[Cape Noshappu in Wakkanai] Good Place to See Setting Sun Has Legend of Dolphin

Cape Noshappu

Cape Noshappu (ノシャップ岬) is a cape located in the northwestern part of Wakkanai city. The Noshappu means "A place that the cape is like jutting out a chin" in Ainu language. As its name suggests, the cape is at the tip of Wakkanai Peninsula. It is well-known for enjoying the beautiful setting sun across the Sea of Japan, and is a popular place to view Rshiri Island and Rebun Island. Sakhalin Island in Russia is in the opposite side of the sea. There are Esandomari Fishing Port Park (恵山泊漁港公園), Noshappu Cold Current Aquarium (ノシャップ寒流水族館), Wakkanai Lighthouse, souvenir shops and restaurants at the tip of the cape. The distance is about 4 km away from here to Wakkanai Onsen, too.

The Wakkanai Lighthouse is the 2nd highest lighthouse in Japan after Hinomisaki Lighthouse (日御岬灯台) in Shimane Prefecture. Its height is about 43 m. It is chosen as one of the Best 50 Lighthouses of Japan, and two-tone color lighthouse with red color and white color is outstanding. The Noshappu Cold Current Aquarium is the northernmost small aquarium, and has opened a business since 1968. It has Wakkanai Science Center (青少年科学館), too. About 120 types of aquatic life are bred, and harbour seal and penguin performance is popular.

Movie of Harbour Seal and Penguin Performance

As for tasty restaurants near here, Karafuto Shokudo (樺太食堂) and Ryoshi-no-Mise (漁師の店) have a good reputation. A direct bus does not run between Sapporo or New Chitose Airport and the Cape Noshappu. But an express bus Hamnasu-go (はまなす号) runs between the Sapporo and the Wakkanai.

Wakkanai Onsen

Wakkanai Onsen (稚内温泉) is a hot spring place in the west side of Wakkanai city, and is the origin that hot spring gushed out when they prospected for oil, and is the Japan's nothernmost onsen. Wakkanai Health Increase Center Domu (稚内市健康増進センター 童夢), a hot spring facility for day trip onsen, and some accommodations are built. There are Wakkanai Youth Recreation Hall (稚内少年青年の家) and Wakkanai General Gymnasium around there. The distance is around 10 km away from the center of the Wakkanai, and restraunts, cafes, souvenir shops and convenience stores are not built. Cape Noshappu (ノシャップ岬) is relatively near here, and there are Noshappu Cold Current Aquarium (ノシャップ寒流水族館) and Wakkanai Lighthouse (稚内灯台) and restraunts. Article is here

WAKKANAI

Wakkanai (稚内) that about 35,000 people live is the 21th largest fishery city in Hokkaido, and was named after Yamuwakkanai that means "A river with cold water" in Ainu language. It is one of regional hub cities of the North Hokkaido area, and is the northernmost port town in Japan. A catch of Octopus Dofleini (ミズダコ) is the largest in the Japan. In addition, a lot of people run a dairy farm, and the Wakkanai is one of tasty milk‐producing distlict in the Hokkaido. My grandmother was from Keihoku (恵北) in the Wakkanai, and I remember that the milk was very tasty when I visited parents' house of my grandmother in the old days. As for climate, the Wakkanai faces the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk, so a wind blows hard. Average annual temperature is 7 degrees, and it is chilly in a summer, and it does not relatively snow hard in a winter. Wakkanai Peninsula (稚内半島) is in the west side of the city, and Soya Peninsula (宗谷半島) is in the east side of the city, and the downtown is in the west side of the city. Various things is the northernmost in the Japan, for example, Japane's Northernmost Railway Monument (日本最北端の線路の碑) is built beside the Wakkanai Station, too. Article is here