Winter drift ice experience in Okhotsk, Hokkaido! Two days in Abashiri
- Spring
- Summer
- Autumn
- Winter
- Days required
- Two days, one night
- Main methods of transportation
- Bus
Drift ice, the messenger of winter, comes from Siberia every year and blankets the Sea of Okhotsk in white. The Sea of Okhotsk is the only place in Japan where you can see this fascinating drift ice! There are many ways to have a good time, such as enjoying gourmet food and looking for souvenirs with the drift ice theme. Enjoy the Eastern Hokkaido area in midwinter.
- * The spots and experience menus introduced in the course are subject to change. Please check the official website for the latest information.
- * Please note that the text shown on this page includes machine translations.
Memanbetsu Airport
Start your journey at Memanbetsu Airport!
The average temperature during the drift ice season from mid-February to early March, is about -6℃! In the icy air, you will get a real sense of having landed in Hokkaido in winter. Be sure to prepare for the cold before you set off!
Check out suitable winter attire here!
About 13:40
JR Abashiri Station
Arrival at Abashiri!
First, head to the Abashiri Prison Museum on the "Facility Tour Bus." Leave any large bags in coin lockers so you can move around easily.
Alight at the "Abashiri Prison Museum" bus stop
Abashiri Prison Museum
A museum that recreates the former Abashiri Prison
Abashiri Prison was built on the northernmost tip of Japan, a region of extreme cold. There is plenty to see at this museum, including a tour of the prison building that was actually used from 1912 to 1984, and a theater that recreates the actual prison conditions at the time.
Kangoku Cafeteria even offers the special experience of eating prison meals, which are reproductions of the food eaten by inmates at the current Abashiri Prison!
- Address
- 1-1 Yobito, Abashiri City
- Telephone Number
- 0152-45-2411
- Open
- 9:00 - 17:00 (last entry is one hour before closing time)
- Closed
- Closed on December 31 and January 1
(To JR Abashiri Station vicinity) Approx. 20 minutes by bus
Dinner features Abashiri's gourmet delights, filled with the bounties of the Sea of Okhotsk!
Fresh seafood delights
Abashiri offers a wide array of fresh seafood, so there is a rich selection of sushi, seafood bowls, and local specialties. Enjoy delicious flavors that can only be found in a port city!
Local gourmet delights that can only be found in Abashiri!
- Okhotsk Abashiri Zangi Don
- A rice bowl featuring Abashiri salmon, marinated in special seasoning and deep-fried. Locals enjoy it together with a soup made with Abashiri shellfish.
(Image provided by Abashiri Tourism Association)
- Abashiri Moyoro Nabe
- A local hotpot filled with minced fish paste and seafood from the Sea of Okhotsk, such as salmon. You can also enjoy it with white fish soy sauce added to the salt-based soup. The dish was inspired by the Moyoro people from the north, who suddenly disappeared about 1,000 years ago.
(Image provided by Abashiri Tourism Association)
- Abashiri Champon
- Soup made from the Sea of Okhotsk seafood is added to the Champon soup from Unzen City, Nagasaki Prefecture, which has exchanges with Abashiri City. The result is superbly delicious! Enjoy the flavors of seafood to the fullest and warm your body.
(Image provided by Abashiri Tourism Association)
Featuring popular dishes that can only be found in Abashiri
JR Abashiri Station
On the second day, embark on the long-awaited trip to see the drift ice! Head out to a place near to the boarding point for the Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Ship Aurora.
(To "Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Ship Aurora" bus stop) Approx. 10 minutes by bus
Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Ship Aurora
Finally, the highlight of the trip! The impressive sight of the ship pushing forward dynamically on the pure white seas!
A roaring sound that resembles the rumbling of the earth, and drift ice spreading out before your very eyes! Enjoy the spectacular views on this hour-long cruise. The sight of the ship cutting through the silvery ice field is an impressive one. You can experience drift ice up-close. If you are lucky, you might even spot a seal or a white-tailed eagle on the drift ice.
- Address
- Road Rest Area Ryuhyokaido Abashiri, 4-5-1 Minami 3-Jo Higashi, Abashiri City
- Telephone Number
- 0152-43-6000
- Open
- [Phone reception] 8:00 - 17:00 (Please check the official website for the ship's operating hours)
- Closed
- Operates throughout the operating period
Ryuhyo Glass Museum & Scenic Café BOUSHI IWA
A cafe that offers a panoramic view of the Sea of Okhotsk from its large windows
The cafe has a wide range of original menu items inspired by drift ice, such as "Drift Ice Hot Coffee'' and "Drift Ice Soda.'' Handmade glass and craft items made in Okhotsk are on display and available for sale at the glass museum attached to the workshop. Find a souvenir that you like here!
- Address
- 6-2-1 Minami 4-Jo Higashi, Abashiri City
- Telephone Number
- 0152-43-3480
- Open
- 10:00 - 17:00
- Closed
- Wednesday (may be closed irregularly on other days)
Approx. 30 minutes by bus, about 11:30
Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum and Mt. Tento Observation Deck
Experience real drift ice on the hands-on terrace at -15℃!
An observation deck where you can enjoy majestic 360-degree views of the lakes and mountain ranges of Eastern Hokkaido.
The Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum has many attractive exhibits, including one of the Hokkaido's largest projection mapping and a 400-inch screen theater. These include the "Drift Ice Experience Terrace," where you can touch real drift ice indoors at -15℃! "
- Address
- 244-3 Tentozan, Abashiri City
- Telephone Number
- 0152-43-5951
- Open
- 8:30 - 18:00, (November - April) 9:00 - 16:30, (December 29 - January 5) 10:00 - 15:00
- Closed
- Open year round
Column
Café de Clione
A cafe located on the first floor of the Okhotsk Ryu-hyo Museum. The salted caramel soft cream, made with salt from the Sea of Okhotsk, is a popular item at this cafe. The salt brings out the sweetness of the caramel. The blue salt is colored with natural pigments derived from seaweed.
Memanbetsu Airport
Enjoy lunch at the airport!
There is a wide range of Hokkaido gourmet foods in the airport! In addition to sushi and soup curry, you can also enjoy ramen and seafood bowls. End your tour of Hokkaido with delicious food!
[One more day] For those who want to have a little more fun!
- Utoro Hot Spring
- Soak in a hot spring while looking out at the Sea of Okhotsk, warming both your mind and body. Also known as Shiretoko Onsen, you can use this as a base for your trip in Shiretoko. The open-air bath overlooking the Sea of Okhotsk is also popular.
- https://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/spot/detail_10619.html
- Ryuhyo Walk®/SHINRA (Nonprofit Shiretoko Naturalist's Association)
- Wearing a special dry suit, take a walk while admiring the scenery of the Sea of Okhotsk covered in drift ice. The suit is well-insulated and also provides adequate buoyancy, so you do not have to worry as it will float even if you enter the sea.
- https://www.shinra.or.jp/
- Shiretoko Goko Lakes Eco Tour
- A tour that takes you on a stroll of the five lakes, amidst the silence of deep winter. You can walk over frozen lakes and other places that cannot be reached in summer. You may even see wild animals enduring in the cold, and drift ice spreading across the sea!
- https://www.shiretoko.asia/
You can visit the World Natural Heritage Site, Shiretoko, with an additional day. Play in a sea of drift ice, experience untouched nature, and enjoy Hokkaido's winter just a little more!
