In the hot and humid summer of Japan, my company shuts down (for the most part) from August 6-18. It is Obon / summer holiday. To maximize that time, I traveled to the northernmost and least developed island of Japan, HOKKAIDO!
As I flew into New Chitose Airport, the main airport of Hokkaido and within train distance of Sapporo, I was greeted with green. SO much green. So much green in fact that it reminded me tremendously of my homeland, the great Pacific Northwest. How could I travel 5,000 miles + 1,022 miles, only to end up a place that reminded me so much of home. I was certainly not the only one that felt that way. The place was full of Germans and French!
I had almost two full days in Sapporo to see the sights. First stop was Otari Park – home of the Sapporo Summer Beer Festival. Although I arrived alone, I quickly made friends with two older Japanese ladies and then two 30-something Japanese ladies. We spoke low-level English and Japanese but knew just enough to communicate common cultural ideas, such as similar taste in men and beer.
The next day, I explored the city of Hokkaido including the Botantical Gardens, a cute park and Mt. Moiwa for a lovely sunset/nighttime view. I also took care of buying supplies for my 10-day tour through the island. Thank you, Montbell-Sapporo! Before I knew it, it was 11pm and time for me to take my overnight bus to my next stop – Shiretoko.
I woke up at 5AM to farmland reminiscient of Mt.Vernon, and I finally arrived at my destination of Utoro around 6AM when absolutely nothing was running – my bus to my hostel wasn’t even scheduled to leave until 9AM-ish. So I decided to hike a seagull-filled rock to score some beautiful views of the surrounding coastline. When I finished, I took a nap at the Tourist Information Center and decided to take a 3.5 hour cruise up the peninsula.
This cruise was beautiful. It took me up the peninsula to Cape Shiretoko and barely into the Sea of Okhotsk. The Shiretoko Peninsula reminds me of a mix of what Ireland might look like + a colder version of the Napali Coast in Kauai + Northern California. There were multiple waterfalls cascading down into the sea from the Shiretoko mountain range. Unfortunately, we did not see any wildlife like the bears that the Shiretoko Peninsula is infamous for. But it was still a fun trip.
While returning back to port, I took a nice nap on the deck and earned myself a sunburn that lasted me throughout my trip. I caught a bus to my hostel in Shiretoko National Park and relaxed for the rest of the evening.
The next morning, I woke up to a torrential downpour. A typhoon storm had rolled into town. BUT I had to hike around Shiretoko Goko (5 Lakes) because it was a UNESCO site and the main reason why I trekked this far! This is one of the most untouched parts of the country. So I donned by weather-worn rain shell and hiking boots, and trudged through the supposed bear-filled area of Shiretoko Five Lakes in the pouring rain. Of course, I did not see ANY bears because 1) I’m noisy and 2) they knew better than to go outside in a typhoon.
After getting soaked by the rain, I headed back to Utoro to stay at a campground close to the bus station. The caretaker was rude and probably thought I was crazy and might need saving if the storm got bad. But there were other tents at the campground, so I stayed put that night and warmed up with a nearby onsen that I had entirely to myself. Nothing better than being in a cozy tent with your Kindle and green tea from your JetBoil.
The next day, I headed to the bus terminal to get out of the storm-ridden place. At the bus stop, I ran into a former hostel mate who had received a small bus escort out of Shiretoko National Park. Apparently Shiretoko National Park was closed that day due to damage from the storm! I hopped on a bus to Shari and train to Lake Mashu, a clear caldera lake just west of Shiretoko Peninsula and located in Akan National Park. This lake reminded me of Crater Lake in Oregon. The lake is typically shrouded in fog. Legend has it that if it’s clear the first time you see it, you will be forever unlucky in love. Guess how it was when I saw it? The day could not have been MORE clear. The sky went on forever! SOoo it looks like I’ll just die alone, surrounded by my future dogs, cats, and turtles.
While in Lake Mashu, I stayed at my friend’s hostel, which was surrounded by a landscape that reminded me of Skagit Valley. It was a great, comfortable hostel with a perfect spot to dry off my tent. My friend, Dai, could not have been a more attentive host. Always friendly and focused on connecting me with other hostel-mates. Thank you, Dai!
While in Lake Mashu, I took a bus around to the local sites, including:
- Kawayu Onsen, a small onsen town with a cafe that reminded me of Marin County,
- a sulpheric-smelling hot spring nestled in the hills,
- Lake Kussharo, one of the largest caldera lakes in Hokkaido, and
- Bihoro Pass
I also ate Hokkaido ice cream – so much ice cream.
Thanks to the joy of wine, beer, alcohol, and friendly conversation, I befriended two German brothers who offered to give me a ride to my next destination – Lake Akan. Lake Akan is famous for monami – green algae that grows in an adorable spherical shape. It also has a cute Ainu village to help educate tourists about the Ainu culture and preserve aspects of it. I even got to watch an Ainu dance performance!
After Lake Akan, I hopped on a bus to Asahikawa – the gateway to Daisetsuzan National Park – and took a bus to Asahi Onsen for two days of camping. Asahi Onsen is at the base of Asahidake, Hokkaido’s tallest mountain at 2,291M / 7,516ft. For reference for my Seattle friends, that’s higher than Mt.Pilchuck and the location of Paradise Inn on Mt.Rainier but not as high as Mt. St. Helens. There’s a ropeway up to part of the mountain, which many people take before starting their climb to the summit.
Climbing Asahidake was a fun challenge. While it starts with many mountain ponds, the landscape quickly shifts to slippery and rocky with the silent hissing of geysers down a steep slope just to the left of the hiking path. As you climb higher and higher, it quickly becomes steeper and the rocks darken, reminding you that you are, in fact, on a volcano! There were many people hiking that day. Some looked like they just walked out of a Montbell catalogue while others walked in flat sneakers.
The summit was shrouded in clouds when I arrived, which quickly parted to reveal breathtaking views of the region. I couldn’t have asked for a better place to enjoy lunch. On the way down, I encountered a 6-year old boy and his father who were not prepared for the hike. The kid was slipping EVERYWHERE and kept on running into rocks. But when we reached the ropeway station, I got to chatting with him and it was as if all the tears he had cried had been forgotten. He was happy as a clam and truly epitomized the phrase “Daijobou.” We chatted and he tried to teach me Japanese to no avail.
Originally, I planned to hike to the top of Asahidake and traverse to Sounkyo. Unfortunately, another typhoon was rolling into Hokkaido, so there were pretty strong gusts the day I hiked to the top. I opted to camp another night. That evening, the caretaker made a nice campfire in the communal area and we had a nice chat! He was a former Air Traffic Controller but really just loved the outdoors.
When I woke up the next morning, it was raining yet again and the typhoon was hitting most of Hokkaido. So I packed up the tent in the pouring rain and headed to my next destination – Sounkyo Onsen. There, I enjoyed a lovely onsen that overlooked the entire valley and relaxed my well-worn calves. I stayed there for just one night, where I saw a small firework show. The next day, I hiked to a beautiful waterfall – this hike was EMPTY!
After Sounkyo, I took the bus into Sapporo where I spent the next two nights. I arrived a day early due to the incoming typhoon, which hit that night. By the time I arrived in Sapporo, I was feeling lonely and wanted to speak English in a comfortable setting. So I went to one of the few ex-pat bars. There, I happened to sit two seats from someone I had met at a cafe in Sapporo at the beginning of my journey! So, she and I agreed to meet up for sightseeing the next day.
The next day, we explored Sapporo Beer Museum and learned about the history of its beer followed up tasty beers. When we left, the typhoon was in full force so we went into a karaoke booth. While there, we ignored numerous evacuation alerts for regions around Sapporo and possibly Hokkaido. Then, we went up to the top of Sapporo Tower for a great nighttime view of the area.
Fortunately, the typhoon only blew through Sapporo and did not affect my flight home. It was clear blue skies and I enjoyed a comfortable flight back to the hot, humid land of Kansai.
Hokkaido, I will be back to explore more of yout beautiful landscape. But I may have to bring a car 😉
Michelle Ellsworth 