Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

Kushiro Marsh is a national park consisting of Japan's largest marshland, the Kushiro River and its tributaries, and the hills surrounding the marshland.The park covers an area of 220.7 square kilometers and is home to a variety of precious plants and animals, including the red-crowned crane, which is designated as a special natural treasure by the Japanese government.In 1967, the marsh itself was designated as a national natural monument, which has enabled the park to maintain a landscape unique to Hokkaido and unparalleled in the country.

In 1980, the central part of the marsh became the first Ramsar wetland in Japan, and seven years later, almost the entire area, including the surrounding marshland, was designated as a national park. There are a number of scenic overlooks within the national park, so be sure to visit and take in the magnificent scenery.

Kushiro Marsh offers a panoramic view of the magnificent scale of the endless expanse of Kushiro Marsh! Also known as "Daikanbou," this is the most popular of the several observatories overlooking Kushiro Marsh. If the weather is favorable, you can see Mt. Akan. There is a walking trail leading from the parking lot to the viewing plaza, up the hill in front of the Hosooka Visitor's Lounge. Further along the trail is Daikanbou, where you can enjoy the spectacular view.

Sarubo Observatory offers views of five lakes, including Tōro Lake, the largest in Kushiro Shitsugen, as well as Sarurun Lake, Pon Lake, Eoru Lake, and Makun Lake. In summer, the contrast between the lush green and the blue of the lakes is particularly beautiful. The observatory is equipped with free telescopes. Additionally, nearby Sarurun Observatory and Kottaro Wetland Observatory provide various scenic views.

This museum is a treasure trove of discovery, with exciting modern displays arranged around the central twin spiral staircase, designed in the image of a DNA double helix. On the first floor, you can explore archeology, geology, and the natural world while the second floor is dedicated to Kushiro’s history. Check out the fourth floor as well for an in-depth look at the Kushiro Ainu peoples. At the Kushiro City Museum, learn from fascinating exhibits on everything from geology and the formation of the local landscape to recent history and Ainu culture. An engaging museum perfect for all ages!

Voted as one of the “Top Three Sunsets in the World” alongside other famous worldwide spots like Bali and Manila, Kushiro in East Hokkaido is a reputed sunset-viewing location. Walk along Kita-Odori Street from JR Kushiro Station for about 15 minutes and you’ll come across the viewing spot: the 124-meter-long Nusamai Bridge. Four female statues, the Shiki no Zo, stand atop the guardrails of the bridge and make for a beautiful image when the setting sun paints the sky a calm vermillion hue behind them. The after-dark horizon is no less magical. You can finish your Kushiro visit by admiring the light-up event that starts 30 minutes after sunset, sampling the sunset-themed local cocktail “Kushiro Sunset High Ball”, or hop on the SEA CRANE cruising tour.

Next to Kushiro’s Nusamai Bridge sits the Kushiro Fisherman’s Wharf “MOO”, a bustling marketplace full of local delicacies served out of yatai food stalls. Built in 1989, this waterfront establishment houses fish markets, souvenir shops, restaurants, and other facilities. Visitors should try the Ganpeki-Robata Grill, a restaurant that lets patrons grill fresh seafood over an open robata-style charcoal grill. The shop faces the Kushiro River and is open from May until Oct.

Washo Market is said to be one of Hokkaido’s top three markets alongside Hakodate’s Morning Market and Sapporo’s Nijo Market. Washo is Kushiro’s oldest market with a fascinating history as a civic kitchen in the early post-war period. It also boasts an excellent range of seafood and processed marine products, just as you might expect from a port town like Kushiro. 

"Katte don" - Find the ingredients you like.

The collection of approximately 60 stalls is particularly known for a dish that customers design themselves. Come and make your own bowl of rice by loading it up with your choice of fabulous raw fish from the surrounding stalls. You will definitely be wanting a second bowl before you leave Kushiro!

Tokachigawa Hot Spring is a unique hot spring in Japan that gushes out "moor hot spring" containing high levels of plant organic matter. The hot spring gushes out through layers of plants that have been deposited over a long period of time, making it one of the rarest springs in the world, and it has been selected as a Hokkaido Heritage Site. The smooth water, which is derived from plants, warms the body to the core after just a short soak, and keeps the body warm afterwards. It is also known as "hot water for beautiful skin" because it has a moisturizing effect like lotion. The hot spring resort area is dotted with numerous lodging facilities, including luxury inns with open-air baths and large hotels with many guest rooms. Visitors to Tokachigawa Hot Spring can enjoy experiences and events throughout the four seasons, such as hot-air balloon rides where they can view the magnificent scenery of Tokachi from above, and the "Sairinka" event in winter, which takes visitors into a fantastic world created by the night sky, snow, and countless light objects.

Obihiro Racecourse (Banei Tokachi) holds the world's only "Banei Horse Racing. In Banei Horse Racing, horses weighing around one ton pull heavy iron sleds weighing up to one ton to compete in a race for power, speed, and endurance. The horses run along a 200-meter-long course, including two hills, pulling heavy sleds, and it is a powerful sight to behold. The power of the horses, which were used for farming in the pioneer days of Hokkaido, has been passed down to the present day and still impresses people as a part of Hokkaido's heritage.

Tokachimura, located next to Obihiro Racecourse, offers a variety of "delicacies" of Tokachi. The direct sales area offers a wide variety of fresh vegetables and ingredients purchased from Tokachi producers. Local gourmet foods such as desserts and pork bowls are well known as a "treasure house of food.

Rokkatei Obihiro Main Store has been in business in Obihiro, Tokachi since its establishment in 1933. The store is lined with a wide variety of sweets, including the signature product, Marusei Butter Sandwich, and continues to be loved by locals as a snack, for spending money, and as a souvenir of Hokkaido. The store also offers sweets that can only be eaten at the store, such as “Crunchy Pie” with freshly filled cream and “Yukikon Cheese”. The second floor coffee shop offers seasonal pizzas and desserts.

Manabe Garden, known as Japan’s first conifer garden, is a botanical garden where all design, landscaping, and management happens on-site. The circuit-style garden within the grounds is the largest garden in Japan. Visitors to the garden will feel like they are in a fairytale thanks to the hundreds of unique trees imported from Northern Europe and Canada. In the summer, the garden comes to life with countless blooms, many of which are varieties only found in Hokkaido.

The Shichiku Garden was the passion project of a woman named Shichiku Akiha, an avid lover of flowers and the property’s namesake. Ms. Shichiku designed this lovely rural garden in the hopes of reliving and capturing a snapshot of her youth, a childhood spent among beautiful blooms. This incredible garden is over 60,000 square meters large and has more than 2,500 varieties of flowers. Visitors that choose to spend a day among Ms. Shichiku’s flowers will experience her passion first hand and see the work she has dedicated her life to.

This “Land of Love” in Hokkaido is known for the catchphrase: “from the land of love to fortune.” The area got its nickname from Kofuku Station (kofuku meaning “fortune”) and Aikoku Station (aikoku meaning “land of love”) on the former national Hiroo Line. After the route was abandoned, the pink station house of Kofuku Station became a popular photo spot with the walls becoming covered in the business cards of visitors hoping for good luck. You can now hold a mock “Happy Ceremony Wedding” with your special someone here alongside the recently instated bell. 

Aikoku Station, which became a huge boom along with Kōfuku Station in the 1970s with the catchphrase 'From the Land of Love to Happiness.' The station building of the former JNR Hiroo Line has been renovated and is now loved by people as a transportation museum. Tickets, panels, and an impressive SL (steam locomotive) that were used at the time are on display, allowing visitors to reminisce about the past. The cute heart-shaped fountain in the square and the monument shaped like a 'Ticket to Happiness' in front of the station building are also popular photo spots.