Japan (Lonely Planet, 11th Edition) - Chris Rowthorn [476]
Takechan (; 22-7130; 2-8-7 Chūō; sets from ¥1000; lunch & dinner) This is a famous Wakkanai restaurant where you can sample tako-shabu, an octopus variant of traditional shabu-shabu. Choose a set from the picture menu, and then start dipping slices of tentacles into steaming broth. Exit the JR Wakkanai station, walk straight through the first light, and then turn right at the next corner. Walk for two more blocks, and you’ll see a white wooden building with black trim on your left-hand side.
Getting There & Around
AIR
From Wakkanai airport, about 10km east of the city centre, there are a couple of flights a day to Sapporo and Tokyo. Regular buses run between the JR Wakkanai station and the airport (¥590, 35 minutes).
BUS
There are a couple of daily buses in either direction between Wakkanai station and Sapporo (¥5500, six hours), as well as Asahikawa (¥4700, 4¾ hours).
BOAT
For information on ferries to Rishiri-tō and Rebun-tō, Click here and Click here, respectively.
For details about a trip to Russia, see the boxed text.
CAR
Long and lonely Rte 40 runs between Asahikawi and Wakkanai. If you’re heading out to Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, parking is available at the ferry terminal for ¥1000 per night.
TRAIN
There are just a couple of tokkyū each day on the JR Sōya line between Asahikawa and Wakkanai (¥8070, 3¾ hours).
Return to beginning of chapter
RISHIRI-REBUN-SAROBETSU NATIONAL PARK
In case mainland Hokkaidō isn’t remote enough for you, take a trip out to the islands of Rishiri-tō and Rebun-tō, which lie just off the coast of Wakkanai, and are the centrepiece of this popular national park. While the islands are virtually abandoned in the winter months, from May through August Rishiri-tō and Rebun-tō burst to life with colourful wildflower blooms drawing visitors by the boatload. Peak viewing time is in June and July, which are also the best months to summit Rishiri-zan (1721m), a near-perfect cinder cone rising like a miniature Mt Fuji from the surrounding sea. Note that the park also includes the Sarobetsu Genya (a natural flower garden), which is best accessed from Wakkanai.
Rishiri-tō
0163 / pop 5000
While Rishiri-tō might not have the same concentration of wildflowers as its more popular sibling, the island is home to an extremely rewarding trek to the top of a Fuji-clone. If you’re feeling energetic – and the weather is cooperating – you can hike up and down the summit in a day, though it’s worth extending your trip and hiking all across this far-flung islet floating in the Sea of Japan.
INFORMATION
A road encircles the island, and a local bus service links the small fishing villages on the way. Oshidomari and Kutsugata are Rishiri-tō’s main ports; both have ferry services and information booths (Oshidomari 82-2201; 8am-5.30pm 15 Apr-15 Oct; Kutsugata 84-3622; 10am-4.30pm May-Sep) that provide maps and details about transport, sights and hiking. Staff can also help you book accommodation, which is recommended during the tourist-packed summer months.
ACTIVITIES
The two most reliable hiking tracks to the summit of Rishiri-zan start about 3km from town (from the ferry port) at Oshidomari and Kutsugata. A limited bus service runs to the start of each track; otherwise you must walk, hitch, take a taxi or ask your lodgings if they can drop you off.
Prepare properly for a mountain hike and pay particular attention to the season and weather – late June through mid-September is best. Aim for an early start and allow about five hours each for the ascent and descent. Excellent maps and hiking details (mainly in Japanese) are available at the information booths and the youth hostel.
Just past the eighth station is