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    All the tours will be assisted by an English speaking guide.

    • Exploring the Ancient Trails
      Exploring the Ancient Trails
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      Interacting with the Locals
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ABASHIRI HOKKAIDO WHAT-TO-DO WHERE-TO-GO
ABASHIRI HOKKAIDOWHAT-TO-DO
WHERE-TO-GO
Activities to understand
our Hokkaido culture

ABASHIRI HOKKAIDOWHAT-TO-DO
WHERE-TO-GO
Activities to understand
our Hokkaido culture

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WHAT’S NEW?

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14. May 2023

The next Hokkaido Trivia will be updated in June

6. May 2023

Flowers in the Area

6. May 2023

Hokkaido Trivia – Best Hairy Crabs in Season!

25. Apr 2023

Participate in the Abashiri Marathon!

24. Apr 2023

Join the Stamp Rally and Win a Crab!

MORE
📷 1: Beautiful jade green waters at Lake Akan 📷 1: Beautiful jade green waters at Lake Akan

📷 2: The marimo algae balls of Lake Akan and 

📷 3: Active volcano Mt Me-Akan fuming out steam.

All were awesome😍

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #volcano #activevolcano #greenwater #algae #lakeview #cruiser #easternhokkaido #nationalpark
The red-crowned crane looking after her 1-week old The red-crowned crane looking after her 1-week old baby.  So sweet❣️

The black feathers at her back aren’t her tail, it’s the tip of her wings folded to the back.  Her tail was white.

Preservation measures for these Red Listed birds are taken in Kushiro, and today there’s about 1900 tancho-cranes in eastern Hokkaido.  They disperse to various areas in Hokkaido during the warmer seasons, but the majority gathers back in Kushiro in winter time.

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #birdphotography #redcrownedcrane #japanesecrane #crane #animallovers #kushiro #easternhokkaido #birdlovers
Pink carpet of moss phlox at Moss Phlox Park at Hi Pink carpet of moss phlox at Moss Phlox Park at Higashi Mokoto, nearby Abashiri🌸. At its peak💞

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #landscapephotography #naturelovers #mossphlox #pink #flowerphotography #flowergarden #walkinapark #pinkcarpet
The Oshinkoshin Waterfall that we saw yesterday co The Oshinkoshin Waterfall that we saw yesterday couldn’t have been better! 

There’s always more water in early spring that owes to the melted snow😊. The clear blue sky and even the young bright green butterbur leaves added extra sparkles to the waterfall✨✨

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #landscapephotography #naturelovers #shiretoko #nationalpark #waterfall #bluesky
Dusk at Lake Notoro. As the sky turned from pink Dusk at Lake Notoro. 

As the sky turned from pink to orange, there were more herons and ducks in the water. 

Time for me to go home, too.

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #landscapephotography #naturelovers #lakeview #dusk #sunsetphotography #pink #redsky #heron #beautifulsunset
Daisetsu National Park is where the Daisetsu Mount Daisetsu National Park is where the Daisetsu Mountain Range lies as well as the Sounkyo Canyon.

The mountains here are referred to as “Hokkaido’s roof” spreading widely over north to center of Hokkaido.  It includes Hokkaido’s tallest Mt Asahi (2291m), too. 

It was amazing to learn about the movement that started here which led to the establishment of Japan’s National Parks.

World’s first National Park is Yellow Stone National Park in the US designated in 1872.  In Japan the movement started in 1911 by the mayor of Sounkyo (Aibetsu village) who was captivated by the beauty of the mountains and voiced out that it was the central government’s responsibility to protect and preserve the “country’s treasure”. It took almost 25 years for his concept to come to life.  And finally in 1934 Japan’s first 5 National Parks were designated including Daisetsu National Park and Akan National Park, both in Hokkaido.

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #canyon #mountains #snowpeak #nationalpark #sounkyo #springmountain #naturephoto #columnarjoint #springskiing #landscapephotography #naturelovers #mountainview #hiking
There were 3 things that I wanted to do in Sappor There were 3 things that I wanted  to do in Sapporo purely for my own enjoyment😄

1. Shoot a picture of Mr. Nikka.  It’s the light-up signboard of Nikka Whiskey, global brewery in the vicinity of Sapporo loved nationwide.  Nikka-man has been here for ages! (seems like since 1969) representing Susukino, the busy entertainment district.  He’s like the Glico-man that symbolizes Dotonbori in Osaka.  As a child living in Tokyo, HE represented Hokkaido to me😂

2. Try the “shime paffe” (ice cream parfait that young Sapporo-ites like to have after a drink). It was gorgeous✨🍨 Mine depicted lily of the valley and my friend’s a stand-alone sakura tree. I bet you can only have this here!

3. Have tea at Rokka-tei tea salon and try out the ice-cream version of their symbolic “rum-raisin and white chocolate cream sandwich cookies”. The picture’s blurred😣, but the elegant finger-sized ice cream cookies were heavenly good✨💓

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover  #sapporo #japanesefood #japantoday #fancyfood #trendy #landmark #nikkawhisky #signboard #citywalk #station #greatfood #countrygirlinthecity #brewery #whiskey #sapporofoodie #cityfoodie #afterdrinks
My friend in Sapporo told me about this wooden scu My friend in Sapporo told me about this wooden sculpture located in front of the west gate in Sapporo JR station, and so the first thing I did in Sapporo last week was to go and see it myself👀✨

It’s a collaboration of 7 sculptures by 7 Ainu artists, some globally known.

The main sculpture is an Ainu chief who is offering his prayers to the Kamuy gods with the Dance of Bows🏹 The 6 items that circle the Ainu chief are Ikspai, the ceremonial tool used to converse with the Kamuy gods.  It says in the panel that 6 means “many” in Ainu culture.

(I accidentally didn’t take a picture of the 6th Ikspai)

It’s such a beautiful artwork, it’s a shame that no one stops to look at it😔

I found out that there are stores (gallery?) related to two of these artists in Akan which is not so far from Abashiri.  I’m thinking of visiting them today to see more of their work🥰

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover  #sceniclocations  #sapporo #ainu #artofindigenouspeople #woodsculpture #cityarts #nativeculture #artcity #citywalk #sculpture #carving #indigenous #station
From Mt. Iou stretches the nature trail to Kawayu From Mt. Iou stretches the nature trail to Kawayu Onsen Visitor Center. 

It’s a 2.5km walk that shows the  gradual change in the botanical system as we get further away from the volcanic environment (Mt Iou is an active volcano, by the way😅) From stone pines to Labrador tea, then skinny white birch trees and finally to Sakhalin spruce. 

The panels located throughout the trail helped us to understand what we were looking at👍

Sure, it was a month early to see the white flowers of the Labrador tea, but nonetheless it was a fun and exciting way to spend a sunny afternoon in the suburbs😊

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #wheatbelt #volcanic #rurallandscape #ruralphotography #naturegeography #naturewalk #labradortea #stonepine #naturetrail
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ABOUT
ABASHIRI

Abashiri City lies in the midst of Abashiri Quasi-National Park. Thirty-five percent of the entire land is forest, among which 50% is untouched forest. It has 4 lakes, one of which is registered with the Ramsar Convention.

The once small fishing village with Ainu people and just a handful of traders from the present Shiga prefecture is now a city with a population of 34,000. The flourishment of Abashiri, as well as Hokkaido on the whole, as a “modern” town owes a lot to the prison and the prisoners that were located here as labor force in the late 19th century. Without the “prisoner’s road,” which we call the military road in Hokkaido, Hokkaido might not have been what it is today.

And today, famous for the drift ice that covers the Okhotsk Sea in February every year, Abashiri stands out as one of Japan’s most popular winter tourist spots.

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Abashiri City lies in the midst of Abashiri Quasi-National Park. Thirty-five percent of the entire land is forest, among which 50% is untouched forest. It has 4 lakes, one of which is registered with the Ramsar Convention.

The once small fishing village with Ainu people and just a handful of traders from the present Shiga prefecture is now a city with a population of 34,000. The flourishment of Abashiri, as well as Hokkaido on the whole, as a “modern” town owes a lot to the prison and the prisoners that were located here as labor force in the late 19th century. Without the “prisoner’s road,” which we call the military road in Hokkaido, Hokkaido might not have been what it is today.

And today, famous for the drift ice that covers the Okhotsk Sea in February every year, Abashiri stands out as one of Japan’s most popular winter tourist spots.

Ice Fishing
Ice Fishing
Fruits Picking
Fruits Picking
Fishing Industry
Fishing Industry
Salmons
Salmons
Wheat Fields
Wheat Fields
Wheat Harvest
Wheat Harvest
Moyoro Shell Mound & Museum
Moyoro Shell Mound & Museum
Prison Museum
Prison Museum
Local Museum & the Neighborhood
Local Museum & the Neighborhood
Historical Trails
Historical Trails
Chapeau Rock
Chapeau Rock
Observatory at Mt. Tento
Observatory at Mt. Tento
Museum of the Northern People
Museum of the Northern People
Glass Studio
Glass Studio
Abashiri Shrine
Abashiri Shrine
Kusarizuka
Kusarizuka
Glasswort Carpet
Glasswort Carpet
Lake Kussharo
Lake Kussharo
Alpine Flowers
Alpine Flowers
Wild Life
Wild Life
Mt. Shari
Mt. Shari
Mt. Mokoto
Mt. Mokoto
Volcanic Geography
Volcanic Geography
Notoro Area
Notoro Area
Wild Birds
Wild Birds
Drift Ice
Drift Ice
Fog Ice
Fog Ice
Foliage
Foliage
Sakura Cherry Blossoms
Sakura Cherry Blossoms

Things to Do

Abashiri City is located in the northeastern part of Hokkaido along the Okhotsk Sea (pronounced ok-ho-tsk). It’s on your way to the Shiretoko National Park from Memanbetsu Airport.
There are various ways to enjoy Abashiri besides the drift ice and museums, biking, hiking, fishing, etc. It’s a great place to relax and spend some days by the lake in a tent or the ocean with a picnic basket. You can even use it as a hub for your various activities in eastern Hokkaido. Shiretoko, Akan, and Kushiro are places you can make a one-day trip depending on what you plan to do.
Abashiri offers more than the drift ice! Spend some time in this old fishing town and explore the city yourself!

  • Exploring the Ancient Trails

    MORE
  • Interacting with the Locals

    MORE
  • Experiencing
    Hard/Easy Ways
    of Washoku Cooking

    MORE

FAQ

  1. Please make the reservations by 3pm of the previous day.

  2. The starting times for the sushi and soba activities are basically fixed as shown. However, please don’t hesitate to ask. There’s always a chance.

  3. I’m very sorry, but I can only accept cash in Japanese yen. I appreciate your understanding.

  4. No, you don’t need to. The participation fee is only for those who are going to try the experience. If the mother is going to try the experience and afterwards share the food with your children, you only need to pay for one person.

  5. Please send me an e-mail at info@ahww.jp by 5:00 pm of the previous day. There will be NO cancellation charge at this stage.

  6. If there should be any cancellations for any reasons on my side, I will let you know by:
    (1) e-mailing you at your email address on the Booking Form, and
    (2) informing the hotel you are staying at the morning of the activity, and
    (3) putting up a general notice on the top page of this web site.

📷 1: Beautiful jade green waters at Lake Akan 📷 1: Beautiful jade green waters at Lake Akan

📷 2: The marimo algae balls of Lake Akan and 

📷 3: Active volcano Mt Me-Akan fuming out steam.

All were awesome😍

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #volcano #activevolcano #greenwater #algae #lakeview #cruiser #easternhokkaido #nationalpark
The red-crowned crane looking after her 1-week old The red-crowned crane looking after her 1-week old baby.  So sweet❣️

The black feathers at her back aren’t her tail, it’s the tip of her wings folded to the back.  Her tail was white.

Preservation measures for these Red Listed birds are taken in Kushiro, and today there’s about 1900 tancho-cranes in eastern Hokkaido.  They disperse to various areas in Hokkaido during the warmer seasons, but the majority gathers back in Kushiro in winter time.

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #birdphotography #redcrownedcrane #japanesecrane #crane #animallovers #kushiro #easternhokkaido #birdlovers
Pink carpet of moss phlox at Moss Phlox Park at Hi Pink carpet of moss phlox at Moss Phlox Park at Higashi Mokoto, nearby Abashiri🌸. At its peak💞

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #landscapephotography #naturelovers #mossphlox #pink #flowerphotography #flowergarden #walkinapark #pinkcarpet
The Oshinkoshin Waterfall that we saw yesterday co The Oshinkoshin Waterfall that we saw yesterday couldn’t have been better! 

There’s always more water in early spring that owes to the melted snow😊. The clear blue sky and even the young bright green butterbur leaves added extra sparkles to the waterfall✨✨

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #landscapephotography #naturelovers #shiretoko #nationalpark #waterfall #bluesky
Dusk at Lake Notoro. As the sky turned from pink Dusk at Lake Notoro. 

As the sky turned from pink to orange, there were more herons and ducks in the water. 

Time for me to go home, too.

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #naturephoto  #landscapephotography #naturelovers #lakeview #dusk #sunsetphotography #pink #redsky #heron #beautifulsunset
Daisetsu National Park is where the Daisetsu Mount Daisetsu National Park is where the Daisetsu Mountain Range lies as well as the Sounkyo Canyon.

The mountains here are referred to as “Hokkaido’s roof” spreading widely over north to center of Hokkaido.  It includes Hokkaido’s tallest Mt Asahi (2291m), too. 

It was amazing to learn about the movement that started here which led to the establishment of Japan’s National Parks.

World’s first National Park is Yellow Stone National Park in the US designated in 1872.  In Japan the movement started in 1911 by the mayor of Sounkyo (Aibetsu village) who was captivated by the beauty of the mountains and voiced out that it was the central government’s responsibility to protect and preserve the “country’s treasure”. It took almost 25 years for his concept to come to life.  And finally in 1934 Japan’s first 5 National Parks were designated including Daisetsu National Park and Akan National Park, both in Hokkaido.

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #naturegeography #naturewalk #canyon #mountains #snowpeak #nationalpark #sounkyo #springmountain #naturephoto #columnarjoint #springskiing #landscapephotography #naturelovers #mountainview #hiking
There were 3 things that I wanted to do in Sappor There were 3 things that I wanted  to do in Sapporo purely for my own enjoyment😄

1. Shoot a picture of Mr. Nikka.  It’s the light-up signboard of Nikka Whiskey, global brewery in the vicinity of Sapporo loved nationwide.  Nikka-man has been here for ages! (seems like since 1969) representing Susukino, the busy entertainment district.  He’s like the Glico-man that symbolizes Dotonbori in Osaka.  As a child living in Tokyo, HE represented Hokkaido to me😂

2. Try the “shime paffe” (ice cream parfait that young Sapporo-ites like to have after a drink). It was gorgeous✨🍨 Mine depicted lily of the valley and my friend’s a stand-alone sakura tree. I bet you can only have this here!

3. Have tea at Rokka-tei tea salon and try out the ice-cream version of their symbolic “rum-raisin and white chocolate cream sandwich cookies”. The picture’s blurred😣, but the elegant finger-sized ice cream cookies were heavenly good✨💓

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover  #sapporo #japanesefood #japantoday #fancyfood #trendy #landmark #nikkawhisky #signboard #citywalk #station #greatfood #countrygirlinthecity #brewery #whiskey #sapporofoodie #cityfoodie #afterdrinks
My friend in Sapporo told me about this wooden scu My friend in Sapporo told me about this wooden sculpture located in front of the west gate in Sapporo JR station, and so the first thing I did in Sapporo last week was to go and see it myself👀✨

It’s a collaboration of 7 sculptures by 7 Ainu artists, some globally known.

The main sculpture is an Ainu chief who is offering his prayers to the Kamuy gods with the Dance of Bows🏹 The 6 items that circle the Ainu chief are Ikspai, the ceremonial tool used to converse with the Kamuy gods.  It says in the panel that 6 means “many” in Ainu culture.

(I accidentally didn’t take a picture of the 6th Ikspai)

It’s such a beautiful artwork, it’s a shame that no one stops to look at it😔

I found out that there are stores (gallery?) related to two of these artists in Akan which is not so far from Abashiri.  I’m thinking of visiting them today to see more of their work🥰

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover  #sceniclocations  #sapporo #ainu #artofindigenouspeople #woodsculpture #cityarts #nativeculture #artcity #citywalk #sculpture #carving #indigenous #station
From Mt. Iou stretches the nature trail to Kawayu From Mt. Iou stretches the nature trail to Kawayu Onsen Visitor Center. 

It’s a 2.5km walk that shows the  gradual change in the botanical system as we get further away from the volcanic environment (Mt Iou is an active volcano, by the way😅) From stone pines to Labrador tea, then skinny white birch trees and finally to Sakhalin spruce. 

The panels located throughout the trail helped us to understand what we were looking at👍

Sure, it was a month early to see the white flowers of the Labrador tea, but nonetheless it was a fun and exciting way to spend a sunny afternoon in the suburbs😊

#japan #hokkaido #whattodoinjapan #naturelover #naturephotography #sceniclocations  #wheatbelt #volcanic #rurallandscape #ruralphotography #naturegeography #naturewalk #labradortea #stonepine #naturetrail
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Junko

ABOUT MYSELF

Hi, I’m Junko. I own this Abashiri Hokkaido What-to-do Where-to-go site. I also give the tours. I used to work at an Embassy, a Wall Street company and also at an American licensing company in Tokyo. I came to Abashiri in 2009 to pursue my childhood dream of working at a dairy farm – which I finally did for nearly 10 years.

Brought up in New York and Singapore and with my wide range of business experiences, I hope I can be more than a “guide” to you – someone you can count on during your stay here! If you have any concerns or requests about the tours, please mail me at info@ahww.jp. I’ll try the most to answer to your requests!

  • National Government Licensed Guide Interpreter (English)
  • Master of Hokkaido Tourism (Certified by Hokkaido Chamber of Commerce)
  • Abashiri Expert Certification (Certified by Abashiri Tourist Association)
kamon

THE STORY OF “FUKI”

This kamon (Japanese crest)-like logo depicts butterbur. When I first came to Hokkaido, the wild so-called fuki in Japanese was what caught my eyes! You’ll find the sprouts in early spring and the green plant throughout summer everywhere - from the wheat fields to concrete highways. There’s an Ainu legend that a dwarf (koro-bokkuru) lives under the gigantic fuki. Fuki is not just a seasonal delicacy that the locals savor. The salted fuki is an indispensible foodstuff in winter when green vegetables are hard to get. Fuki is a culture in itself. While you’re here, I hope you get the chance to see them yourself and also have the yummy experience – tempura sprouts and the stewed or fried stalks!

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