Recommended sightseeing
spots in East Hokkaido area

This is a famous museum where visitors can tour a place that was once actually used as a prison. The museum is quite spacious and exhibits a variety of materials on the history of Hokkaido's development and how the prisoners lived. Abashiri Prison is also the birthplace of the "King of Prison Breakers", as there was a legendary prisoner here who escaped from this hell four times (there are also documents on how he escaped) .

→　Abashiri Prison Museum official website

This spacious cape is located north of the city of Abashiri. It is surrounded by an unobstructed view of the Sea of Okhotsk. I visited in summer, but if you visit in winter, you can see the drift ice floating on the Sea of Okhotsk and it is also known as a spectacular drift ice viewing spot.

This glass studio sells a wide range of beautiful glassware. Each product is handmade, so even the same item will have a different colour depending on the way the light hits it and the angle from which it is viewed, making it possible to find your favourite piece of glasswork. It is also possible to try your hand at making glasswork, although this was not being when I visited. The second photo shows the scallop kamameshi (rice cooked in a pot with scallops) served at Robata Akari, a restaurant next to the Drift Ice Glass Museum. The thick scallops and the hot kamameshi were a perfect match.

→　Ryu-hyo Glass Museum official website

→　Robata Akari official website

This roadside station is located near JR Akkeshi Station. It is located on a hill, so the view is good, and the port town of Akkeshi and the sea can be seen clearly. Oysters, a speciality of Akkeshi, are sold at the seafood shop in the building, and the oysters you buy can be grilled over charcoal in the restaurant next door. In addition, there is a small aquarium where visitors can admire fish living in Akkeshi Bay and Lake Akkeshi.

→　Akkeshi Taste Terminal CONCHIGLIE official website

This is a cape with a good view, located across the Akkeshi Bridge in the south of the city. The small island in the first photo is called "Daikoku Island", which is famous as a breeding ground for seabirds. I also encountered a herd of wild deer while walking around the cape. The deer were used to people, and even though I got quite close to them, they were carefree and munched on grass.

This mysterious lake is located in a wilderness area surrounded by mountains. The water is extremely clear, and together with the surrounding virgin forest, it creates a beautiful atmosphere. The lake is also called "five-coloured swamp", as the colour of the lake changes with the seasons and weather. Akanfuji and Mt. Meakan (one of Japan's 100 most famous mountains) , stand at the back of the lake, making the lakeside an excellent photo spot.

This roadside station is located on high ground in the southern part of the town of Engaru. The food area has numerous food stalls, a footbath and a ski resort, so there is quite a lot to see and do. The photo above shows "Geo Curry", a dish named after obsidian mined in Engaru, which tastes like ordinary curry but turns your mouth black.

→　Roadside Station Engaru Forest Okhotsk official website

This is a lookout with a wonderful view on the Hokkaido Road 123. First, on the inland side, there is the vast Kiritappu Wetland, where eagles and other wild birds can be seen flying gracefully in the big sky. And if you look out to the sea side, it is possible to see the Pacific Ocean stretching out in wide directions. Wherever you look in 360°, you can enjoy spectacular views.

This pass is located on National Route 273 and is the highest point on the national route in Hokkaido. The view made by the sea of trees and the Matsumi-Ohashi Bridge over it is very beautiful and must be photographed. Another attraction is the variety of colours that can be enjoyed in different seasons: deep green in summer, autumn leaves in autumn and snow in winter.

The north-western part of Kamishihoro Town is a highland plateau, where meadows of tremendous size are spread out. Naitai Terrace is located near the top of the plateau, where you can spend an elegant moment tasting soft-serve ice cream in front of an overwhelming panorama. On the way to the terrace, you can also get a close-up look at carefree cows grazing in the pasture.

→　Naitai Terrace official website

It is a concrete arch bridge over the banks of Lake Nukabira, over which the former Japanese National Railways once ran. The artistically shaped bridge and the lake・mountains behind it create a fantastic landscape, and the tranquillity of the surrounding environment gives peace of mind. It is in danger of collapsing due to its age, so you should visit as soon as possible.

※ Advance booking is essential for a visit. Booking can be made via the following website.

→　Taushubetsu River Bridge the forest gate key booking website

This mysterious pond is located in the woods by the side of Hokkaido Road 1115. As you can see from the first photo, the water is impossibly clear, and together with the quiet atmosphere and clean air around it, it is a spot where the mind is purified. Looking towards the edge of the pond, I saw a mother and her child deer staring at me.

Kushiro Marshland is one of the most famous places in Kushiro. The marshland is so vast that even looking over from the lookout, it is hard to see how far it goes, and it is a place where you can experience Hokkaido's natural beauty to the fullest. The marshland is home to a diverse ecosystem of wildlife and plants, and the red-crowned crane, a special natural monument, can be seen throughout the year.

This is a large lake in northern Kushiro. It is famous for marimo, a special natural treasure, which live in the depths of the lake. For this reason, large quantities of marimo in bottles are sold at goods shops in the area. A short distance inland from the lakeside is the Ainu village "Akanko Ainu Kotan". There are many souvenir shops with a unique Ainu atmosphere, so Ainu Kotan is a place where you can feel the atmosphere of the Ainu culture.

→　Akanko Ainu Kotan official website

The Kushiro River flowing through the city is crossed by a bridge called "Nusamai Bridge", which offers a scenic view. The first photo was taken when I took a walk at night, and it is a fantastic view. Across the bridge is the Nusamai Park floral clock object, which also seems to be a landmark of Kushiro City.

This cape is located at the very tip of Nemuro City. It is also the easternmost point of Japan's mainland, and is the earliest place in Japan to welcome the morning sun. The small islands in the second photo are part of the Northern Territories "Habomai Islands", and from telescopes in the cape's museum, it can be clearly seen even the buildings on the islands. I hope that the day will come soon when we can take back the Northern Territories from Russia.

This huge lake is located on the way to the city centre of Nemuro. It is a famous spot for swans, which can be seen in large numbers every year, peaking in mid-November. Although it was a little early in the season (mid-October) when I visited, two swans could be observed from "Roadside Station Swan 44 Nemuro", which serves as a visitor centre, and several swans could also be seen along the national route.

→　Roadside Station Swan 44 Nemuro official website

Aikoku Station became famous in the 1970s with the catchphrase "From the Land of Love to Happiness", and the steam locomotive in the back of the photo above was once used. Next is Rokkatei, a confectionery shop popular as a souvenir of Hokkaido, whose main shop is located in Obihiro City. On the first floor of the main shop, there is a tearoom where visitors can enjoy a cup of tea while savouring Rokkatei sweets, creating a peaceful atmosphere. Curry Shop Indean is a restaurant that offers its own unique Indean curry that has been carefully selected. There are several shops in Obihiro and it has become the soul food of Obihiro citizens.

→　Rokkatei official website

→　Curry Shop Indean official website

Tokachigaoka Park is a nature-rich park in the magnificent Tokachi Plain. A large floral clock named "Hanak", decorated with colourful flowers, is the symbol of the park. The Tokachigaoka Lookout is located close to the park with a great view. It offers a panoramic view of the Tokachigawa hot-spring resort, the green plains and the Tokachigawa River flowing through it all at once.

This viewpoint is located north of Memambetsu Road Station. Larch trees grow side by side on the fields by the side of the road, and the view is unique in that you can see completely different rural landscapes in each of the four seasons. As there is nothing around, it may be a little difficult to find the place, but the sign in the first photo is a landmark.

It is a brackish lake (a mixture of seawater and freshwater) on the edge of the Sea of Okhotsk and is the third largest lake in Japan after Lake Biwa in Shiga Prefecture and Kasumigaura in Ibaraki Prefecture. On the south side of the lake is the Lake Saroma Lookout, from which the lake and the sunset are very beautiful. Lake Saroma also has a thriving marine aquaculture industry, and you can buy seafood at a direct sales shop near the lookout (the second photo shows a Lake Saroma scallop burger I bought there) .

→　Hokushosuisan Shop official website

This aquarium specialises in salmon and boasts the largest number of salmonids on display in Japan. From the large tank to the small tanks, visitors can see the many fish that live in the sea of Shibetsu, as well as interact with the fish in a variety of ways, including feeding the powerful Sakhalin Taimen, doctor fish and sturgeon finger-crunching experiences.

→　Shibetsu Salmon Museum official website

This is a hot spring resort whose source is Mt. Io introduced below. When you visit Teshikaga Town for sightseeing, it is a good idea to stay overnight here and relax. There is also a footbath where you can take a casual dip in the hot spring resort, and at the visitor centre in the western part of the town, you can see exhibits on the flora and fauna of Akan-Mashu National Park and the origins of Kawayu Hot Spring.

It is the largest caldera lake in Japan, with a circumference of 57km. Despite its size, the entire lake sometimes freezes over every year around February. There are also hot springs in the vicinity, so it may be a good idea to relax and enjoy the view of the lake.

The lake is famous for being known as the "misty Lake Mashu", and fog is said to be particularly prevalent from June to July. It is also characterised by its beautifully clear water, which is the second clearest lake in the world. The best place to visit is the Lake Mashu First Lookout, where you can see every corner of the lake, and the Lake Mashu Kamui Terrace, which was reopened in 2022, where you can view the lake and the star-filled sky.

→　Lake Mashu Kamui Terrace official website

The volcano is also known as "Atosanupuri". Sulphur mining used to be active here and the mountain has contributed to the development of Teshikaga. Even now, a tremendous amount of smoke from all over the mountain, and they are very powerful when seen up close. Incidentally, this is the place where you can get closest to the fumaroles in Japan .

→　Mt. Io MOKMOK Base official website

In the first photo of Lake Saroma which is introduced above, you can see a narrow strip of land floating on the surface of the water, above which is a road that people can enter, and the Ryugudai Lookout Park is located there. This is a unique place where the Sea of Okhotsk (to the north) and Lake Saroma (to the south) are close at hand, and from the lookout you can enjoy a 360° view of the area.