[Misaki in Shakotan] Too Tasty Fresh Sea Urchin Rice Bowl

Misaki

Oshokuji-dokoro Misaki (お食事処みさき) is a long-established restaurant founded in 1973 in Shakotan town located in the northern part of Shakotan Peninsula, and is near Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸) and Shakotan Onsen (積丹温泉). A restaurant owner is a fisherman, so visitors can enjoy fresh seafood dishes. They open a business only during summer season (from late April to October). Because fresh sea urchin can be eaten from mid June when the sea urchin fishing is released, visitors increase. The Misaki is a popular restaurant that a line is expected.

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

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

The restaurant on the 1st floor of a 2 story building like a guest house minshuku is large. The interior decoration looks like sushi restaurant or local seafood restaurant, and a home aquarium is provided. All seats are table seats, so I guess that even family customers enjoy meals. The restaurant is sometimes crowded with customers before opening time.

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.

Shakotan Peninsula

Shakotan Peninsula (積丹半島) is a peninsula located in the northwestern direction 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. Read More

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Sea Urchin Rice Bowl

Since thir opening hour was 09:00, I visited here around 08:40, and 6 groups of visitors had already lined up. * That opening hour was old. It was really popular after all. I entered it, and sat at a table seat, and read a menu. Short-spined Sea Urchin Rice Bowl (赤ばふんウニ丼) was best recommended, and it was limited to 20 dishes a day, and the price was JPY 3950. But I hesitated to spend so much money on the Short-spined Sea Urchin Rice Bowl. So I ordered Purple Sea Urchin Rice Bowl (ムラサキウニのウニ丼). The price was JPY 2450.

About 10 minutes later, the rice bowl was served with a bowl of miso soup and a dish of pickles. White rice was covered with dried laver, and that was closely covered with purple sea urchin. A color conbination of orange sea urchin and a green shiso leaf was beautiful, and sharpened my appetite. Wasabi was on a small dish, so I poured soy sauce in it, and mixed the wasabi with the soy sauce with chopsticks. Then I poured it in the sea urchin rice bowl, and ate it immediately. It was melty in my mouth, and tasted a good sea urchin flavor. It was tasty! The fresh sea urchin was an exquisite food.

While I was eating the sea urchin, customers entered the restraunt one after another, and ordered the Short-spined Sea Urchin Rice Bowl. It was popular after all. I became close to a visitor that came from Omiya city, Saitama prefecture, and he seemed to line up at 06:30. He seemed to eat the purple sea urchin to compare a taste of the short-spined sea urchin with the purple sea urchin, too. Then the taste of the short-spined sea urchin seemed to stand out. He did not seem to have eaten so tasty sea urchin. I have a little bit of regret that I should have eaten the short-spined sea urchin rice bowl. Anyway, Thanks for the tasty meal!

Sea Urchin Rice Bowl and Atmosphere of Restaurant Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Sea Urchin Rice Bowl

List of Accommodations

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

Oyado Rinko-so(お宿 鱗晃荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Kaisen-no-Yado Miharashiso(海鮮の宿 みはらし荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Ryokan Bikuni Kanko House(旅館 美国観光ハウス)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Oyado Kasai(お宿かさい)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Refore Shakotan Youth Hostel(リフォレ積丹 ユースホステル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Shiosai-no-Yado Kaihinkan(汐さいの宿 海浜館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Nagomi-no-Yado Iida(なごみの宿いい田)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Kanko Ryokan Hokkai(観光旅館 北海)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Shinsei(海鮮味処 御宿新生)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Uminoya(民宿 海のや)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Kobayashi(民宿 小林)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Ichiyo(民宿 一与)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Oyado Ginrinkaku(お宿 銀鱗閣)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hiduka-so(日司荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Isonoka(民宿 磯乃香)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Minshuku Oshima(民宿 大島)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Noduka Campsite(野塚野営場)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten