Trekking in Noboribetsu to Delve Deeper into Ainu Tradition, History, and Culture

Your group will meet at New Chitose Airport at 10:00 AM.  Once everyone gathered, we will have a brief meeting to get know each other and overgo the program before heading to the canoeing on Bibi River.  On the way to Bibi River, the tour guide will give an overview of how the Ainu people and culture are related to the history of Hokkaido.

The Bibi River is a tributary of the Yufutsu River. It stretches 14.2 km from the Chitose Lake area to the confluence of the Yufutsu River. It is a primitive river rich in nature and is under the management of the Hokkaido government. The tour will proceed slowly while listening to the activity guide’s explanation of the flora and fauna of the Miu River. The guide will also explain the history of the “Yufutsu Crossing”, when the Ainu people used to travel up the Bibi River by boat as an important inland transportation hub between the Pacific coast and the Japanese coast.  After enjoying the canoe ride, we will have a lunch at local restaurant which uses locally grown foods.

After lunch, we will stop at the Yufutsu Museum to learn more about the “Yufutu Crossing”. Then we will stop at the National Ainu Museum and Park “UPOPOY”.  Upopoy is a facility built for the revival and development of Ainu culture, which is facing a crisis of survival due to the decline in the number of people carrying on the tradition. You will get an overview of the Ainu and widen your curiosity about the Ainu and their unique culture.

We will be staying at KAI Poroto, which is designed based on the concept of Ainu culture. It is decorated with designs and artwork inspired by Ainu patterns.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will check out of the hotel and meet at the lobby at 8:00 AM. It will take about one hour to drive to Mt. Tarumae, where the hike starts.  We start from the parking lot of the 7th station of Mt. Tarumae and pass the summit of Pewrenupuri to the summit of Mt. Fuppushi-dake.

 
After a good 3 hours of hiking, we will take a lunch break at the summit of Mt. Fuppushi. For lunch, we will have a special rice ball lunch box prepared by a long-established local caterer.  On our way back  we take the same route down to the Mt. Tarumae 7 station parking lot.

Descended the mountain, we will transfer to Noboribetsu, where we will stay today and tomorrow (approx. 1 hour).  Let’s cure the fatigue of the mountain climbing at Noboribetsu Onsen, known as the Ainu’s therapeutic hot spring.

After breakfast at the hotel, we will meet at the hotel lobby at 8:00 AM.  We will start our hike at Mt.  Kamuinupuri trailhead near the Horobetsu Dam (Approx. 1 hour drive from the hotel).  The hike will be led by a Hokkaido Government certified Adventure Travel Guide. You will learn about the Ainu language and the relationship between the Ainu way of life and the flora and fauna that you will observe during the hike. This will give you a better understanding of the Ainu world view.

While actually hiking on Mt. Kamuinupuri (Kamui = God, Nupuri = mountain), which the Ainu people worship as the mountain of the gods, we will touch and learn about the Ainu religious belief that everything in nature has a soul.

We will reach the top of Mt. Kamuinupuri in about 3 hours and will take a break for lunch at the summit. We will take a set of hamburgers from IRENKA, a hamburger shop on the summit, for lunch (The menu may change depending on availability).  The burgers are made with ingredients such as Hokkaido’s “Ezo deer” and locally produced “Noboribetsu pork”.

After lunch, we head for the summit of Mt. Washibetsu-dake for about 1 hour 40 minutes. On our way back, we descend by a different route. We drive back to the hotel for about 1 hour then we can relax in the hot springs.

After breakfast we will check out of our rooms and meet in the hotel lobby.  We will take a walk to the Oyunuma River Footbath and Jigokudani (Hell Valley).  Noboribetsu means “Nupurupetsu” in the Ainu language. This word refers to the Noboribetsu River, which means a muddy white river.  Nupuru not only means muddy, but also means spiritual power, and the Ainu people have been using the hot springs as medicinal water since ancient times.

After the walk, the guide will give a lecture on the Ainu language, and we will have a tour summary and feedback session. The tour will then have a transfer to New Chitose airport, where the tour will end.