)
6. "Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park (Yubetsu Town)", a magnificent tulip field with 200 varieties of tulips
Of the total area of 125,000 square meters, this is a vast tulip field with a planting area of 70,000 square meters. Every spring, lovely flowers of about 200 varieties of tulips bloom. The Tulip Fair, held every year from early May to late May, attracts a large number of visitors and is truly a famous flower spot.
Open hours
Tulip Fair period: Wednesday, May 1 - Friday, May 31, 8:00 - 18:00 *Last admission at 17:30
Fees: High school students and older: 600 yen / Elementary and junior high school students: 300 yen
Closed: December through mid-April
Location：Kamiyubetsu Tunda Urban Area, Kamiyubetsu, Yubetsu-cho, Monbetsu-gun
Click here for details and map information of Kamiyubetsu Tulip Park.
7.Yama-no-Aquarium - Aquarium of the Northern Territories - (Kitami City), one of the few aquariums in Japan with a collection of freshwater fish
This freshwater aquarium features a collection of freshwater fish that is rare in Japan. The sight of Japan's largest freshwater fish, the Itou, which is famous as a phantom fish, swimming in a school is particularly overwhelming. The world's first "Four Seasons of the Northern Land" reproduces a natural river in Hokkaido that freezes over in winter. Other world-class innovative exhibition methods, such as a touch corner where visitors can interact with underwater creatures and Japan's first "waterfall tank" that looks up at a waterfall basin from below, are also selling well.
Operating hours: 9:00 - 17:30 *Last admission 20 minutes before closing
Closed: April 8 - 14, December 9 - 13, December 31, and January 1
Admission: Adults 670 yen / Junior high school students 440 yen / Elementary school students 300 yen
Location: 1-4 Matsuyama, Rube Shibe-cho, Kitami-shi
Click here for details and map information of "Yama-no-Aquarium - Aquarium of the Northern Land
8. "North Plain Farm Milk Hall (Kobe Town)" where you can enjoy soft-serve ice cream outside when the weather is nice.
Dairy products such as milk, cheese, yogurt, and other dairy products and snacks that are made with the special care and taste that comes with being a dairy farmer are available for purchase, and can be shipped to the local area. On a fine day, eating soft-serve ice cream on the outside terrace while enjoying the view of the farm is a great way to remember your trip.
Open: 10:00-17:00 *Lunch time 11:00-14:00
Closed: Tuesdays (may be open on national holidays)
Location: 116-2, Kitaoki, Okube-cho, Monbetsu-gun
Click here for details and map information of North Plain Farm Milk Hall.
9. "Hokkaido Okhotsk Drift Ice Science Center GIZA (Monbetsu City)" where you can experience real drift ice all year round
Located near the Sea of Okhotsk, this science museum focuses on drift ice. The Severe Cold Experience Room recreates the world of 20 degrees below zero in the Okhotsk winter. Visitors can directly touch actual drift ice, which is on display all year round. Ice specimens and making frozen soap bubbles are also popular.
Operating hours: 9:00 - 17:00 *entry to the Science Museum exhibition rooms is until 30 minutes before closing.
Closed: Mondays (except national holidays), the day after national holidays, and December 29-January 3.
*The museum is not closed from January 4 to the end of March.
■Fees
Permanent galleries: Adults ¥450 / High school and college students ¥150
Set price (Permanent exhibition room and Dome Theater): Adults 750 yen / High school and university students 250 yen (individual)
Free for junior high school students and younger and those 65 and older *Group rates apply.
Location: 11-6 Motomombetsu, Mombetsu City
Click here for details and map information of the Hokkaido Okhotsk Drift Ice Science Center GIZA.
10.Feed the cute seals at "Seal Sea Paradise (Monbetsu City)
This is an exhibition facility integrated with the natural environment where visitors can interact with cute seals. During feeding time, the feeding experience where you feed the seals directly with the keeper is popular.
Open from 10:00 to 16:00
Feeding time: 12:00 / 14:00 / 15:30
Closed: December 29 - January 3
Admission: Adults 500 yen / Elementary and junior high school students 300 yen / Infants free
Location: 2, Ocean Park, Monbetsu City
Click here for details and map information of "Seal Sea Paradise
11. "Drift Ice Glass Museum (Abashiri City)" where you can experience making glass works
This facility has a glass blowing studio, sales, glass workshops, and a café. Visitors can experience glass blowing using recycled glass made from waste fluorescent lamps and sandblasting. At the Scenic Cafe Haboshi-iwa, visitors can enjoy coffee and soda poured into drift ice glass containers while watching the Sea of Okhotsk and the glass-making process.
Open: 10:00 - 17:00
Closed: Wednesdays *Open on non-scheduled holidays
Fee：Free of charge ※Please pay for each experience menu.
Location: 6-2-1 Minami 4-jo Higashi, Abashiri-city
Click here for details and map information of the Drift Ice Glass Museum.
12. Take a break in rich nature at Tougenoyu Bihoro (Bihoro Town)
This hot spring facility with a dome roof is located in a rich natural environment along Route 243. In addition to bathing, the facility has a rest room and an exchange hall where you can telework and relax, a summer-only RV park, log cabins and tent spaces, and other facilities that can be enjoyed by men and women of all ages.
Operating hours: 10:00-22:00 (last admission 21:20, bathing until 21:45)
Closed: 2nd Wednesday of each month (if the Wednesday is a national holiday, closed the following day)
Fees: Junior high school students and older: 600 yen / 4 years old to elementary school students: 300 yen
Location: 40-1, Miyakobashi, Bihoro-cho, Abashiri-gun
Click here for details and map information of "Tougenoyu Bihoro
13. Cape Nodori (Abashiri City), where you can enjoy the view of the Sea of Okhotsk
Cape Notorimisaki, which juts out into the Sea of Okhotsk, is popular for its spectacular view from its lighthouse at the tip, and is also famous as a location for commercials and movies. Lake Notoriko and the coast of Tokoro-cho can be seen to the west, the Sea of Okhotsk to the north, and the Shiretoko mountain range can be seen in the distance to the east.
Location: Misaki, Abashiri City
Click here for details and map information of Cape Notorimisaki.
14. Miharashi no Oka Rose Garden (Monbetsu City), where you can encounter roses and a variety of beautiful flowers
This is a vast garden of about 9,000 square meters. More than 100 varieties of roses and 120 varieties of perennials bloom from summer to fall, giving visitors an extraordinary experience as if they were visiting a foreign country.
Best time to visit: Spring - Fall
Fee：Free
Location：4-25-14, Oyama-cho, Monbetsu City
Click here for details and map information of Miharashi no Oka Rose Garden.
15. Abashiri Municipal Folk Museum (Abashiri City), the oldest museum in Hokkaido
This museum exhibits items excavated from the Moyoro Shell Mound, which has a unique cultural form, local materials from the Edo period (1603-1868) when the fishing grounds were established, as well as the nature and industries of the Abashiri region. The nearby Katsuragoka Park is also famous for its cherry blossoms.
■Opening hours: Tuesday-Sunday 9:00-17:00
*November-April: 9:00-16:00
Closed: Mondays, national holidays, and December 29-January 3
Fees: Adults 120 yen / Elementary/junior high school students 60 yen
Location: 1-1-3 Katsura-machi, Abashiri City
Click here for details and map information of Abashiri Municipal Folk Museum.
16. Misato Cave (Kitami City), the first limestone cave site confirmed in Hokkaido
Misato Cave, the first known limestone cave site in Hokkaido, is located halfway up Mount Nigoro in the Misato district of Kitami City. Misato Cave is a limestone cave formed by the erosion of limestone, and it is known to have been used as a camping site by people in ancient times.
Open: July 1 - October 31
Location：Misato, Kitami-shi
Click here for details and map information of Misato Cave.
17. "Twin Cherry Blossoms (Tsubetsu-cho)," the theme of a picture book
The twin Ezo Yamazakura cherry trees stand on a gentle hill behind the Tsubetsu Wood Crafts Museum Kinos. A picture book about these trees has been published by photographer Kazuma Anesaki and poet Shuntaro Tanikawa. Seeing them quietly nestled together makes one feel strangely happy.
Location: 127-2, Kyowa, Tsubetsu-cho, Abashiri-gun
Click here for details and map information of "Twin Cherry Blossoms
18. Bihoro Forestry Museum Kiterasu (Bihoro Town), a facility where parents and children can play on wooden playground equipment
With a playroom for 0-2 year olds and a nursing room, this is a facility for parents and children to play safely together on wooden playground equipment made of wood. Children can enjoy wooden slides, tunnels, wooden pools, tricycles, trains, bowling, and more to keep them entertained.
Open: 9:00-17:00
Closed: December 31 - January 3
Admission: Adults 120 yen / Elementary/junior high school students 60 yen
Location: Shinmachi 3-chome, Bihoro Town, Abashiri-gun
Click here for details and map information of "Bihoro Forestry Museum Kiterasu
19. "Raiun-no-Mizu (Shari Town)," a spring with an auspicious connection
The spring located in Raiun Park is a well-known spot for those in the know. It is said that snow accumulated on Mt. The name of the area, "Raiun," is said to bring luck and make wishes come true, and people come from far and wide to seek this water.
Location: Raiun, Shari-cho, Shari-gun
Click here for details and map information of "Raiun no mizu".
20. Piraolo Observatory (Saroma Town), a place associated with the Ainu people, overlooking Lake Saroma
Piraolo" means "cliff" and "oro" means "place" in Ainu language, and Piraolo Observatory, named after the cliff, is located on the lakeside with a clear view of Lake Saroma. It is said that the Ainu people used to watch for schools of fish for fishing because of its good view. On the other hand, there is also a legend that it was the scene of a sad love story between a young Ainu man and his daughter.
Location: Tomibushi, Saroma Town, Tokoro-gun
Click here for details and map information of Piraolo Lookout.
All information is current as of April 2024.
All information is subject to change. Please check the official website for details.
