Things to do in Shari

Lake Rausu is a freshwater lake located at the foot of Mount Chisei Betsudake on the Shiretoko Peninsula. With an altitude of 740 meters, a circumference of about 4 kilometers, and a maximum water depth of about 2 meters, it is the largest lake in Shiretoko National Park. The area was obscured by trees and contained bear dens, so it was once known as an imaginary lake that no one could approach. However, the mountain climbing road has been repaired and is open from June to October, so the general public can use it. In addition to Lake Rausu, there are five marshes (Ichinonuma ~ Gononuma) and the Meiri Lookout, where you can enjoy various beautiful scenery, such as snow in spring, fresh green in summer and red leaves in autumn. *Unfortunately, there is no road leading to Ichinuma, so you can see Ninomuma to Gononuma along the hiking trail. Free admission.

Shiretoko, which means "the end of the earth" in the Anu language of the indigenous people, is located in the easternmost part of Hokkaido. It still preserves Japan's most primitive natural landscape, so it is known as "Japan's last secret place." It was first designated as a Japanese National Park in 1964 and officially inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2003.

The Shiretoko Five Lakes are almost completely pristine forests, and the trails have not been deliberately repaired. The first of the five lakes we came to was the smallest one, with many water bananas by the lake, whose rhizomes are the main food for brown bears.

It's along the road and there is no big sign, so we almost drove past it. After parking the car, it's a short walk to the waterfall.

The icebreaker Aurora operates from Abashiri Port only in winter. Unfortunately, there was no drift ice on the day we visited, but we were given a refund of 800 yen per person for the cruise even without drift ice.

I stayed at the Utoro Onsen luxury resort "Kita Toshi" and deliberately did not book breakfast or dinner, just to experience the local food. For dinner, I chose this "fisherman's shop Crab House" alone on the long coastline. It took 20 minutes to walk from the hotel and enjoy the beautiful and lonely sea view, which filled my heart with joy. This is a restaurant located in Utoro Fishing Port East, Shari Town, Hokkaido, specializing in fresh seafood dishes. Famous for its fresh seafood and beautiful sea views, this shop is a great place for tourists to enjoy local delicacies. The restaurant has 20 seats, providing an excellent view of the sea, beautiful scenery and delicious food. Watching the cruise ship passing by, it feels too luxurious. The restaurant is managed by a young handsome man. The five-color paella made from local seafood is very tempting. The grilled fish from Raus is so big that you can’t finish it. It’s a small shop with people coming and going, and the shop is extremely clean and tidy. It’s really amazing. You can buy live crabs in the store and enjoy sashimi, grilled crabs or boiled crabs on the spot. It may not be due to the season, but it costs 13,000 yen/kg. Come and taste it in winter. However, the road in Shiretoko is closed in winter, so you can’t come in. The sunset here is extremely beautiful, but because of the rain, I couldn't get what I wanted, and it made me miss coming back again.