Utoro Onsen is the gateway to the UNESCO-protected Shiretoko Peninsula and a popular hot spring area; it has become the place to stay when visiting the nearby World Heritage Site. There are various hotels and ryokan in the area offering views of the aggressively beautiful Sea of Ohotsk, which separates Japan from Russia. Alternatively, you can bunk up in a cozy minshuku (family-run bed & breakfast inn) where you can enjoy interacting with the other guests who have ventured to the eastern tip of Hokkaido. The views are best admired from the comfort of an onsen (hot spring); such as the unique sight of drift ice in winter juxtaposed against your steamy surroundings. Amazing food is also a big draw for travelers to Utoro Onsen, with its fresh seafood restaurants using fish caught in the nearby ocean.
