- May 16th, 2014
- nature
- FamousSpots
- CentralArea
[Shakotan Peninsula] Tourism, Onsen and Sea Urchin Can Be Enjoyed in Superb Place
CONTENTS
Shakotan Peninsula
Shakotan Peninsula (積丹半島) is a peninsula located in the northwestern part of Otaru city, and has been designated as Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park (ニセコ積丹小樽海岸国定公園) because of a precious complicated coastline with steep cliffs. The sea of the Shakotan is very beautiful, and looks clear blue, so everybody call Shakotan Blue (シャコタンブルー). A traffic used to be inconvenient in the old days, and tourists rarely visited here. People are easy to access the Shakotan Peninsula as well as Shiretoko Peninsula (知床半島) at present, but it is called an unexplored region because it would not develop very much.
There are Shakotan town (積丹町), Furubira town (古平町), Kamoenai village (神恵内村) in the northern part of the Shakotan Peninsula, and there are Yoichi town (余市町), Niki town (仁木町), Kyowa town (共和町), Iwanai town (岩内町) and Tomari village (泊村) in the southern part of the Shakotan Peninsula. Speaking of the Shakotan Peninsula, the northern part is very famous, most tourist attractions with amazing nature views such as Cape Kamui (神威岬), Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) and Cape Ogon (黄金岬) are representative tourist attractions of the Shiretoko Peninsula, and most tourist attractions such as Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distiller (ニッカウヰスキー余市蒸溜所), fruit farms and Tomari Nuclear Power Plant (泊原子力発電所) are man-made tourist attractions in the southern part.
As for public transport, Chuo Bus (中央バス) controls the Shiretoko Peninsula, Highway Bus Shakotan-go (高速しゃこたん号) runs between Sapporo and Cape Kamui from April 21 to October 21. Highway Bus Yoichi-go (高速よいち号) runs between the Sapporo and the Yoichi, and Highway Bus Iwanai-go (高速いわない号) runs between the Sapporo and the Iwanai. In addition, Summer One-day Sightseeing Tour Bus and Autumn One-day Sightseeing Tour Bus run from the Sapporo to the Shakotan Peninsula.
Northern Part of Shakotan Peninsula
Cape Shakotan (積丹岬), the Cape Kamui and the Cape Ogon have strangely shaped rocks and the beautiful sea along a shoreline, and those are called 3 major capes, and are well-known as scenic spots. There are the Cape Kamui, the Shimamui Coast, the Cape Ogon, Annai Tenbo Park (あんない展望公園), Nozuka Campsite (野塚野営場), Bikuni Kodomari Campsite (美国小泊野営場), Utasute Bathing Beach (歌棄海水浴場) and Furubira Family Vacation Village (古平家族旅行村) in the north side and east side, and there are Kamoenai Youth Vacation Village (神恵内青少年旅行村) and Maehama Bathing Beach (前浜海水浴場) in the west side. By the way, In the Bikuni Port, Underwater Cruise Ship New Shakotan-go (水中展望船★ニューしゃこたん号) that can see the blue sea in the sea is in serve.
New Shakotan Ship
Cape Kamui
Cape Kamui (神威岬) is a cape with steep cliff jutting out into the Sea of Japan from Shakotan Peninsula (積丹半島) in Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-national Park, and is one of 3 major tourist attractions together with Cape Ogorn (黄金岬) and Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) in the Shakotan Peninsula. The kamui means a god in Ainu language. The distance is around 1.5 km away from a traffic gate along National Route to the end of a road, and there are a public parking lot, a public restroom and a rest house named Kamui-Banya (カムイ番屋). A restraunt and a souvenir shop are at the building, and seafood rice bowls or a soft serve ice cream can be eaten. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More
Shimamui Coast
Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) is a superb coast chosen as "100 Best Beaches in Japan (日本の渚・百選)" in Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-national Park, and is one of 3 major tourist attractions together with Cape Kamui (神威岬) and Cape Ogorn (黄金岬) in the Shakotan Peninsula. Shimamui means "Rocky inlet" in Ainu language. A public restroom, a public drinking fountain and a restraunt named Rinko (鱗晃) are built around a public parking lot. A restraunt and a souvenir shop are at the building, and seafood rice bowls or a soft serve ice cream can be eaten. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More
Cape Ogon
Cape Ogon (黄金岬) is a cape jutting out into the Sea of Japan in Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-national Park, and is adjacent to Bikuni Port (美国港), and is one of 3 major tourist attractions together with Cape Kamui (神威岬) and Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) in the Shakotan Peninsula. Bikuni used to be flourished by herrings, and a lookout for the herrings used to be built on the cape, and the Cape Ogon was named after the shoals of the herrings glowed gold in the sunset. The Ogon means "Gold color" in Japanese. At present, Ogon-Misaki Observation Deck (黄金岬展望台) is built at about 30 m above sea level, and the Bikuni Port, Mt. Shakotandake (積丹岳), Takara Island (宝島), Gome Island (ゴメ島) and ranging capes of the Shakotan Peninsula can be seen. Admission free. As for a parking lot, the visitors can park their cars at Shakotan Tourist Information Office (積丹観光協会) freely. By the way, In the Bikuni Port, Underwater Cruise Ship New Shakotan-go (水中展望船★ニューしゃこたん号) that can see the blue sea in the sea is in serve. In addition, an activity such as Blue Cave Snorkelling (青の洞窟シュノーケリング) is served, too. Read More
Annai Tenbo Park
Annai Tenbo Park (あんない展望公園) is a park along Raiden National Route (雷電国道 * National Route 229) in Kamoenai (神恵内) village, the west side of Shakotan Peninsula, and is relatively near Cape Kamui (積丹半島). Anai Elementary School (安内小学校) was closed in 1967, and the Annai Tenbo Park was built. I guess an large parking lot is the site of the elementary school. The parking lot and an observation deck are built on the site. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Restraunts, cafes, souvenir shops and convenience stores are not built around here. Read More
Southern Part of Shakotan Peninsula
The southern part of the Shakotan Peninsula adjoins mountains of Niseko, and sometimes the Niseko contains the Kyowa town and the Iwanai town, but other times the Shakotan Peninsula contains the Kyowa town and the Iwanai town. I think that the Kyowa town is one of the Niseko rather than the Shakotan Peninsula, and the Iwanai town is one of the Shakotan Peninsula. There are the Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery, Yoichi Space Museum "Space Dome" (余市宇宙記念館スペース童夢), Fugoppe Cave (フゴッペ洞窟), Hamanaka Moire Bathing Beach (浜中 モイレ海水浴場), the fruit farms, Shinsen-numa Wetland (神仙沼湿原), Former Horoni Sttaion Park (幌似鉄道記念公園), Matuyama Lookout (円山展望台), Auto Campsite Marine View (オートキャンプ場マリンビュー), Benten Island (弁天島), Sakazuki Bathing Beach (盃海水浴場), Kabuto-senjojiki-iwa Rocks (兜千畳敷岩) and the Tomari Nuclear Power Plant. Various lineup such as seafood, fruits and alcohol can be savored at this region. The Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery that is famous for Massan (マッサン) and the fruit farms recently become popular. Among the fruit farms, Yamamoto Tourist Fruit Farm (山本観光果樹園) in the Yoichi and Sakuranboyama Tourist Fruit Farm (さくらんぼ山 観光農園) in the Niki are especially popular.
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery
Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery (ニッカウヰスキー余市蒸溜所) is a whisky distillery in Yoichi town located in the western part of Otaru city. Nikka Whisky is a subsidiary of ASAHI BREWERIES, and has been operated by Mr. 竹鶴政孝 (Masataka Taketsuru) since 1934. Famous Japanese television drama series "Massan (マッサン)" in 2014 was modeled after Masataka Taketsuru, and this distiller was a shooting place for that drama. Mr. Testuji Tamayama (玉山鉄二) that acts Masaharu Kameyama (亀山政春) and Ms. Charlotte Kate Fox that acts Ellie Kameyama (亀山エリー) put up a good show, and this place become one of most popular tourist attraction in Hokkaido. About 1 million tourists visit here. The distillery is operating distillery now, but even ordinary visitors can come to tour the distillery. Guided distillery tours are conducted for free in Japanese. Open hours are from 09:00 to 17:00. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More
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Shinsen-numa Wetland and Shinsen-numa Swamp
Shinsen-numa Wetland (神仙沼湿原) and Shinsen-numa Swamp (神仙沼) is at 770 m above sea level are in Kyowa town located in the western part of Sapporo city. Wooden paths are built from Shinsen-numa parking lot to Shinsen-numa Swamp, and visiotrs can arrive at Shinsen-numa Wetland and Shinsen-numa Swamp for approximately 20 minutes, and the paths lead for Naganuma swamp (長沼) halfway is built. The visitors can reach to the Shinsen-numa Wetland and the Shinsen-numa Swamp from Oyachi (大谷地) parking lot, too, and it take approximately 30 minutes. The visitors can see the state that woodland horsetail, the endangered species, grows wild from Oyachi parking lot. The Oyachi parking lot has no facilities, but there is a resting station at Shinsen-numa parking lot, the visitors can take a meal and a break. There is a restroom, too. Read More
List of Tasty Foods
The Shakotan Peninsula is famous for Sea Urchin Rice Bowl (ウニ丼), and is well-known for tasty seafood, too. The sea urchins are caught from June to August. I recommend tourists go to the Shakotan Peninsula at this season. Misaki (みさき), Nakamuraya (中村屋), Uminoya (海のや), Iida (いい田), Shokudo Ushio (食堂うしお), Rinko (鱗晃) and Rinko-so (鱗晃荘) in the northern part are popular in particular. I ate the sea urchin rice bowl at the Misaki, and it was tasty. Most seafood as well as the sea urchin are tasty, By all means, everyone please try to eat those. In the Iwanai, Tatsukama (たつかま) has a good reputation, and fruits of the Niki and the Yoichi are tasty, and fruit farms are popular. By the way, Speaking of tasty restaurants in the Yoichi, Kakizaki Shoten (柿崎商店), the Restraunt "Taru", Nanpo Tometaro Shoten (南保留太郎商店), Ramen Jogura (ラーメン じょぐら) and Family Sushi Garden House (ファミリーすしガーデンハウス) are popular in particular, and in the Furubira, Shinya Sushi (新家寿司) is famous. As for the Shakotan, Bikuni Kanko House (美国観光ハウス), Tamura Iwataro Shoten (田村 岩太郎商店), Fuji Sushi Shakotan Head Office (ふじ鮨 積丹本店) and Miharashi-so (みはらし荘) are especially popular. My visited restaurants are as follows.
Sea Urchin Rice Bowl of Misaki
Misaki (みさき) is a restaurant in Shakotan and was founded in 1973. An owner is a fisherman and is famous for eating a seafood dish. It opens only during summer season (from late April to October). Because a fresh sea urchin can be eaten from mid June when the sea urchin fishing is released, visitors seem to increase. Because it started a bussiness at 09:00, 6 groups of visitors have already lined up when I arrived around 08:40. It is really popular. Read More
Kakizaki Shoten
Kakizaki Shoten (柿崎商店) is a seafood merchant in Yoichi town located in the northwest part of Otaru city. Because they have been treated marine products since 1930, it is known as the popularity merchant in Hokkaido. They sell marine products and fruits on the first floor, and there is a restraunt on the second floor. Visitors often line up at the restaurant at lunchtime and are crowded very much on the first floor because they can buy fresh marine products at more reasonable price than an inner city such as Sapporo and Otaru. Read More
Yoichi Maehama Shrimp Ramen of Jogura
Jogura (じょぐら) is a popular ramen restraunt in Yoichi town located in the root of Shakotan Peninsula and was founded in about 2000. It was placed in the MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition. It takes about 5 minutes from Yoichi station to here. Jogura means a warehouse in Hokkaido dialect. But I have never known it, so I guess that it is Hamakotoba (浜言葉 * dialect that fishing village speak). Yoichi Maehama Shrimp Ramen (余市前浜えびラーメン) that is served only from March to October is most popular ramen. An owner is a former shrimp fishermen, and he serve ramen topped with grilled sweet shrimps. The price was JPY 880. Read More
Squid Ink Soup Curry of Kaizoku
Kaizoku (海ぞく) is a popular soup curry restraunt in Kurokawa-cho, Yoichi town and was founded in 2013. Kurokawa-cho is an entertainment district of Yoichi town, and a building is built around bars and Japanese‐style baran izakaya (居酒屋). By the way, Kaizoku means pirate in English. The restraunt has an atmosphere such as a Japanese‐style baran izakaya and has some counter seats and a samll raised seating area, and it is not so large. But it is interested that there are many curios here and there. I visited here around 13:30 on weekdays. There was not a customer at the restraunt, but a local person came to eat a local style soup curry right away after that, and this restraunt is seemed to be loved by local people. Read More
Smoked Foods of Nanpo Tometaro Shoten
Nanpo Tometaro Shoten (南保留太郎商店) is a smoked food specialty store in Yoichi town located in the western part of Otaru city and was founded in 1950. There is a building just near Yoichi fishing port. A smoked sweet shrimp (甘エビの燻製), a smoked ovalipes punctatus (ヘラ蟹の燻製), a smoked salmon (鮭の燻製) are famous. The store was small, but there was full of cleanliness. Customers can do each smoked products tasting and those will form the basis for their decision in case of the purchase. Read More
Kyowa Ramen Gentlemen
Gentlemen (じぇんとるめん) is a popular ramen restraunt in Kyowa town (Niseko) and was founded in 2007. It is famous for getting the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition. A building is black and red outstanding appearance. Many buildings in Niseko have this decoration. Probably those will be in vogue. Read More
Tunnel-mochi Rice Cake
Suetsugu Shokai (末次商会) is a Japanese confectionery store near Kozawa station (小沢駅) in Kozawa, Kyowa town and is famous for selling Kozawa's local specialty sweets "Tunnel-mochi Rice Cake (トンネル餅)". The Tunnel-mochi Rice Cake was made in commemoration of the completion of Inaho Tunnel for Hakodate Main Line with great difficulty construction by the founder, Mr. Kyutaro Nishimura (西村久太郎), in 1904. This is the longtime seller Japanese sweet more than 110 years. By the way, the son of Mr. Kyutaro Nishimura is Mr. Keiyu Nishimura (西村計雄), Japanese painter, and Keiyu Nishimura Memory Museum (西村計雄記念美術館) is built in the Kyowa town. Read More
List of Onsen
Most onsen in the Shiretoko Peninsula is in character. Shakotan Onsen (積丹温泉) has an amazing view from an open-air bath, Kamoenai Onsen (神恵内温泉 * They have closed down since March, 2020) has most salty hot springs in Hokkaido, carbonated spring can be enjoyed at Shilala Onsen (シララ温泉), and Raiden Onsen (雷電温泉) has semi-mixed bathing bathroom. Except those, there are Tsurukame Onsen (鶴亀温泉 * They have closed down since April, 2020), Yoichigawa Onsen (余市川温泉), Yoichi Kanko Onsen (よいち観光温泉), Furubira Onsen (古平温泉), Sakazuki Onsen (盃温泉), Kannai Nukumori Onsen (珊内ぬくもり温泉), Iwanai Onsen (岩内温泉) and Weiss Onsen (ワイス温泉), and large hot springs gush out. My bathed onsen is as follows.
Shakotan Onsen
Shakotan Onsen (積丹温泉) in Shakotan town is a hot-spring place at the tip of Shakotan Peninsula, and Misaki-no-Yu Shakotan (岬の湯しゃこたん) beside Nozuka Primary School (野塚小学校) is built on a hill at 43 m above sea level. There are Cape Kamui (神威岬) and Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) that are representative famous sightseeing spots of Hokkaido around the Shakotan Onsen. Nozuka Campsite (野塚野営場) is close to the Shakotan Onsen, too. The Cape Shakotan is famous for Sea Urchin Rice Bowl (ウニ丼), and is well-known for tasty sea food, too. Misaki (みさき), Nakamuraya (中村屋), Rinko (鱗晃) and Rinko-so (鱗晃荘) are popular in particular. Unfortunately, convenience stores are not built. Nonstop buses do not run from the Shakotan Onsen to Sapporo or Otaru. Read More
Shirara Onsen
Shirara Onsen (シララ温泉) is a hot spring place in Shakotan town, the northern part of Shiretoko Peninaula, and Only Onsen Ryokan Hokuto (温泉旅館北都) is built along Raiden National Route (National Route 229), and has a good ocean view before eyes. In a summer, a lot of sea bathers come to beach. Hot springs were succeeded in drilling in 1999, and those were named after a legend of Princess Shirara that lamented for a painful separation with Yoshitsune (義経) and turned into a rock. The hot springs are one of rare carbonated spring in Hokkaido. There are Nozuka Campsite (野塚野営場), Cape Kamui (神威岬) and Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) near here. Read More
Sakazuki Onsen
Sakazuki Onsen (盃温泉) in Tomari village is a hot-spring place in the west coast of Shakotan Peninsula located in the western part of Otaru city. Precipitous cliffs along shoreline are beautiful. Hot springs has been gushed out since around 1905. The Sakazuki Onsen passed a rigorous screening in 1975, and has been appointed by Minister for the Environment, and is one of 15 nation insurance hot spring resorts in Hokkaido. The Sakazuki Onsen is roughly divided into 2 districts, Benten Island district (弁天島エリア) and Sakazuki Fishing Port district (盃漁港エリア). 6 accommodations and a hot spring facility are built in total, Unfortunately, restraunts, cafes, souvenir shops and convenience stores are not built. There are the Benten Island (弁天島), the Sakazuki Sea-Bathing Place (盃海水浴場), the Moiwakanko Toilet (もいわ観光トイレ) and the Sakazuki Camping Ground (盃野営場) around the Sakazuki Onsen. The Sakazuki Onsen is crowded with campers and sea bathers in a summer. Read More
Weiss Onsen
Weiss Onsen (ワイス温泉) is a hot spring place in Kyowa town located in the southwestern part of Sapporo city. A mountain was named after Mt. Weisshorn in Alps, Switzerland because the mountain near the Kyowa looked like the Mt. Weisshorn (there are various opinions), and the Weiss in the foot of Mt. Weisshorn was named after Mt. Weisshorn. Only Weiss Onsen is built along National Route 5 at 73 m above sea level. Except the Weiss Onsen, there are private houses and Masukin Shokudo (升金食堂), Unfortunately, cafes, souvenir shops and convenience stores are not built. But Suetsugu Shokai (末次商会) that is famous for Tunnel-mochi Rice Cake (トンネル餅) and Gentlemen (じぇんとるめん) that is famous for getting the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition are relatively near. Read More
Raiden Onsen
Raiden Onsen (雷電温泉) is a hot-spring place along National Route 229 in Iwanai town located in the southwestern part of Otaru city, and only Miuraya Ryokan (三浦屋旅館) opens a business. Except the Miuraya Ryokan, Unfortunately, restraunts, cafes, cafes, souvenir shops and convenience stores are not built. The National Route 229 is opened in 1963, and onsen accommodations used to open a business successively, so the hot-spring place has been called "Raiden Onsenkyo (雷電温泉郷)", and was flourished. But almost onsen accommodations has been closed down, so ruins are outstanding at present. Read More
List of Accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Shakotan Peninsula. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
Shakotan
Furubira
Kamoenai
Tomari
Yoichi
Iwanai
Kyowa
Sakazuki Onsen
Weiss Onsen
By the way, Club Tourism (クラブツーリズム), a Japanese tour travel agency, provides various types of tours such as day trip tours or ordinary tours. In the case of bus tours, tourists do not drive their cars themselves, so they can savor alcohol. Choosen tourist attractions are national parks such as Rishiri and Rebun, Shiretoko, and popular tourist places such as Furano and Biei, and some activities such as hiking and fruit picking are also enjoyed depending on seasons. If you are interested in tour trips, you should visit the club tourism's website for details.
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Hi, Erica san,
Thanks for your comennt!
I think the best season is the summer.
Sea urchin is the best time to eat.
Fruits can be eaten in the summer, too.
Enjoy Hokkairo trip!
Thank you for this useful article!
When do you think is the best season to visit Shakotan? Is it nice in autumn, or better to go next summer?