[Cape Sukoton in Rebun Island] Feeling like Furthest Reaches of Japan Can Be Enjoyed in Nearly Northernmost of Japan

Cape Sukoton

Cape Sukoton (スコトン岬) is one of the Japan’s northernmost lookout point in the northwestern part of Rebun Island (礼文島). The Sukoton means “A bay in a large valley” in Ainu language. Todo Island (トド島 * The Todo means the Sea Lion in Japanese) can be viewed, and Sakhalin Island (サハリン島) can be seen just a little, too, if the weather is good. The feeling such as the furthest reaches of the Japan is popular, so a lot of tourists come. The sunset across the sea of the Japan from here is beautiful, too. Sukotonmisaki Observation Deck (スコトン岬展望台), Sukotonmisaki Sightseeing Souvenir Shop “Shima-no-Hito” (スコトン岬観光おみやげ店「島の人」), Minshuku Sukotonmisaki (民宿スコトン岬), a public restroom and a parking lot are built at the site. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. By the way, the wind is strong at the Cape Sukoton, please be careful not to blow your hat and not to be gotten hair messy.

The Sukotonmisaki Sightseeing Souvenir Shop “Shima-no-Hito”, the nearly northernmost souvenir shop, and the public restroom, the nearly northernmost public restroom, are built beside the parking lot. At the souvenir shop, souvenir can be bought, and seafood rice bowl using fresh marine products such as sea urchin or fishes is served, too. In addition, Rishiri Kombu flavored soft serve ice cream is popular with tourists. The Minshuku Sukotonmisaki is halfway to the path to the observation deck, and opens a business between 3 months, about from June to September. Earless seals can sometimes be seen from the inn. By the way, Here is well-known as as a shooting place for Japanese movie “A Chorus of Angels (北のカナリア達)” that Ms. Sayuri Yoshinaga (吉永小百合), a famous actress, played a roll used here, too.

Movie of A Chorus of Angels

The Cape Sukoton is also the starting point (or the ending point) of Cape Tour Course (岬めぐりコース). The length of the Cape Tour Course is 12.4 km in total. Hikers go a tour for 3 capes, Cape Sukoton (スコトン岬), Cape Gorota (ゴロタ岬) and the Cape Sky. It takes about 5 hours on foot. From mid May to mid June, Cypripedium marcanthum var. rebunense (レブンアツモリソウ), one of the most famous flowers in the Rebun Island, can be seen at the Cypripedium marcanthum var. rebunense Colony (レブンアツモリソウ群生地).
Rebun Island Trail Map

Movie of Cape Tour Course

Cape Gorota

Cape Gorota (ゴロタ岬) is a lookout point in the northwestern part of Rebun Island (礼文島). Gorotamisaki Lookout (ゴロタ岬展望台) is built at the mountaintop of about 180 m elevation Mt. Gorota with precipitous cliffs at the sea side, and Cape Sukoton (スコトン岬), Awabikotan (鮑古丹), Cape Kaneda (金田岬), Gorota Beach (ゴロタ浜), Teppu Beach (鉄府浜) and trails of Cape Tour Course (島巡りコース) can be viewed. Especially, the Cape Sukoton from here is a superb view. Seasonal wild flowers can be savored along a trail to the mountaintop, and here is also known as a good place to see the sunset. Tourist facilities such as a souvenir shop or a restroom are not built. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge. Read More

Cape Sukai

Cape Sky (澄海岬) is a lookout point in the northwestern part of Rebun Island (礼文島), and is well-known for having an atmosphere such as a beach of a southern country with transparent blue sea, and is one of most popular toursit attractions to enjoy relatively easily a superb view in the Rebun island. Its name of the sky has a double meaning. The one is clear sea in Japanese (澄 means clear in Englsih, and 海 means sea in English), and the another one is the kanji (澄海) with a reading for sky in English. Unfortunately, the beach is off limits. The cape is nearby Nishikamidomari Fishing Port (西上泊漁港), and Sukaimisaki Souvenir Shop (澄海岬観光売店), a parking lot, a public restroom and Nishikamidomari Shrine (西上泊神社) are built near here, too. It is said that the sunset and the starry sky from here are also beautiful. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. Read More

There are some means of transportation for the island tourism, for example, a sightseeing bus and a fixed-route bus managed by the Soya bus (宗谷バス), a sightseeing taxi, a rental car, a rental motor scooter and a rental bicycle. I went around the Rebun Island by the rental motor scooter, and it was very comfortable. The Rebun has a lot of slopes, so I think that the bicycle is tough. By the way, if tourists raise their hand in the case of fixed-route bus happening to pass, they can get on the bus without a bus stop, and can get off the bus without a bus stop.

List of Means of Transportation for Island Tourism

Refer to following the means of the transportation in the Rebun Island. As for car rental comparison websites, you can compare vehicle rental prices on Jalan Rental Car (じゃらんレンタカー) and Rakutem Travel Rental Car (楽天トラベルレンタカー).

Soya Bus(宗谷バス)	They serve 2 island tourism cources, Rebun A (礼文A) and Rebun B (礼文B).	HP	ASOVIEW	Jalan
Toyota Rental Lease(トヨタレンタリース)	Their office is near the Kafuka Ferry Terminal.	HP	ASOVIEW	Jalan
Rebun Sighseeing Rent-a-car(礼文観光レンタカー)	Their office is near the Kafuka Ferry Terminal.	HP	ASOVIEW	Jalan
Nissan Rent-a-car(日産レンタカー)	Their office is near the Kafuka Ferry Terminal, and the Rebun Sighseeing Rent-a-car checks in at the reception desk.	HP	ASOVIEW	Jalan
Cat Rock(キャットロック)	They rent the rental motor scooter and the rental bicycle near the Kafuka Ferry Terminal.	HP	ASOVIEW	Jalan
Rebun Hier(礼文ハイヤー)	They also serve the sightseeing taxi.	HP	ASOVIEW	Jalan
Kaisei Taxi(開成タクシー)	They also serve the sightseeing taxi.	HP	ASOVIEW	Jalan
Ishido Hier(イシドウハイヤー)	They also serve the sightseeing taxi.	HP	ASOVIEW	Jalan

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Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park

Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park (利尻礼文サロベツ国立公園) located in the northern Hokkaido between Rishiri Island, Rebun Island, Toyotomi Town and Horonobe Town is the northernmost national park in Japan, and has been designated as the national park since 1974. The area is 24,166 ha. It consists of 2 islands, wetlands and the coast, and beautiful nature such as the sea, mountains, wild flowers and wetlands is highlight. Because the Northern Hokkaido has few famous tourist attracsions, the national park is one of the most famous nature tourist attracsions. The Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park is divided into 4 areas, Rishiri Area (利尻), Rebun Area (礼文), Coastal Sand-dune Area (海浜砂丘) and Sarobetsu Area (サロベツ), and the Rishiri Area (利尻), the Rebun Area (礼文) and the Sarobetsu Area have a lot of highlights. Read More

Sukotonmisaki Observation Deck

The Sukotonmisaki Observation Deck is a lookout point built at the tip of the Cape Sukoton, and is located on a rocky place at about 18 m above sea level. The distance is about 60 m away from the end edge of a road to the observation deck. The observation deck surrounded by fences has no tourist faclities. The Todo Island, Manju rocks (マンジュウ岩 * The Manju means “A bun with a bean‐jam filling” in English), Tataki Island (タタキ島) and Cape Kaneda (金田ノ岬) at the opposite of the Cape Sukoton can be seen. When visitors look over the beach, rotted houses and rocky places come in insight, so I suppose that they feel like coming the furthest reaches of the Japan.

The Todo Island is an uninhabited island at 1 km away from the north side of the Cape Sukoton, and the circumference of the island is about 4 km. Marine mammals and seabirds such as Harbor Seal and Slaty-backed Gulls inhabit there. Because dozens of Sea Lions have gathered for passing a winter from November to April, and those were ever hunted, the island was named as the Todo Island. Mr. Shizuo Tawara (俵静夫), a master of the sea lion hunter, featured on A Passionate Challenger (情熱大陸), a popular Japanese TV program, used to live there.

Atmosphere of Cape Sukoton Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Cape Sukoton

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Rebun. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

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Mitsui Kanko Hotel(三井観光ホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Rebun(ホテル礼文)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hana Rebun(花れぶん)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Ryokan Sakurai(旅館桜井)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Sudomari Kamon(素泊まり花文)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Ryokan Kamome-so(旅館かもめ荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Ryokan Ukishima(旅館うきしま)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Pension Uni(ペンション う～に～)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Sanko(民宿山光)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Sazanami(民宿さざ波)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Koeimaru(民宿香栄丸)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Yazawa(民宿やざわ)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Hamanasu(民宿はまなす)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Momoiwa-so Youth Hostel(桃岩荘ユースホステル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Kame and Hamanasu(民宿 カメとはまなす)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Fukikaze(民宿吹風)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Nature Inn Hanashin(ネイチャーインはな心)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Miyajima-so(民宿宮島荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Shima-no-Yado Rebunshiri(しまのやど れぶんしり)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Guest House Nonno(ゲストハウスのんの)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Sukotonmisaki(民宿 スコトン岬)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Petit Hotel Corinthian(礼文島プチホテル コリンシアン)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Rebun-so(ホテル礼文荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Kaido(民宿海憧)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Seikan-so(星観荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Kushu Lakeside Campsite(久種湖畔キャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Midorigaoka Park Campsite(緑ヶ丘公園キャンプ場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten