A Niche World Natural Heritage Site and Japan's Last Pure Land Shiretoko Peninsula

Shiretoko is “Japan's Last Pure Land”. In order to protect the ecological environment here, there are no roads and no people on Shiretoko Peninsula. Therefore, to explore this secret place, the best choice is to take the Sightseeing Ship Aurora. Aurora ships depart from late April to late October every year. You can go on the Secret Ground Shiretoko route which takes 90 minutes or the Kamuiwakka Waterfall Route which takes 225 minutes. On the ship, you can see Shiretoko Peninsula’s variable coast. The coast is full of cliffs and rocks eroded by sea water. If you are lucky, you will be able to see animals on the peninsula, such as brown bears and foxes!

Drift ice walking is a special project exclusive to Shiretoko. It is safe and fun to walk on the frozen drift ice along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk under the protection of guides who know running water well. You will need to wear a completely waterproof diving suit. This activity is only available from February to March. Shiretoko is in the southeast part of Hokkaido and is famous for its natural scenery. Utoro Onsen is a coastal hot spring town where the best hot spring hotels and activities on ice are concentrated. It takes about 6-7 hours from Sapporo in Hokkaido to Shari Station in Shiretoko and requires a transfer in Utoro by bus. If you booked Utoro’s luxury hot spring hotel, the hotel will normally provide a pick-up at Shari Station.

Known as “Japan's Last Pure Land”, Shiretoko is in the easternmost part of Hokkaido. With Utoro hot spring area as the center of action, you can go on various natural exploration trips. In summer, you can go out to sea to watch whales; in winter, you can hike around the Five Lakes in Shiretoko, and can also walk on drift ice. The distance to Shiretoko is quite far. The whole journey from Sapporo to Shari Station in Shiretoko will take at least 6 hours either by bus or JR tram. However, it is convenient to walk from Kushiro or Abashiri to get there. In winter, people normally visit these 3 places in one go.

Every winter, the Drift Ice Norokko, running between Abashiri and Shiretoko, which is very close to the coastline, has seats facing out of its window. People can sit on the train and roast squid while enjoying the drift ice on the Sea of Okhotsk. The train will also stop in the middle of the journey to let tourists enjoy the drift ice from a viewing platform. Abashiri and Shiretoko are the best places to visit in Hokkaido. You can travel on ice breaker boats and hot air balloons to enjoy the beautiful scenery of the ice coast in Abashiri. You can also experience activities like snow walking, drift ice walking or hot springs in Shiretoko. It takes 5 hours on the JR from Sapporo to Abashiri.

Known as "Japan's Last Pure Land", Shiretoko Island at the eastern end of Hokkaido has a unique natural environment and is also a paradise for wild animals. From May to July each year, a large number of Killer Whales, Sperm Whales and dolphins gather in the sea area of Rausu, an island of Shiretoko. Families of whales attract tourists to embark on whale watching trips. By taking a sightseeing ship to the vast Rausu sea area, it takes about 1 hour to get where whales and dolphins can be sighted. Pods of dolphins can often be seen jumping and splashing in the blue ocean. Whale fins come out of the sea like sharp blades that cut the sea’s surface. Their beautiful movements are breath-taking.

Located in the east of Hokkaido, Shiretoko Peninsula is known as “Japan's Last Pure Land”. It’s a famous world heritage site. The Five Lakes area is also the place with the most brown bears in Japan. It's estimated that there are five to six hundred bears. Every May to August is the active period for Shiretoko brown bears. At this time, you can walk deep into the brown bears’ habitat under the guidance of the staff and visit their uncontaminated homes. Brown bear cubs look really cute, and when they grow up, an adult male bear can be taller than 2.5 meters and weigh over 250 kg. Trust me, you don’t want to encounter an actual brown bear. When you walk along the lake in spring and summer, you must make an appointment with a tour group led by a professional guide. Before you leave, you need to watch a video that tells visitors how to react when they encounter a brown bear. By viewing this peaceful lake and mountain, I can't help but think that brown bears really know the best place to live.

Kamuiwakka Fall is located in the depths of the Shiretoko Peninsula, which is known as "Hokkaido’s Best Secret Hot Spring". As the water source of the waterfall is hot spring water, it is also a natural open-air hot spring bathing place. There is a simple dressing room beside the parking lot in front of the waterfall. There is also a hiking route here which you can take up to the waterfall of the secret hot spring. The secret hot spring is adjacent to the waterfall and precipice, the ground is wet and slippery, and the slope is very steep. Also, you have to go up stream to find its source. Every year, there are tourists that fall down by accident. At the same time, brown bears are sometimes encountered nearby, which is very dangerous. If you are planning to go there, I advise you to learn some knowledge beforehand and get some river tracking experience to prevent any accidents.