Nakijin Castle Ruin

Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Ship – Aurora

Get up close and personal with this sightseeing cruise from Abashiri Port. The cruise lasts for about 1 hour and runs from the end of January to the beginning of April. All 491 tons of the ship break the ice blocks apart as it marvelously moves forward, and because of its large size there is […]

Otaru Canal

The canal – completed in 1923 – spans 1,140 meters in length and a sightseeing highlight. Along the canal, a promenade and stone brick warehouses stand seeming nostalgic. Once dusk settles in, a romantic fairy-tale-like scene emerges as the promenade and brick warehouses come to life from the warm glow of gas lamps. Nowadays, the […]

Seven Stars Tree

On the northern side of Highway 237 stands a single Japanese oak tree in the middle of the rolling hills. The tree suddenly earned fame in 1976 as the world’s 4th largest tobacco manufacturer, JT, used the tree as the package image of their Seven Stars cigarette brand. That’s pretty much all there is to […]

Kushikatsu Daruma “Daruma Daijin”

A large-scale, scary-looking old man based on the fourth shop owner was put in place in 2008 and remained there ever since. There is also a full-body version in front of the shop. Size 6.4m tall, 4.1m wide Photo tips Try taking two shots with the full body in front of the store

Rinku no Yu

Rinku no Yu is a hot spring located in Rinku Pleasure Town SEACLE on the mainland, the opposite shore of Kansai International Airport. The prices are cheap; a good place to visit if you have time until your flight. There are various baths and saunas such as outdoor hot springs and rock baths, and you […]

Kushiro City Red-crowned Crane Natural Park

Shiroi Koibito Park: Chocolate Factory

A theme park for sweets operated by one of Hokkaido’s most famous sweets makers Ishiya Seika

Bihoro Pass

Bihoro Pass is a 525m high mountain pass located on the outer rim of the Kussharo Caldera. The view from here is an unbelievably brilliant panorama, and is one of the most spectacular views in Hokkaido. Not only do you have a panoramic view of the 57km-long Lake Kussharo, but you can also see Mt. […]

Fukugi Tree Road

Takoya Dotonbori Kukuru Mainstore “Big Octopus”

This realistically-designed octopus installed in 2000 looks almost like the real thing. The one next to the Dotonbori Glico sign is the “father” and the one at the front of the shop is the “eldest son,” while the “mother” and “second son” can be found in the Dotonbori Konamon Museum. The father octopus’s eyes sometimes […]

Osaka Ohsho Dotonbori Main Store Gyoza Dumplings

The store’s main dish, gyoza, was made into a model approximately 1,100 times its actual size and has remained there since 2012. The attention to detail makes the gyoza very realistic as if it has been cooked – so real that you might want to eat it! Size 4m tall, 3.5m wide

ニライ橋・カナイ橋

県道86号線から国道331号線へ下っていく途中にある、全長約660mの絶景スポット。 高低差約80mの断崖の上下を、連続する2つの橋が、大きくカーブを描きながら結んでおり、通るとまるで空中をドライブしているかのような感覚になる。 ちなみに上(山側)がニライ橋で、下(海側)がカナイ橋 ※ニライカナイとは、現地の言葉で「海の向こうにある理想郷」という意味だ。 ニライ橋・カナイ橋をドライブする場合は、海を見下ろす絶景を眺めることが出来る、山側から海側へと下るルートを採るべきだ。 ※海側から山側へと上るルートはあまり眺めが良くない。 なお、ニライ橋・カナイ橋のドライブには、橋の上は駐車禁止で、かつ急なカーブが多い道であるため、運転者はじっくり絶景を見ることが出来ないという“致命的な”欠点がある。 車を運転する君は、トンネル(ニライ橋・カナイ橋の頂上付近)にある展望所に行け。 この展望所は、海からは多少遠いが、標高が150mもあるので、ニライ橋・カナイ橋の全景や太平洋を見渡すなどの素晴らしいパノラマビューを楽しむことが出来る。

Outer Gardens of the Imperial Palace (Kokyo Gaien)

Free to roam at anytime the Japanese black pine trees and beautiful green grass laid out in the open space is a nice scene to take in. Interestingly, during the Edo period, this area was occupied with houses of senior statesmen. Below are the main viewing attractions. Nijubashi 2 bridges connect the outer gardens over […]

Kottaro Marsh Observatory

This observatory is located at the northeastern edge of Kushiro Marsh on a small hill. Compared to other observatories in Kushiro Marsh, the view from this observatory is “inferior”. However, if you are lucky, you can see beautiful Japanese cranes. The nearby road is a narrow gravel road, so be careful when driving.