Far away from the bustling streets of Sapporo—the largest city in Hokkaido—is a land of rolling farmland, vast open vistas, steaming volcanoes, enormous crater lakes, wild and remote peninsulas, and frozen winter seas.
This is Eastern Hokkaido, one of the most beautiful and scenically diverse regions in Japan, home to three national parks and packed with unique wildlife and natural wonders. It also happens to be a great place to try a wide range of outdoor activities, and in the early autumn I was delighted to try a locally-run adventure tour with Connectrip to experience the area’s rich and abundant nature.
Akan-Mashu National Park lies in the heart of Eastern Hokkaido and is regarded as one of Japan’s most beautiful national parks. The trip got off to a great start here with one of the best views I’ve ever seen in Japan at the Bihoro Pass, a stunning viewpoint at 525m altitude overlooking Lake Kussharo, Hokkaido’s second largest lake.
After soaking in the jaw-dropping scenery, our group hopped in the saddle for a 23km downhill bike ride on a meandering route through luscious forests, before arriving at Wakoto Peninsula on the shoreline of Lake Kussharo. Here, you can walk along nature trails and bathe in an outdoor lakeside onsen, but we spent a lovely afternoon kayaking in the pristine waters and discovering more hidden parts of the peninsula, including Oyakotsu Jigoku, a mysterious and secluded spot only accessible by boat where hot steam plumes from sulphurous fumaroles on the shoreline.
A little to the east of Lake Kussharo, just beyond the sleepy hot spring town of Kawayu Onsen, you can find the barren slopes of Io-zan, one of the country’s most active volcanoes. Literally meaning ‘sulphur mountain’, the volcano was mined for sulphur by Japanese settlers in Hokkaido in the late 19th century, but now it is a monument to the power of nature. Walking trails allow you to get up close to its spectacular steaming volcanic vents.
The surrounding area is ecologically unique, with Japanese stone pine and other hardy alpine vegetation visible at much lower elevations than you can find elsewhere. Our expert-guided hiking tour up to Io-zan’s otherworldly crater felt like a real adventure in an otherworldly landscape - such tours are the best way to see everything and learn about the peak’s fascinating unique natural history and geology, as much of the mountain is off-limits to regular visitors.
Heading away from the mountains and east to the coast brings us to another one of Eastern Hokkaido’s most remarkable corners. Stretching out into the choppy waters of the Nemuro Strait for 26km, the Notsuke Peninsula is Japan’s largest sand spit and a haven for all kinds of wildlife, but especially birds. Both migratory and resident species can be spotted around the vast flat marshlands. It was great fun cycling along the peninsula, and traveling on two wheels proved to be a wonderful way to do some wildlife watching, with deer and foxes frequently appearing up close.
Our return journey was by a boat ride across the bay, and this gave us the amazing chance to see various marine animals too, including groups of cute seals bobbing in the shallows - a real highlight of the trip! Afterwards we stopped at the fascinating Shibecha Salmon Museum, and got literally hands-on with various types of fish and other interesting aquatic life.
The last part of the tour took us to Eastern Hokkaido’s Pacific Coast and the port city of Kushiro. It makes a good base for exploring the nearby Kushiro-Shitsugen National Park, Japan’s largest wetland area, which is home to around 2,000 plant and animal species, including the magnificent red-crowned crane. Once hunted to near extinction, this majestic bird now has a stronghold in the Kushiro wetlands and draws photographers from far and wide, especially in the winter months when pairs of birds perform their elaborate mating dances.
For a waterline view of the wetlands, we donned our wetsuits once again and kayaked along the Kushiro River, enjoying the wonderful peace and tranquility of the marshlands while getting up close to some of the local wildlife.
So get ready for a world of exciting outdoor activities and unique nature experiences in beautiful Eastern Hokkaido.
