Kotan Hachiman Shrine

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Kotan Hachiman Shrine was founded in 1856 and was officially named a township shrine in 1875. It was listed as a local shrine on the 28th of April 1911. The purpose of the shrine is to follow the great principles of the deity, Hondawake no Mikoto. Hondawake no Mikoto is also more commonly known as the Emporer Ōjin. Read More ....

Otaru Canal Museum & Information Center

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Otaru City General Museum Canal Museum has an extensive collection that introduces the history of Otaru City including information on the natural environment. The exhibition includes 20,000 objects and materials in its collection. The museum is located by Otaru Canal and can be found in the 'former Otaru warehouse'. Read More ....

Tokai Lavender Fields

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On the Tokai Sapporo School campus the grounds really comes alive with lavender. It is said that the south district of Sapporo, where the campus is located, is known as the birthplace of lavender cultivation in Japan. Read More ....

Urahoro Shrine

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During the Meiji Era, as the town of Urahoro (on the south east coast of Hokkaido) was being developed, the pioneers called for the construction of a shrine to serve as a spiritual centre. On August 15, 1896, a small shrine was erected, enshrining Amaterasu (goddess of the sun and the universe). Read More ....

Onnenai Visitor Center

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, also known as the Kushiro Marshland is a sprawling national park to the north of Kushiro. There are half a dozen observation decks, museums, and walking paths that surround the park. The Onnenai Visitor Center is one of these museums and can be found on the western side of the marshland. Read More ....

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National park (better known as the Kushiro Marshland) is a national park, located to the north of Kushiro on the eastern side of Hokkaido. The park is known for its wetlands ecosystems. 'Shitsugen' translates to wetlands in English. It was designated as a national park on 31 July 1987. The massive park covers an area of 268.61 square kilometres on the Kushiro plain and is well known for its wildlife and vegetation. Read More ....

Kushiro Marsh Observatory

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Perched at the top of a large hill, overlooking Kushiro Marsh, you can find the Kushiro Marsh Observatory. This is one of the most interesting buildings in Hokkaido. The exterior, and especially the interior, has a strange and unique design and is reminiscent of a cool sci-fi movie. The central hall of the museum is definitely a place to get some photos. Read More ....

Obihiro Shrine

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In 1881, a man named Benzo Yoda and others from Shizuoka Prefecture organized a pioneer group called the "Bansei-sha". This group and settled inShimo-Obihiro Village and started pioneering. During this time, they started holding festivals and later built a small shrine, though the connection with the current Obihiro Shrine is still not well known. Read More ....

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Mashike Shrimp Festival

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Dates	Last weekend of May
Opening Hours	10:00 - 14:00
Contact	0164-53-3332 (Mashike Town Office Commerce and Industry Tourism Division)
Location / Getting There	1 minute walk from Mashike bus station. 2 hour 15 minute drive from Sapporo. Mashike station Ekimae Street Surroundings (Masuke Machi Bentencho 1)

Get your shrimp!

The Mashike Spring Taste Festival, better known as the ‘Mashike Shrimp Festival’ is held annually on the western coast of Hokkaido. Mashike is a quiet harbor town that prizes its seafood. The festival is a celebration of the local produce from the area. Mashike has some fantastic old buildings throughout the town and the festival makes use of these as well as the streets for the multitude of stalls. At the festival, you can taste plenty of different kinds of seafood, though if you want to see a lot of the shrimp, its best to get to the festival early.

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: Shrimp and beer combo

: Staying cool in the shade

: Delicious seafood

Inside the fishing museum

Many of the public arrive early and get shrimp in take away packs so get in quick. The festival finishes surprisingly early at 14:00. There are lots of stalls selling different kinds of food, especially seafood. You can buy shrimp, octopus and shell fish for a cheap price. Goes well with the beer! The festival also focuses on local sake and the breweries in the area. They have a sake tasting area as well as sake competition which can be seen on a large stage. There are local performers and attraction throughout the streets, so make sure to bring a camera.

: Fun for the kids

: Sake building

: Historical buiildings

Mashike town

There are three ways to get to Mashike. The most convenient and probably the cheapest would be to get a hire car from Sapporo. If you don’t have a lot of time, it is an easy drive up in the morning and head back in the evening. It’s a great drive and you can stop off along the way and see Shiragane Waterfall, and the Yuhinooka Rest Stop. Alternatively, you can take a bus from Sapporo Station to Rumoi (2 hrs & 50 min) and then take a taxi (20 km) to Mashike. This will put you back about ¥10,000 return. Via train from Sapporo, take the ‘Lilac Limited Express’ or the ‘Kamui Limited Express’ to Fukugawa (1 hour 5 min). Trains run every 4 hours to Owada (50min) and then a taxi to Mashike (25km). Total cost via this route is about ¥12,000 there and back.