KOSTAS and the yummy world

From Sapporo, one has easy access to the south-western part of the island, which is the most densely populated part of Hokkaido. Here, there are some beautiful places to visit, not further than three hours drive from Sapporo. During my Hokkaido trip, I was based in Sapporo for all three weeks. This means lots of driving to be able to see other places. Instead of doing what I did, I would recommend that the visitor move around and every 2-3 days to stay at a different place.

I have collected most of my trips outside Sapporo and its suburbia into three chapters: 

1. Jozankei Onsen 

2. Otaru 

3. Route 229 and the "Shakotan Blue." 

1. The Jozankei Hot Springs (Jozankei Onsen)

But, after a little stroll in the area you really feel its serenity and unusual beauty. Visit the area around autumn to enjoy fall foliage colors.

The history of Jozankei Onsen

The history of Jozankei Hot Springs dates back to 1866, when Miizumi Jozan, an ascetic monk, discovered the hot springs and opened a healing spa in upper Toyohira River. Jozan cut through the forest to develop the land and put a great amount of work into bringing injured and sick people to the spa for healing. Eventually his enthusiasm led up to building bridges and roads, and little by little the spa’s reputation spread out. When the industry of mining and lumbering arose, and many workers arrived into the area, restaurants and shops started to increase in number. In 1918, Toyoha Mine opened and Jozankei Railroad was laid, crossing 29.9km between Shiroishi village and Jozankei. Thereafter, the area, blessed with splendid nature and bountiful waters continued to grow into one of the finest hot spring spas in Hokkaido.

The statue of Miizumi Jozan, who discovered the Jozankei hot springs, in the town of Jozankei Onsen.

The Kappa legend

Walking around the area, visitors will notice many statues dedicated to a mythical creature, Kappa. Fairy tale kappa statues which are seen everywhere in the hot spring town are based on ideas given by residents of Sapporo and made by sculptors from both inside and outside of Hokkaido. A kappa (river-child) is an amphibious yōkai demon found in traditional Japanese folklore. They are typically depicted as green, human-like beings with webbed hands and feet and a turtle-like carapace on their backs. A depression on its head, called its "dish" (sara), retains water, and if this is damaged or its liquid is lost (either through spilling or drying up), the kappa is severely weakened.  Kappon (a childish looking kappa) is the mascot of Jozankei Onsen.

A kappa is an amphibious yōkai demon found in traditional Japanese folklore. (top) Kappa-like yokai seen singing and playing a gekkin (Chinese Moon guitar). (bottom) A kappa rapes an ama diver underwater in a print from Utamaro's Utamakura.

Kappa is an amphibious yōkai demon found in traditional Japanese folklore. (left:) "Summer Days with Coo" (河童のクゥと夏休み, Kappa no Kū to Natsuyasumi, lit. "Summer holidays with Coo the kappa"), a poster of the 2007 Japanese animated film about a kappa and its impact on an ordinary suburban family, written for the screen and directed by Keiichi Hara based on two novels by Masao Kogure. (middle:) "Kappa in a Shop of Stencil-dyed Goods", from the series Collection of Equipment of Merchants (Akinai dôgu shû no uchi), the 1840s. (right:) Capturing a kappa alive by Utagawa Kuniyoshi.

There is a " legend of Kappa" in Jozankei hot springs, and here are its origins: Until the Choshiguchi hydroelectric power plant was built in 1908, the water flow of the Toyohira River was big enough to wash out logs (for straight-grained boards) of the interior of the mountain down the river. Many big river fishes are inhabited everywhere in the deep channels. Around that time, a young boy named Mr. Seyama worked in road works. When he was fishing by one of the deep pools of the river, he was suddenly sucked down into the bottom of the river, even though he did not miss his footing. Villagers working to wash out the logs down the river saw the boy being sucked into the river and immediately jumped into the river to try to rescue him. But the river was so deep that they could not rescue him, and in the end, the days passed without being able to find the boy. A year later, on the night of the first memorial service for the boy, the young boy appeared in his father's dream and said, "I am living happily with a water goblin wife and a child." The most handsome boy in the village was probably charmed by the goblin's wife living in the river. Since then, the area has been called the goblin'sgoblin's pool, and no one has gone missing.

There are kappon statues all over the town of Jozankei Springs.

The village is small and can easily walked around to see the attractions. You better leave the car at the free car parking lot [1] at the top of the central road, located next to Iwato Kannon-do Temple and from there walk around the area. Here's a recommended walk around the town, which goes around the most interesting parts of it.

A local map is given free of charge from the Jozankei Sight Seeing Information Center (see bellow under "Jozankei Shrine" chapter) but can also be downloaded in pdf mode from this link.

A recommended walk around Jozankei Onsen. Bracketed numbers in red correspond to numbers in black in the text.

Iwato Kannon-do Temple

Iwato Kannon-do Temple (left) and Hot Water of Longevity and Health of the Foot Massage (right).

Iwato Kannon-do Temple [2] is a solemn space with 33 statues of Kannon, the goddess of mercy. The Iwato Kannon-do is dedicated to the spirits of many people who gave their lives to the construction of the highway connecting Otaru and Jozankei, the second toll road in Japan, and was built also to pray for traffic safety. Once a year, the “Iwato Kannon-do Festival” is held here, attracting a lot of spectators.

Inside Iwato Kannon-do Temple. The little grey door on the right is the entrance to the cave with the statues of Kannon.

Enter the little red-roofed temple and at the right-back corner of it open a door to enter the cave (rather a long narrow corridor) with the statues of Kannon. There is also an adjacent to the temple room where the visitor can see old photographs of Jōzankei on display.

The cave with the statues of Kannon at Iwato Kannon-do Temple.

Just next to Iwato Kannon-do Temple there is a small covered hot spring. This is the Hot Water of Longevity and Health of the Foot Massage [3]. Here you can enjoy a footbath and get healthy. Massaging soles of your feet with pebbles at the bottom of the bathtub makes your body warm.

Between Hot Water of Longevity and the temple starts a trail going up to Mt.Asahidake (598m).

Hot Water of Longevity and Health of the Foot Massage.

It is time to have a revitalizing tea/coffee and a tasty flaky pastry. Just some meters down on the main road leading to Tsukimi bridge there is the cozy "J・glacee" café [4].  The perfect place to rest while looking out of the window people passing by. I recommend a strong cup of coffee and a delicious apple pie topped with a scoop of the famous Hokkaido ice cream.

The "J・glacee" café.

Futami Jozan Road

Futami Jozan Trail.

Walk a block down the main street and turn right towards Futami Park [5] located on the north bank of the Toyohira river and the Futami Jozan Trail [6]. Futami Jozan trail is a natural walking path that starts at Futami Park and after passing over the bright red suspension bridge (Futami Tsuribashi suspension bridge) [7] continues on the southern bank. “Kappa buchi” [8], a big green Kappa statue, welcomes the visitor at the beginning of the trail in Futami park. The walking trail is closed for winter.

Jozankei Gensen Park

Come back to the main road. Going south on the main town road and after crossing Tsukimi bridge [9], which offers wonderful vistas all over the gorge, the visitor sees Jozan Gensen Park [10] on his left hand.  The park was opened to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the birth of Miizumi Jozan, the founder of Jozankei Hot Springs. In the park, there is a statue of the founder along with foot spas and places where you can boil eggs in the water of the Jozankei hot springs (Onsen Tamago Hot Springs).

Jozan Gensen Park.

Jozan Gensen Park. Feet onsen.

Jozankei Shrine

Continue uphill on the main road and cross the Route 230, the road that connects Sapporo to Lake Toya. On the other side of the road stands Josankei Shrine [11]. The shrine was founded in 1905 to enshrine Amaterasu-Omikami, the sun goddess. The shrine is of not much interest to the tourist, but from here starts the trail up Mount Huhidate (594m). Some meters further east on Route 230 is located the Jozankei Sight Seeing Information Center [12] which will provide you with a local map and other information on the area.

Continue walking on Route 230 and turn left on the road that goes over Jozankeio Ohashi Bridge. At this corner take off your shoes and relax your tired feet in Taro-no-yu Footbath for Friendship [13]. Turn right on the first road to visit Shiraito Falls [14]. Ok these are not any real falls…just water falling from a hight of a couple of meters. Continue over Tamagawa Bridge [15] and turn immediately to the right to go down to the riverbanks.

Absorb the beauty of the landscape and head back to Jozankeio Ohashi Bridge [16]. There are many bridges in Jozankei and this bridge is the newest (1978) and biggest (232m long and 16m wide) among them. It is most probably the best point to enjoy the views of the town and the surrounding mountains. From the top of the bridge you can see the second red bridge of the town, the Koyama Bridge [17].

The view from Jozankeio Ohashi Bridge towards the town. The red bridge in the foreground is Koyama Bridge.

Jozankei Dam

Back to the car park to take your car to drive to two further attractions of the area: Jozankei Dam and Hoheikyo Onsen and Dam.

From Jozankei Springs to Sapporo Lake. The red and purple lines show the two different approaches to the lake.

A couple of kilometers north of Jozankei Onsen, Otarunai River forms an artificial lake. This is Lake Sapporo formed after the completion of Jozankei Dam in 1989. From the parking park at the foot of the dam one can visit the small dam museum and climb up the dam to enjoy the lake the mountains that surrounds it. This is one of the best spots in the area to enjoy the beautiful foliage colors in autumn.

Alternatively, you can follow route 1 that connects Jozankei Onsen with Sapporo Kokusai Ski Resort on top of Mt. Yoichi and further to Otaru. The first part of the road follows the right bank of Lake Sapporo right bank thru bridges and tunnels. From observation decks on this road one can admire the deep colored waters of the lake and the dense vegetation of the mountains.

Lake Sapporo. At one of the observation decks on Route-1.

Hoheikyo Dam and Hoheikyo Hot Spring

From Jozankei Springs to Hoheikyo Hot Spring to Hoheikyo Dam.

Exit Jozankei Onsen from the south and follow Route 230 for about a kilometer. At the first traffic lights you meet, take the exit to the left towards Hoheikyo Hot Spring and Hoheikyo Dam.

Drive for another kilometer or so and there is no way to miss the signs for Hoheikyo Onsen. The onsen features one outdoor bath a couple of indoor ones. The outdoor one is very beautiful and it a real pleasure to wonder around naked and enjoy the nature. The highlight though of the facilities is the Indian curry restaurant which is considered one of the best in the Sapporo area. The serve a quite big variety of curries and nan bread.

The Indian curry restaurant at Hoheikyo Hot Spring.

The steep rock slopes that surround Lake Jozan (left) and the Rest House (right).

The arch concrete dam, which is 102.5 meters tall, was completed in 1972 to utilize the Toyohira River. The dam is dramatically discharged for sightseeing between June and October from 9:00 to 16:00 and it is famous as a place for foliage viewing. The peak season for getting to Hoheikyo Dam is in October (for the stunning Autumn leaves).

The dam is dramatically discharged for sightseeing between June and October.

On the way back to Sapporo

From Jozankei to cafe カフェと石窯パンのお店 あゆんぐ.

On your way back to Sapporo from Jozankei Onsen, it is worth visiting an exceptionally beautiful countryside cafe (カフェと石窯パンのお店 あゆんぐ- follow the map above).  It is a small wooden building near the entrance of the Hakkenzan Park Golf Course.  There is a patio, where you can enjoy your coffee and cake. In the area there are also wineries, which one can visit and taste/buy wine or other memorabilia. Do not forget, also, to buy fresh fruit from the street vendors in the area.

An extraordinary cafe (カフェと石窯パンのお店 あゆんぐ) you certainly must visit.

(left) Enmeijizoson shrine. (middle) Hakkenzan Winery. (right) fruit street vendor.

2. OTARU

Otaru is a city port about 30k northwest of Sapporo. The city faces the Ishikari Bay, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tourist destination. There is a very good train connection between Otaru and Sapporo, but if you prefer to use your car, to avoid traffic I recommend taking the Expressway (toll road) E5A instead of Route5, which runs almost parallel to the first. 

The city was an Ainu habitation, and the name "Otaru" is recognized as being of Ainu origin, possibly meaning "River running through the sandy beach". Otaru was recognized as a village in 1865, and in 1880 the first railway line in Hokkaido was opened with daily service between Otaru and Sapporo. An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Otaru as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom. The city flourished well as the financial and business center in Hokkaido as well as the trade port. Otaru was designated as a city in 1922.

The days of wealth, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, left a great architectural heritage in the city, which is largely preserved till today. Many old warehouses and former office buildings by shipping and trade companies give Otaru's city center a special character reminiscent of the past. Since the 1950s, as the coal industry around the city went into a decline, the status of economic hub shifted from Otaru to Sapporo.

Typical late 19th-early 20th century wooden building in Otaru.

Otaru Canal

The main attractions of the city rest mainly around the famous Otaru canal and Sakaimachi street, which is the commercial and touristic center of the city.

Otaru Canal (Otaru Unga) was a central part of the city's busy port in the first half of the 20th century. Large vessels were unloaded by smaller ships, which then transported the goods to warehouses along the canal. The canal became obsolete when modern dock facilities allowed for direct unloading of larger vessels.

Thanks to a citizens' movement, a part of the canal was beautifully restored in the 1980s instead of being landfilled, while the warehouses were transformed into museums, shops and restaurants. The canal makes for a pleasant stroll during the day, when artists present their works to passing tourists, and during the evenings when old fashioned gas lamps are lit and provide a romantic atmosphere. The canal also serves as the main site of the town's Snow Light Path Festival. 

Opposite the northern edge of the Utaru canal stands a beautiful former warehouse, which houses the Canal Plaza Tourist Information Center and the Otaru City Museum. The museum covers broadly the history and nature of Otaru, recounting the times of Hokkaido's native Ainu people as well as the city's preservation movement during the 1970s. There are many models and displays, which are explained in an English pamphlet.

Sakaimachi Street (Sakaimachi Dori) is an attractive, preserved merchant street and the heart of Otaru. It rests at a short walk from the city's canal area and the train Station. During the development of Hokkaido in the late 1800s and early 1900s, Otaru thrived as a port city, and many trading and shipping companies constructed impressive Western style buildings in the city center to house their offices and shops. Many of the buildings along Sakaimachi Street have since been converted into restaurants, cafes, souvenir shops, boutiques and museums.

At Sakaimachi Street there are also a few glass workshops for tourists to enjoy a hands-on experience in creating the local Otaru Glass. When the herring fishing industry declined in the 1950s, the makers of glass buoys shifted to the production of refined glassware instead. Nowadays, Otaru benefits greatly from the reputation of its glassware, attracting many tourists to its glass shops.

While in Sakaimachi Street do not miss the famous LeTao confectionery shops. LeTao company established just in 1998, but since then it has become a Hokkaido must live experiense. Hokkaido is famous for its dairy products, so it’s of no surprise that confectionery here is based on freshly made cheese and dairy cream. One should not leave Hokkaido without tasting the famous Double Fromage: a two-layered cake, of which the upper layer is creamy smooth no-bake cheesecake and the lower layer is rich baked cheesecake… I beleive this the best cheesecake I have ever tasted… I could live on this cake for the rest of my life!  

The main LeTao shop building is distinguished from its tall “clocktower”. The ground floor sells delicious cakes, ice cream and souvenirs, while on the upper floor there is a huge café, where the visitor can enjoy all the LeTao products. The hall looks huge, but it is always crowded with tourists, so not easy to find a seat.  

LeTAO PATHOS is the second chain store in the street: on the ground floor of the building there are both a confectionery where they sell LeTAO popular products and a small sitting area to enjoy your cake and/or ice cream.

Nouvelle Vague LeTAO Chocolatier, LeTAO Plus and Fromage Danish DANI LeTAO complete the delicious Sakaimachi Street quintet.

Of course, in the street there are branches of other famous confectioneries such as Rokatei, known for its traditional Japanese sweets like daifuku and mochi, and Kitakaro, known for its delicious variety of baumkuchen cakes. If you are a matcha-addict you should visit the all-green-confectionery that sells only matcha products.  It is located just opposite Kitaichivenetsia Museum and cannot be missed as it is painted in matcha-green color.

The place you should not miss, though, is the traditional tea house Kuboya, housed in a 1907 wooden building. Enjoy traditional desserts with red bean cakes, ice cream and matcha. Try the star of the Japanese desserts: “Matcha in Cream Zenzai”, which is matcha in sweet azuki-bean soup with toppings of ice cream and white dumplings. 

Even though the city has much to show and one visit is not enough, one should visit also a couple of places located at a small distance from it. 

Places near Otaru you should visit, while there.

Nishin Goten

The herring fishing industry played a major role in the history of Otaru since the early days of the town's development, with the vast majority of fish being processed into fertilizer rather than consumed by humans. Large fortunes were made by the leading fishing enterprises until the 1950s, when the herring stocks dramatically declined, and the industry collapsed.

During the heyday of herring fishing, large Herring Mansions (Nishin Goten) were built by wealthy fishermen to process the fish and as a residence for themselves and their employees. A large preserved herring mansion dating back to the end of the 19th century stands on a hill-peninsula beside the water about five kilometers to the north of central Otaru. It was built in Tomari-village, west of the west of the Shakotan Peninsula, on a narrow beach between the cliff and sea water's edge but moved to its current location in 1958 and is open to the public (there is an admission fee). Fishermen's tools and living conditions are displayed inside. Behind the mansion, on the very top of the rocky peninsula stands a lighthouse.

The lighthouse near Nishin Goten.

About a kilometer inland from the herring mansion stands the Former Aoyama Villa (Kyu Aoyama Bettei), a luxurious villa built by the Aoyama family, one of the most successful families in the herring fishing industry. The villa, which was born out of the dream of a 17- year-old young woman, Masae Aoyama, completed in 1923. The family spared no expense in the materials and construction of the villa and surrounding gardens. The Villa houses a small museum and an expensive restaurant with both Japanese and Western style rooms.

The Aoyama family's herring mansion was also preserved, but it was moved to nearby Sapporo where it can be viewed in the Historic Village open air museum.

Former Aoyama Villa complex.

About 500m, on the way back from Nishin Goten to Otaru there is another fisherman's wooden house. At the back of the house there is a path that leads to Ebisu Shrine, the oldest shrine in Otaru (built in 1863). 

About 500m, on the way back from Nishin Goten to Otaru there is another fisherman's wooden house.

Katsunai river crosses the southern suburbs of Otaru. Parallel to the river starts Route393 which leads up to the mountains overlooking the city to the southwest. From the top of this twisted road there is a viewpoint from where on can see the whole city and the Ishikari Bay. Continue this road, which leads to the iconic Mount Yotei, for about 10 km to visit one of the many farms open to tourists: the Hopi Hills farm. The farm has a restaurant and a café to enjoy your ice cream. Children can pet farm animals here.

Hopi Hills farm.

Shakotan Peninsula and Route229.

Typical "Shakotan blue".

In 1962, 17 people were killed or lost in a debris flow near Toyohama Tunnel. In 1996, 20 people were killed in the Toyohama Tunnel collapse (between Yoichi and Furubira). The breathtakingly beautiful coastline has its own risks. Since then, the road has been widely renovated, and today for a local route, Highway 229 is a relatively wide road, safe and easy to drive all the way. However, since the route uses many new tunnels, views are limited; that is an unavoidable trade-off.

This is supposed to be the best route to admire the Sea of Japan blue color, called "Shakotan Blue" (シャコタンブルー) which is much brighter than in other places. 

Typical Shakotan Peninsula coast.

Yoichi town

Yoichi town (余市町) is located just 20 km west of Otaru. It is built at the estuary of the river that bears the same name. It is known to Japanese people as the birthplace of Mamoru "Mark" Mohri, the first Japanese astronaut, and the home of the Yoichi distillery owned by Nikka Whisky Distilling.

The Hokkaido coast on the Sea of Japan was well known as a good fishing ground for herring. Yoichi is one of the cities that flourished due to herring fishing from early in the 19th century until the 1950s.

Yoichi town. Route229 is marked with blue color.

Yoichi Town.

Tourists usually cross through the town on their way to Shakotan Peninsula without stopping. There are though several attractions worth visiting, like the Yochi Fisheries Museum (よいち水産博物館), Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery (余市蒸溜所 / ニッカウヰスキー) and Space Dome (余市宇宙記念館), etc. Among all attractions, in my opinion, two places must be visited in the town (time permitting): a) the Old Shimoyoichi Unjouya at the foothills of a small hill by the port, and b) the Old Fukuhara Gyoba on Route 229 itself, at the western end of the town. 

The harbor of Yoichi town.

Shimoyoichi Unjouya

The Shimoyoichi Unjouya (旧下ヨイチ運上家), aka "Old lower Yoichi good luck house," was built in 1853 by Choya Takeya Hayashi Chozamon, a contract merchant of the Yoichi area is one of the 85 Unjouyas (trading houses), which were built on the Hokkaido coast by the Matsumae clan. Matsumae was a Japanese clan that was granted the area around Matsumae, Hokkaido as a march fief in 1590 by Toyotomi Hideyoshi, and charged with defending it from the Ainu 'barbarians'.

Shimoyoichi Unjouya facade.

The ticket office opposite Shimoyoichi Unjouya.

Inside Shimoyoichi Unjouya. Dummies represent everyday life activities.

Ιn return for defending the area, the merchants were entrusted with commercial rights to trade with Ainu people and open fishing grounds to catch herring in the area. The old wooden house (Shimoyoichi Unjouya) played an important role as though it was a branch office of the Matsumae clan. It was used as lodging for officials and travelers and as a place to deal with official documents and keep watch over foreign ships. 

Inside Shimoyoichi Unjouya. Dummies represent everyday life activities.

Inside Shimoyoichi Unjouya.

Inside Shimoyoichi Unjouya. Dummies represent everyday life activities.

This large building (40x16 meters) has a stone roof with gables supported by thick pillars and beams in its interior. The lattice windows and paper sliding doors are designed according to the local fishermen's architecture.

The house is open to the public as a museum displaying old furniture, instruments, and other objects of the days it was operated as a trading house. Several rooms function as representations (with the help of dummies) of everyday life activities—admission fee: 300yen.

The backside and backyard of Shimoyoichi Unjouya.

Shimoyoichi Unjouya and its little shrine at the backyard.

The Old Fukuhara Gyoba

The Old Fukuhara Gyoba complex (旧余市福原漁場) is a fascinating site located in Hamanaka-cho, the west-ward of Yoichi town (on the Route 229 itself).

After the Meiji era, Yoichi had been in the Herring rush, so that there were a lot of fisherman’s houses called ‘Banya’ along the shore and also many facilities for making fishing products such as herring oil, dried fish, and fertilizers, and also to store herring. These places are called Gyoba, and their owner called Oyakata or Ooyake(大宅). Oyakata and his employees lived in the Gyoba together.

When herring fishing was flourishing on the coast of Yoichi, there were many Gyobas in the area. Today, only the Old Fukuhara Gyoba (aka the Former Yoichi Fukuhara Fishery) has survived intact. Oyakata Fukuhara had hired more than 40 fishermen gathering from other areas of Hokkaido and Tohoku, Honshu. 

The buildings of Old Fukuhara Gyoba are arranged around a big open space (garden).

The Old Fukuhara Gyoba buildings.

Old Fukuhara Gyoba buildings.

The complex comprises six discrete buildings. Three big buildings: the Omoya, the storehouse for documents, and the stone-built warehouse; and 3 smaller buildings: the fish drying racks, the grocery storehouse, and the net storehouse.

The Omoya is the main building of the Gyoba and was built before 1917. The building was used as a living space for both the owner and his employees. The owner had his sleeping room and reception room on the ground floor, while the employees' sleeping quarters were upstairs. The building also has a kitchen, a dining area, and a lavatory. 

Inside Omoya building.

Inside the Old Fukuhara Gyoba buildings. Storehouse for documents (left), and Omoya (right).

The Storehouse for documents built around 1877 to store the documents related to the management of the Gyoba and the owner’s valuables, including expensive clothes, furniture, and tableware. This three-story building is the most impressive of the complex and features typical "safety" windows at its facade. 

The third big building of the complex, the stone-built warehouse, was built before 1901 to store and process the boats' herrings. It is attached at the back of Storehouse for documents and is the longest building of the complex.

Inside the stone-built warehouse.

The impresive Storehouse for documents building.

After Yoichi, Route 229 continues for some kilometers inland. When the road becomes coastal again, there is a small harbor (Detaribira Fishing Port 余市漁港) where one can enjoy two famous rocks in shallow waters, about 10 meters from the shore. Ebisu rock (えびす岩) is the thinner of the two and is shaped like a cone, thinner at the base and bigger on the top. Daikokuiwa rock (と大黒岩) is slightly larger and has a more stable shape. On top of Daikokuiwa rock, there is red torii (Shinto shrine gate). 

Candle rock and Ebisu-Daikoku rocks on the map. At this point, Route 229 goes mostly in tunnels, so be careful not to miss the rocks.

Candle Rock

Back to Route229, enter into a 1-km long tunnel and exit at Shimadomarigyo Fishing Port (余市漁港) from where one has the best view of the famous Candle Rock or Takaga (ローソク岩). 

Candle rock rises at the height of more than 45 meters on the sea about 500 meters off the coast. The rock is made of lava cooled in the water, and due to its brittle nature, the candlestick has been collapsed several times so far. It took its current appearance after the large collapse due to the Shakotan Peninsula Offshore Earthquake of August 2, 1940. Because of its unusual shape, there are several legends among the local fishermen and the Ainu people. 

Cape Ogon

Continue west on Route 229 to Cape Ogon (黄金岬) at Bikuni (美国港) fishing harbor. Bikuni flourished by herrings, and a lookout for the herrings was built on the cape, and the Cape Ogon was named after the herrings' shoals glowed gold in the sunset. Ogon means "Gold color" in Japanese, as from here one can enjoy one of the best sunsets in Hokkaido.

Bikuni and Cape Ogon on the map. Route 229 is marked by blue color. The yellow path shows a recommended walk in the town.

Ogon-Misaki Observation Deck (黄金岬展望台) is built at about 30 m above sea level, and from here the view of Bikuni Port, Mt. Shakotandake (積丹岳), Takara Island (宝島), Gome Island (ゴメ島) and the ranging capes of the Shakotan Peninsula is spectacular. 

Bikuni harbor.

Bikuni harbor.

The highlight of Bikuni is the “Yamashime Banya” Café, located between Route229 and the port. This is the former Yamashime Fukui Residence, built by Fukui Shigejiro towards the end of the Meiji Period. This is an old banya (fishermen’s hut), like the many we see in the area, transformed into a traditional café, which also houses the Nishin Denshu-kan (herring culture museum). 

Inside Yamashime Banya.

The role of the Yamashime Banya changed along with the decline of the herring fishing industry, and from 1949 it became a Japanese-style inn and a boarding house. From the 1970s, it was not used at all and was donated to Shakotan Town. In 2011, the Town Assembly approved the sale of the Yamashime Banya. Still, the people of the area persuaded the Town Assembly to scrap its plans to sell the Banya and transform the building into a place where people can gather together, enjoy traditional food and enjoy delicious drip coffee. The café opened in 2016. 

Traditional ice-cream at Inside Yamashime Bany cafe.

Inside Yamashime Banya.

Inside Yamashime Banya.

The aroma of coffee drifts around the building, with its shiny black floors, thick beams, and the countless memories it has accumulated. Take off your shoes and wander around the two-story wooden house. Then sit down and enjoy some of the best drip coffee and traditional desserts or enjoy herring broth, masu salmon, and sea urchin rice-balls. If you are lucky, you will enjoy one of the several music concerts held here or attend a workshop on making sweet flower-shaped dumplings used as offerings at graves.

The visit to “Yamashime Banya” Café is one of those memorable moments you will always recall with much nostalgia. 

Inside Yamashime Banya.

Inside Yamashime Banya.

Shimamui Coast

From here, Route229 leaves the coast and goes inland, bypassing Shimamui Peninsula. At about 10km from Bikuni, leave back Route229 by turning right on provincial Route 913, which goes to Irika fishing port and Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸). Shimamui means "rocky inlet" in the Ainu language.

Shimamui coast on the map. The blue line shows the detour of Route913. The yellow line show the main trails and the star at the right of the map shows the Cape Shakode Lighthouse. The pink trail shows the steps going from the Shakotan Observation deck down to the Shimamui beach

Me at Shimamui coast.

Leave your car at the large parking lot (free of charge) and follow the signs towards the Shakotan Observation Deck, which, strangely enough, is accessed through a dark foot-tunnel ("Shima Takei Coast Tunnel"). The observation deck stands at about 60m above sea level, and the views are stunning. From the deck, a steep stairway takes you down to the shore in about 20 minutes. It is tiring descending, but the beauty of the area really compensates the visitor. This is one of Japan’s 100 Most Beautiful Beaches (they say!) and the only spot where visitors can be on the water’s edge below sheer cliffs. 

Taken pictures at Shakotan Observation Deck.

Go back to the parking lot and follow the Cape Shakode Lighthouse's signs, a beautiful red and white lighthouse (積丹出岬灯台). The whole Cape is a huge park with a high-coastal trail where one enjoys beautiful views of the Sea of Japan (the dazzling sea called "Shakotan Blue") and the rocky coast. The trail goes as far as the rock formation called “girl’s rock” after the legend of Shirara, an Ainu girl whose love for a man was not a fortune one! 

Shakotan Observation Deck (left) and Shimamui coast (right).

Cape Shakode Lighthouse.

One of the area's highlights is the Rinko restaurant (鱗晃), one of the best places to savor local seafood, especially sea urchin eggs, either steamed or raw or as a ramen soup. It is located next to the car parking lot. 

Rinko restaurant. Fresh, raw shrimps (bottom left) and urchin eggs (bottom right).

Cape Kamui

Back to Route229 and head towards Cape Kamui (神威岬). As I already mentioned above, Cape Kamui is 3rd major tourist attraction of the Shakotan Peninsula.  The other two I have already mentioned: Cape Ogorn (黄金岬) and Shimamui Coast (島武意海岸). 

Cape Kamui on the map. Blue line marks Route229, the yellow line marks the drive to the parking lot, and the orange lines show the walking trails.

Cape kamui parking lot.

Cape Kamui. The trail to the lighthouse.

The Kamui Cape trail.

Kamui is the name of an Ainu god. The distance is around 1.5 km away from a traffic gate along Route229 to the public parking lot in the heart of Kamuimisaki Natural Park. Here, there are public restrooms and the main building, called Kamui-Banya (カムイ番屋), which houses a restaurant (rather a cantine) and a souvenir shop. The parking lot is free of charge. 

Kamui Cape. The trail to the lighthouse.

Kamui Rock (left). "Shakotan blue" view from Cape Samui (right).

The lighthouse at Kamui Cape.

From the parking lot, you have to walk about 30 minutes (about 700m) on the rugged dragon-back-like path (called “Small Path of Charenka”) to the very tip of Cape Kamui. The almost 360degrees view is very spectacular. The white 12-meters high lighthouse, which stands here, is considered a place for lovers as the area has its own tragic (alas!) love story legend of the young maiden Charenka and the tragic hero Yoshitsune Minamoto. According to the legend, Yoshitsune fled secretly from Oshu and passing from Hokkaido he stayed with the head of Biratori Town. Charenka, the daughter of the head of Biratori, came to love Yoshitsune strongly. However, Yoshitsune left towards the north. Maiden Charenka followed him till Cape Kamui. From there, she saw the boat of Yoshitsune having already sailed away. She cried aloud towards the boat, but the strong wind drowned out her voice. Charenka, who was in deep sorrow, threw herself from the rocks of Cape Kamui. Some say that Kamui Rock (神威岩) is petrified Charenka. 

Kamui rock.

Misaki no Yu Onsen

On your way back to Sapporo on Route229, you may want to relax in the hot waters of the Misaki no Yu Onsen (岬の湯しゃこたん). Located on Route229, between Cape Kamui and Shimamui Coast, these hot springs with magnificent views of the Sea of Japan offer revitalizing rest and good food. The prime location overlooking Cape Rushi to the right and Cape Kamui to the left allows visitors to enjoy panoramic views of the area from open-air baths and indoor baths with large windows. 

Unfortunately, when I visited the onsen, it was closed...big disappointment. 

Misaki no Yu Onsen.