Cycling Tour aiming for the End of the Earth, Shirietoku (Shiretoko)

This once-in-a-lifetime cycling tour will take you from Abashiri City through the UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site of Shiretoko as you follow the course of the winter drift ice. The Japanese name “Shiretoko” is derived from the indigenous Ainu “Sir Etok,” meaning “the end of the earth.” Together with your local professional cycling guide, you will ride along the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk and head towards the Shiretoko peninsula. During this tour, you have a chance to immerse yourself in the local lifestyle and learn how life here is connected to the drift ice phenomenon. This ride will be a total of 144 km(88 miles) of cycling along the coast and on medium hills to Japan’s famous “End of the Earth.”
Located on the far Eastern edge of Hokkaido, the Shiretoko peninsula is registered as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site due to its rich nature – both in the peninsula itself and in the sea that surrounds it. In part, thanks to the drift ice, a mass of ice made of seawater gets thinned by the natural forces of the Amur River over 1000 km(621 miles) from Hokkaido. The ice carries nutrients to the sea around Shiretoko in the winter and supports the abundant nature of this region. This drift ice also creates an icy surface covering the sea in Okhotsk in the winter.