This course starts from Wakkanai, the northernmost part of Hokkaido, and goes to south on the west coast with romantic sunset to the Sea of Japan. It includes Haboro town, Obira town, Mashike town, and ends at Asahikawa airport. It is a well-balanced plan with cultural activities, interactions with nature, and good foods. Although northern Hokkaido had not been featured much, you would love the area. Find your favorites in the northern frontier of Japan!
Seabird Center Hokkaido
Seabird Center Hokkaido is the only institution which specializes in seabirds. They research seabirds around Teuri Island, protect and breed murres and ancient murrelets, and disseminate the importance of protecting marine environments. Teuri island, where the institute is located, is also globally known as an island where human and seabirds live together with its biggest breeding number of cerorhinica monocerata (approximately 300,000 pairs live). The georama of seabirds’ breeding spots is amazingly produced. It models the west coast of Teuri island, and simulates how birds raise chicks with models, lighting, and audio effects. You can learn the ecology and distribution maps of seabirds both in the world and Japan.
1 Chome Kita 6 Jo, Haboro, Tomamae District, Hokkaido
Teuri Island Sea Kayak
Why not have a sea kayak ride on Teuri Island? In the fine weather in summer, the sea is calm, seabirds are singing, it’s the perfect condition to have marine activity. There are courses of 45, 90 and 180 minutes. Other than kayaking, there are a variety of activities throughout the seasons in Teuri island. You can enjoy fishing, cycling, fish boat cruising, camping, and nature watching.
Pottery Studio Obira
When you visit Obira town, you can try making pottery with instruction by professionals so that there is no worries being a beginner. Wood made studio has electric potter’s wheels, electric kiln, and resting lounge. Their bric made kiln can bake thousands of pots at once, which climbs up a slope with 5 floors, is 10m long and 3m high each floor. It is a facility beloved by locals from children to elderlies. There are many other recreational facilities nearby. Yuttari-kan, which means comfortability in Japanese, is an accommodation with a restaurant, and there is Boyodai campsite which is surrounded by nature. In the B & G Marine Center, you can enjoy marine activities such as canoeing and yachting. There is also Obira International Park Golf Course which is an internationally admitted course. There are plenty of activities to do in Obira town.
Obira, Rumoi District, Hokkaido
http://www.town.obira.hokkaido.jp/kanko/detail/00001393.html
Maruzen Sato Fruit Garden
Maruzen Sato Fruit Garden is located 43 degrees north latitude, which is the northernmost fruit garden in Japan. They produce apples, cherries, blueberries, grapes, pears, plunes, and so on. The garden started in 1919 when the founder from Yamagata prefecture planted apple saplings in Mashike town. This land was ideal for fruits with its good drainage by the topography of an alluvial fan, rich amount of water supply from the mountains, and the climate of huge temperature difference. You can enjoy the freshly picked fruits from the garden. Fruit Labo is a shop directly managed by Maruzen Sato Fruit Garden. It specializes in apple pie made with the apples from this garden. You can compare fresh apples with it.
256 Shokansawa, Mashike, Mashike District, Hokkaido
Kunimare Sake Brewery
Kunimare is the northernmost sake brewery of Japan. Kunimare originally started as a Japanese clothes company and moved to Mashike in the early Meiji era. After a war against Russia, an army general named Nogi Maresuke visited this brewery, and the brewers were impressed by his personality. They took a part of his name, and made a wish to become a “Rere (mare) and good sake of nation (kuni)”. Ever since, they have been trying to make a sake beloved by the people. Compared to other breweries, Kunimare has a larger selling ratio in normal line sake. This is because their philosophy is to enrich every-night drink at home, which has engaged a lot of fans in Japan, and in the world. They have been working on welcoming such people by making shops and parking, organizing facility tours, and creating a brand which can be purchased only in the brewery. If you are a sake lover, it will be a good experience to visit Kunimare Sake Brewery.
1 Chome-17 Inabacho, Mashike, Mashike District, Hokkaido