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ABASHIRI HOKKAIDO WHAT-TO-DO WHERE-TO-GO
ABASHIRI HOKKAIDOWHAT-TO-DO
WHERE-TO-GO
Understanding Hokkaido's history,
culture and nature.

ABASHIRI HOKKAIDOWHAT-TO-DO
WHERE-TO-GO
Understanding Hokkaido's history,
culture and nature.

TOURS

ONE DAY TOUR IN & AROUND ABASHIRI

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TOURS

ONE DAY TOUR IN & AROUND ABASHIRI

WHAT’S NEW?

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  • Nature
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20. May 2025

NEW – Prison Museum

25. Apr 2025

Flowers Blooming NOW

20. Jan 2024

Hokkaido Trivia – 2024 Drift Ice Information

1. Jul 2023

Hokkaido Trivia – Urban Brown Bears in Hokkaido

6. May 2023

Flowers in the Area

MORE
  • (English below) 能取岬には、市営の放牧地があり、近所の農家さんから預かった馬や牛が春から夏にかけて放牧されていました。絵的にとても良かった❣️エサが助かる、動物の脚力強化、などの理由があったんだけど、ある時期から放牧されなくなっていました。(他の放牧地にはまだ🐄いる)
でも写真のように、牧草ロールは今も毎年作られていて、ここでも少し前まで牛や馬がたくさん放たれていたことを思い出させてくれる🥰(最後の猫は、あまりに暑くて部屋を脱出。可哀想で一緒に連れて行った)

There’s a public paddock for cows and horses owned by Abashiri City at Cape Notoro. Farmers under contract used to leave their cows and horses at the paddock from spring to early autumn.  They say it keeps the cattles physically healthy and at the same time allows the farmers to save ample feed for winter. For some reason they stopped this service at the Cape.  But they still keep the grassland and make these hay rolls every year in June. Reminds me of that idyllically calm view of the cows and horses grazing peacefully with the Okhotsk Sea in the back🥰
The cat? I took her out to the Cape yesterday since it was so hot inside the house😁

#paddock #hayrolls #lighthouse #capenotoro #capeview #pasture #grassland #farming #countrylife #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) 曇った日の夕焼け。能取湖のアオサギがスポットライトを浴びていた
Grey Herron was standing under the “spotlight“ at Lake Notoro….Sunset on a cloudy day.

#greyherron #lakeview  #sunset #birdsilhouette #countrylife #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) スズランは、ドイツ原産のものと北海道など北日本で自生する日本原産のものがあるらしい。
ちょうど今、網走でも咲いているんだけれど、私は葉っぱに隠れるように咲く日本産のスズランが好きだな。友達の家のスズランも白樺の木の根元で、ひっそり咲いていました。かわいい、そっとしておこう😍

Lily-of-the-valley is one of the flowers in Japan that symbolizes Hokkaido. I like the species that origins in Japan (the other species you see in Japan is from Germany) where the flowers are smaller and are hidden under the leaves. The lily-of-the-valleys at my friend’s garden were all hidden under the shades of tall white birch trees like hidden gems👸🏻👸🏻❤️

#lilyofthevalley #whiteflowers #seasonalflowers #countrylife #summerflowers #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) 先日の帰り道に出会った子ぎつねの兄弟。巣から出てきて、母さんを待っているのかな。「埋もれた古いバス停🚌」「可愛いサクラソウ?🌸」「防風林のある畑🌲」がある風景とマッチして、絵本から飛び出てきたみたい✨

The other day I saw 2 baby fox out from their nest waiting for mommy fox to return. They were really cute.  The old bus stop, the pink flowers and the surrounding trees and fields near by all came together and made the 🦊🦊 look as if they just came out from a storybook😊

#fox #redfox #babyfox #countrylife #wildflowers #summerflowers #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) 6月になったから、小清水原生花園をチェックしに行かなくちゃ!と、かなりの仕事モードで行ってきました。車で20分。エゾキスゲが咲き始めてるー!クロユリもー!ハマナスもー!ディスプレイフライトを披露するオオジシギも、双眼鏡で追えて楽しい朝活でした。(最後の写真は、小清水原生花園を知らない人のために。去年の8月。海岸沿いの砂丘。こういう所なのよ✨🌼)

Koshimizu Wild Flower Preserve is one of the many wild flower conservation parks in eastern Hokkaido. I drove there first thing this morning to check on how the summer flowers were doing😊 Yellow Day-Lilies were starting to bloom along with the Kamchatka Lilies. Even the bright Rosa Ragusa, Japanese wild roses, were opening up their buds🌹 On top of that, I was really content and happy to follow with my own eyes the display flight of Latham’s snipe, the bird that flies 6000km from Australia to mate in Hokkaido😍 I hope the last picture helps to share with you how refreshing it is to take a walk here!!

#lilies #wildflowerpreserve #wildflowers #lakesideview #wildplants #summerflowers #savewildflowers #earlysummer #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #rural Japan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) センダイハギが満開の夕方の能取湖畔。今が見頃です。フキの葉っぱも元気に大きく成長中!これからどんどん初夏の花が咲きだすヨ💓

These flowers are called Russian False Yellow Lupine. The whole area was full of them!  Summer flowers are starting to bloom💓 At Lake Notoro in Abashiri at late afternoon

#yellowlupine #yelloflowers #wildflowers #lakesideview #wildplants #earlysummer #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #rural Japan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) 今朝の台所の様子🌿🌱🌿 昨日採ってきた山ウドなど山菜の処理に追われていました💦昔は、スーパーで売られている色白のウドと違って皮が硬くて緑色なので、驚いたりしたっけな😆ちなみに、このあと、コゴミとセリの手仕事が続きました💦

My kitchen was full of fresh & bitter smell of “mountain vegetables” this morning🥰 This is “udo”. I couldn’t find an English translation for udo. Udo is one of the wild plants that we eat. After the stalks are “skinned”, udo needs to be soaked in vinegar-added water to avoid turning brown (different mountain vegetables have different ways of preparation). I usually slice the raw stalks for salad. They go really well with mayo+miso dressing😋 The young leaves and buds will be cooked “somehow”😂 I have to check - maybe tempura?

#udo #edibleplants #ediblewildplants #wildplants #mountainvegetables #japanesecooking #japanesefood #homecooking #spring #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202505
  • (English below) 気がついたら、花の投稿ばかり。春だから🌸上湧別のチューリップ公園に少し前に行ってきました。網走から車で1時間半。サロマ湖の少し先です。花を見たい!というお客さんが多いのです。万国共通なのね。個人的には、作られた花壇より、自然に咲いている花の方が地味でも好きなんだけれど…これはこれで、関係者の熱い思いが伝わってよかったです。時期をずらして咲かせているそうなので、5月末日まで見ることができるんじゃないかな。

Here’s another post on flowers🌷 There’s a tulip garden in a town called Kami Yubetsu, about an hour and a half drive to the northwest from Abashiri. 200 variations, 700 thousand tulips.  They grow the tulips so that they don’t bloom all at once and the flowers last long. You should be able to see them till the end of this month (hopefully). The pics are from my visit 10 days ago.  And if you do visit, don’t forget to try the soft-serve ice cream.  It’s superb❤️

#springtimeflowers #tulip #flowergarden #hokkaidoflowers #spring #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202505
  • (English below) 市内の果樹園では、花がそろそろ終わりを迎えています。黄色いのは、ハスカップ。酸味がある紫色の細長いブルーベリーのような、北海道の果実です。大きなミツバチがブンブン🐝さくらんぼの花もそろそろ終わり。さくらんぼは、異なった種類を交配させないと実がならないらしい。ミツバチがいなくなったら、自然は無くなるね。

There’s quite a number of orchards in Abashiri.  I heard that in the old days this area was the northernmost place in Hokkaido that grew apples. Today we don’t have apple farms, but we do have various berry, including haskup, farms. Haskup is a sour-ish blueberry-like berry that, in Japan, grows only in Hokkaido. Their yellow flowers are blooming now.  So are the cherry flowers.  I didn’t know that cherries need to pollinate with different kinds of cherry trees to bear fruit!  What would nature do without the hard working bumblebees🐝

#springtimeflowers #fruitsflowers #orchard #cherryflowers #haskup #hokkaidoflowers #spring #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202505

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 32,000. 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.
Day Tour In & Around Abashiri

MORE

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 32,000. 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.
Day Tour In & Around Abashiri

Foliage
Foliage
Sakura Cherry Blossoms
Sakura Cherry Blossoms
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
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
  • (English below) 能取岬には、市営の放牧地があり、近所の農家さんから預かった馬や牛が春から夏にかけて放牧されていました。絵的にとても良かった❣️エサが助かる、動物の脚力強化、などの理由があったんだけど、ある時期から放牧されなくなっていました。(他の放牧地にはまだ🐄いる)
でも写真のように、牧草ロールは今も毎年作られていて、ここでも少し前まで牛や馬がたくさん放たれていたことを思い出させてくれる🥰(最後の猫は、あまりに暑くて部屋を脱出。可哀想で一緒に連れて行った)

There’s a public paddock for cows and horses owned by Abashiri City at Cape Notoro. Farmers under contract used to leave their cows and horses at the paddock from spring to early autumn.  They say it keeps the cattles physically healthy and at the same time allows the farmers to save ample feed for winter. For some reason they stopped this service at the Cape.  But they still keep the grassland and make these hay rolls every year in June. Reminds me of that idyllically calm view of the cows and horses grazing peacefully with the Okhotsk Sea in the back🥰
The cat? I took her out to the Cape yesterday since it was so hot inside the house😁

#paddock #hayrolls #lighthouse #capenotoro #capeview #pasture #grassland #farming #countrylife #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) 曇った日の夕焼け。能取湖のアオサギがスポットライトを浴びていた
Grey Herron was standing under the “spotlight“ at Lake Notoro….Sunset on a cloudy day.

#greyherron #lakeview  #sunset #birdsilhouette #countrylife #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) スズランは、ドイツ原産のものと北海道など北日本で自生する日本原産のものがあるらしい。
ちょうど今、網走でも咲いているんだけれど、私は葉っぱに隠れるように咲く日本産のスズランが好きだな。友達の家のスズランも白樺の木の根元で、ひっそり咲いていました。かわいい、そっとしておこう😍

Lily-of-the-valley is one of the flowers in Japan that symbolizes Hokkaido. I like the species that origins in Japan (the other species you see in Japan is from Germany) where the flowers are smaller and are hidden under the leaves. The lily-of-the-valleys at my friend’s garden were all hidden under the shades of tall white birch trees like hidden gems👸🏻👸🏻❤️

#lilyofthevalley #whiteflowers #seasonalflowers #countrylife #summerflowers #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) 先日の帰り道に出会った子ぎつねの兄弟。巣から出てきて、母さんを待っているのかな。「埋もれた古いバス停🚌」「可愛いサクラソウ?🌸」「防風林のある畑🌲」がある風景とマッチして、絵本から飛び出てきたみたい✨

The other day I saw 2 baby fox out from their nest waiting for mommy fox to return. They were really cute.  The old bus stop, the pink flowers and the surrounding trees and fields near by all came together and made the 🦊🦊 look as if they just came out from a storybook😊

#fox #redfox #babyfox #countrylife #wildflowers #summerflowers #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) 6月になったから、小清水原生花園をチェックしに行かなくちゃ!と、かなりの仕事モードで行ってきました。車で20分。エゾキスゲが咲き始めてるー!クロユリもー!ハマナスもー!ディスプレイフライトを披露するオオジシギも、双眼鏡で追えて楽しい朝活でした。(最後の写真は、小清水原生花園を知らない人のために。去年の8月。海岸沿いの砂丘。こういう所なのよ✨🌼)

Koshimizu Wild Flower Preserve is one of the many wild flower conservation parks in eastern Hokkaido. I drove there first thing this morning to check on how the summer flowers were doing😊 Yellow Day-Lilies were starting to bloom along with the Kamchatka Lilies. Even the bright Rosa Ragusa, Japanese wild roses, were opening up their buds🌹 On top of that, I was really content and happy to follow with my own eyes the display flight of Latham’s snipe, the bird that flies 6000km from Australia to mate in Hokkaido😍 I hope the last picture helps to share with you how refreshing it is to take a walk here!!

#lilies #wildflowerpreserve #wildflowers #lakesideview #wildplants #summerflowers #savewildflowers #earlysummer #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #rural Japan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) センダイハギが満開の夕方の能取湖畔。今が見頃です。フキの葉っぱも元気に大きく成長中!これからどんどん初夏の花が咲きだすヨ💓

These flowers are called Russian False Yellow Lupine. The whole area was full of them!  Summer flowers are starting to bloom💓 At Lake Notoro in Abashiri at late afternoon

#yellowlupine #yelloflowers #wildflowers #lakesideview #wildplants #earlysummer #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #rural Japan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202506
  • (English below) 今朝の台所の様子🌿🌱🌿 昨日採ってきた山ウドなど山菜の処理に追われていました💦昔は、スーパーで売られている色白のウドと違って皮が硬くて緑色なので、驚いたりしたっけな😆ちなみに、このあと、コゴミとセリの手仕事が続きました💦

My kitchen was full of fresh & bitter smell of “mountain vegetables” this morning🥰 This is “udo”. I couldn’t find an English translation for udo. Udo is one of the wild plants that we eat. After the stalks are “skinned”, udo needs to be soaked in vinegar-added water to avoid turning brown (different mountain vegetables have different ways of preparation). I usually slice the raw stalks for salad. They go really well with mayo+miso dressing😋 The young leaves and buds will be cooked “somehow”😂 I have to check - maybe tempura?

#udo #edibleplants #ediblewildplants #wildplants #mountainvegetables #japanesecooking #japanesefood #homecooking #spring #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202505
  • (English below) 気がついたら、花の投稿ばかり。春だから🌸上湧別のチューリップ公園に少し前に行ってきました。網走から車で1時間半。サロマ湖の少し先です。花を見たい!というお客さんが多いのです。万国共通なのね。個人的には、作られた花壇より、自然に咲いている花の方が地味でも好きなんだけれど…これはこれで、関係者の熱い思いが伝わってよかったです。時期をずらして咲かせているそうなので、5月末日まで見ることができるんじゃないかな。

Here’s another post on flowers🌷 There’s a tulip garden in a town called Kami Yubetsu, about an hour and a half drive to the northwest from Abashiri. 200 variations, 700 thousand tulips.  They grow the tulips so that they don’t bloom all at once and the flowers last long. You should be able to see them till the end of this month (hopefully). The pics are from my visit 10 days ago.  And if you do visit, don’t forget to try the soft-serve ice cream.  It’s superb❤️

#springtimeflowers #tulip #flowergarden #hokkaidoflowers #spring #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202505
  • (English below) 市内の果樹園では、花がそろそろ終わりを迎えています。黄色いのは、ハスカップ。酸味がある紫色の細長いブルーベリーのような、北海道の果実です。大きなミツバチがブンブン🐝さくらんぼの花もそろそろ終わり。さくらんぼは、異なった種類を交配させないと実がならないらしい。ミツバチがいなくなったら、自然は無くなるね。

There’s quite a number of orchards in Abashiri.  I heard that in the old days this area was the northernmost place in Hokkaido that grew apples. Today we don’t have apple farms, but we do have various berry, including haskup, farms. Haskup is a sour-ish blueberry-like berry that, in Japan, grows only in Hokkaido. Their yellow flowers are blooming now.  So are the cherry flowers.  I didn’t know that cherries need to pollinate with different kinds of cherry trees to bear fruit!  What would nature do without the hard working bumblebees🐝

#springtimeflowers #fruitsflowers #orchard #cherryflowers #haskup #hokkaidoflowers #spring #japan #hokkaido #abashiri  #easternhokkaido #hokkaidolove #whyilovethisplace #countryside #ruraljapan #naturephotography #countrylife  #ju202505
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 kuriko1429@yahoo.co.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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