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[Wakkanai Park] Good Place to See Night View and Cherry Blossoms Is Famous for Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate

August 23rd, 2014

CONTENTS

Wakkanai Park
List of Wakkanai Park Tourist Attractions
- Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate Area
- 100th Year Memorial Tower Area
List of Accommodations

Wakkanai Park

Wakkanai Park (稚内公園) is a park in Wakkanai Peninsula located in the west part of Wakkanai city, and is well-known as a viewing place to command a panoramic view of the downtown and a port from a small hill. It has opened the park since 1954, and also is adjacent to Forest Park Campsite (森林公園キャンプ場). The park is relatively near Wakkanai Station, and the distance is about 2 km away, and also is close to Wakkanai North Breakwater Dome (北防波堤ドーム) and a ferry port. In addition, cherry blossoms are in full bloom in mid May. A night view is beautiful, too, and the park is certified one of 9 nature night-view heritage in Hokkaido by the Japan Night-view Heritage Office.

Movie of Cherry Blossoms

The Wakkanai Park is roughly divided into 2 areas, Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate (氷雪の門) Area and 100th Year Memorial Tower Area (開基100年記念塔). A road to the Wakkanai Park is narrow, so drive carefully. A junction is in the middle of the hill, and it is hard to visit the 100th Year Memorial Tower if visitors will go to the Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate. So you should see the 100th Year Memorial Tower first if you will visit 2 areas. By the way, the hill can be gone up by cars or bikes, or on foot.

Movie of Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate

As for tasty restaurants near here, Sushi Tatsu (寿司竜), Robata Yezo-no-Sato (炉端蝦夷の里), Jinpachi (甚八), Vin (ヴァン), Kita-no-Ajigokoro Take-chan (北の味心竹ちゃん), Oden-no-Mise Oman (おでんの店おまん) and Takaraya (たからや) 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.

List of Highway Bus

Refer to following a company for the highway bus service between the Wakkanai and the Sapporo.

Hokuto Kotsu(北都交通)	From Wakkanai to Sapporo	HP	Jalan	Rakuten
Hokuto Kotsu(北都交通)	From Sapporo to Wakkanai	HP	Jalan	Rakuten

Vin

Steak House Vin (ステーキハウスヴァン) is a steak restaurant in Wakkanai city. There is a building near Wakkanai station. It is known as the steak restaurant located in the northmost in Japan and visitors can eat soya beef (宗谷牛) at the restraunt. They garnered one star in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition. Business hours are, from 18:00 to 20:00, very short. An owner and his wife are at an old age and seemed to shorten working hours. Article is here

Steak -Vin in Wakkanai- — Butter on Steak

Takaraya

Takaraya (たからや) is a long-established ramen restraunt in Wakkanai city and was founded in 1966. There is a building near Wakkanai station. It is famous for getting the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition. I visited here around 16:00 on weekdays. There was no visitor because it wss past lunchtime. The ramen restraunt was a typical ramen restraunt with a warmth of woods. There are some tables, so family customers seem to enjoy. Article is here

List of Wakkanai Park Tourist Attractions

There are the Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate Area and the 100th Year Memorial Tower Area. My visited place is as follows.

Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate Area

The visitors reach the Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate Area when they turn right at the junction. It is at about 90 m above sea level, and the hill commands a fine view of the downtown. The Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate, Monument of the Nine Maidens (九人の乙女の碑), Monument of Gyokokei (行幸啓記念碑), Monument of Education (教学の碑), Monument of Surveying (測量の碑) and Antarctica Expedition Sakhalin Husky Monument (南極観測樺太記念碑) are built at the area, and there are Hyosetsu-no-Mon Shop (氷雪の門売店) and a public restroom, too. A soft serve ice cream and a souvenir can be bought at the shop. Admission free. A parking lot is free of charge.

The Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate is a memorial monument for dead Japanese in Sakhalin Island, and Mr. Shin Hongo, a famous sculptor, created it in 1963. 8 m-height 2 pillars express a gate, and 2.4 m-height female sculpture expresses a sorrow and overcoming hardships.

The Antarctica Expedition Sakhalin Husky is the Sakhalin Husky to transport commodities in the Antarctica. Especially, Taro (タロ) and Jiro (ジロ) that appear in Japanese movie "Antarctica" is famous in the Japan. So it was built as a memorial monument of dead dogs in the Antarctica for their achievements. The sculptor is Mr. Kensei Kato, a famous sculptor. A sculptor model is Para-go (パラ号), Sakhalin Husky.

Movie of Antarctica

Atmosphere of Hyosetsu-no-Mon Monument Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of Hyosetsu-no-Mon Monument

Admission fee	Free of charge
Parking lot	Free parking is provided (50 Cars)
Business hours	Open 24 hours
Regular closing day	Open year all round
Telephone number	+81-162-23-6161
Home page	Home page is here
Mapcode	964 005 348*68

100th Year Memorial Tower Area

The visitors reach the 100th Year Memorial Tower when they turn left at the junction. The 100th Year Memorial Tower, Northern Botanical Garden (北方植物園) and Bungei Path (文芸の小径) are built on the top of the hill at about 170 m above sea level. It is higher than the Hyosetsu-no-Mon Gate Area, and an observation deck is built on the ground, and a fine view is good, too. The 100th Year Memorial Tower with 80 m in height that was built in 1978 has an observation deck, and the downtown can viewed at more high place. Admission is JPY 400. Except the 100th Year Memorial Tower, others are free of charge. A parking lot is free of charge, too.

Movie of 100th Year Memorial Tower

Atmosphere of 100th Year Memorial Tower Can Be Watched on Youtube

Movie of 100th Year Memorial Tower

Admission fee	High school students or older: JPY 400, Elementary and junior high school students: JPY 200
Parking lot	Free parking is provided (100 Cars)
Business hours	09:00-17:00
Regular closing day	11/01-04/28
Telephone number	+81-162-23-6161
Home page	Home page is here
Mapcode	353 875 691*70

List of Accommodations

Refer to following websites for the accommodations around the Wakkanai Park. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.

Wakkanai Sun Hotel(稚内サンホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
ANA Crowne Plaza Hotel Wakkanai(ANAクラウンプラザホテル稚内)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Wakkanai Onsen Hotel Kito(稚内温泉ホテル喜登)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Dormy Inn Wakkanai(天北の湯ドーミーイン稚内)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Wakkanai Grand Hotel(稚内グランドホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Wakkanai Kaiin Kaikan(稚内海員会館)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Misono(ホテル御園)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Miyuki(ホテル美雪)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Okabe Shisaitei(ホテルおかべ汐彩亭)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Sakhalin(ホテルサハリン)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Okudaya(ホテル奥田屋)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Sakae Hotel(さかえホテル)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Ryokan Yamaichi(旅館山一)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Ryokan Ikoi(旅館以木以)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Ryokan Iwaki(旅館いわ木)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Taisho(ホテル大将)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Kokumin-shukusha Hyosetsuso(国民宿舎氷雪荘)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Soya(ホテル宗谷)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Hotel Takikawa(ホテル滝川)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten
Tabi-no-Yado Ubukata(旅の宿うぶかた)	HP	Booking	Jalan	Rakuten