28/05/2018 / Last updated : 06/02/2023 d.d Hiking / Walking

Hokkaido Komagatake　北海道駒ヶ岳

Day 34, October 2016, Kijihiki Height　　きじひき高原 It is a fine morning the rain having been blown away in the night. We drive from the campsite, on a gated road, higher up the mountain to a viewing point of Kijihiki Height that provides a panorama of Onuma Lake and Hokkaido Komagatake volcano. Having gazed from afar, it is now time to make a more detailed acquaintance with Komagatake so we drive down from our vantage point to the lake. Hokkaido Komagatake Skirting the lake shore, we find an unmade-up track heading volcanowards which we follow. This takes us up the lower slopes of the volcano, past signs that say no motor […]

18/05/2018 / Last updated : 19/03/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Michi-no-eki ‘Maoi no Oka’ to Lake Toya

Day 31, October 2016, Michi-no-eki ‘Maoi no Oka’ & ‘Salmon Park Chitose’ We wake to a rather cold morning but we used our new duvet for the first time and very warm it was. The michi-no-eki ‘Maoi no Oka’ is very busy. Cars are constantly pulling in from the main road to take advantage of the incredible vegetable market. Some of the produce on display is extremely large. Huge hakusai (Chinese cabbage), for example, but there are many other fruits and vegetables at what I believe are called “competitive prices”. We had noticed that the pressure looked a little low in the front nearside tyre and, as luck would have […]

13/05/2018 / Last updated : 05/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Moerenuma Park – Noguchi Isamu モエレ沼公園

Day 30, October 2016, Moerenuma Park After Checking out of our better than usual hotel, replete after an excellent breakfast, we set off to investigate ‘Moerenuma Park‘. At first, we don’t understand the place at all but we slowly realize that it is a huge space, housing various, massive artworks, most notably by Noguchi Isamu. Strange at first, but gradually, we approve as we wander between and climb the unassuming exhibits that sometimes are not obviously exhibits at all. Noguchi Isamu, Sea Fountain. As we approach Noguchi Isamu’s Sea Fountain, coincidentally, its scheduled display is beginning, otherwise we would, stupidly, not have made any effort to see it. But […]

04/05/2018 / Last updated : 05/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Mikuni Pass to Higashi-Daisetsu　三国峠から東大雪

Day 27, October 2016, Mikuni Pass We emerge into a windy but dry morning and decide to return to Sounkyo gorge to check the autumn colours. The day is fine but the closer we get to the mountains the more the weather deteriorates. It is very windy with frequent heavy showers. Numerous rainbows prop up the clouds for kilometer after kilometer as we skim along very straight roads boarded by mixed, but mainly birch, forests. It is all very pretty despite the muted autumn colours and the background threat of serious rain. That eventually envelopes us as we cross the Mikuni Pass, the highest road(R.273) in Hokkaido. The pass itself […]

02/05/2018 / Last updated : 05/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Lake Akan – Ainu art　阿寒湖

Day 26, October 2016, We return to Tsuruimura , there is no action at the bridge, but we can hear activity in the fields a bit further down the road. We drive a little and stop to take pictures of about 60 tsuru(Japanese crane) in a field just for the record. They are too far away for a real photo; just dots like sheep on a hillside. Tsuru viewed, we are off to Lake Akan having had enough wetlands. However, Lake Akan proves to be a big disappointment given its fame. Lake Akan & Ainu Kotan The dismay begins with eating a lunchtime sandwich, on a damp bench, looking out over […]

20/03/2018 / Last updated : 04/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Lake Kussharo 屈斜路湖

Day 16, September 2016, Kitami Wake to a wet day, so wet we are at a bit of a loss. We abandon plans to climb, well walk up, Kurodake and instead head for Kitami. This proves to be a much larger town than we anticipated. We go to a huge Aeon supermarket and wander around, keeping out of the rain until lunch. We move on to Nitori (furniture shop) and buy a duvet as, from now on, it is only going to get colder. I was surprised to note that the Nitori car park had a charging point for electric cars. Bihoro Pass (Toge)　美幌峠 Equipped with our new warm bedding, […]

06/02/2018 / Last updated : 03/02/2023 d.d Scenic Drive / Spots

Shosanbetsu- Obsevatory- Salmon fishing　初山別

Day 8, September 2016, As we moved on up Hokkaido’s Japan Sea coast, we checked a couple of michi no eki with a view to staying. The first was rubbish, second one had a big onsen (hot spring) and a rose garden but the parking spot was not good. We were a bit spoilt by 21 Century Forest. So, we pushed on to the next possibility. this was Shosanbetsu, which has an onsen and a free campsite, near an observatory. This turned out to be a lucky choice. Shosanbetsu At the Michi no eki ‘Shosanbetsu’ (R.232) we are directed to the top of the headland and there, sure enough, is […]

03/02/2018 / Last updated : 16/02/2023 d.d Arts / Places of interest

Ororon Line scenic road – Obira Banya　オロロンライン

Day 8, September 2016, Leaving the 21st. Century Forest campsite, with some reluctance, we head through and around Asahikawa which gives the impression of being a dull place. It is very flat with wide streets and uninteresting buildings; utterly desolate in the winter, one imagines. We head out towards the coast and Wakkanai via Rumoi along R.232 (Ororon Line – Hokkaido west coast scenic road). The illuminated street signs, as we wind our way up the coast, warn of lightening and the weather is very unsettled with sunshine and frequent showers. Obira Nishin Banya We stop to visit Old Hanada House Banya next to the michi-no-eki (road station) ‘Obira Nishin […]