| Population | 157,288 |
| Size | 1,362.90 km2 |
| Contact | https://www.city.kushiro.lg.jp/ Kushiro City Hall - 0154-23-5151 |
| Location / Getting There | Kushiro is located in the south eastern part of Hokkaido. By car, from Sapporo the fastest route is a 4 hour 21 minute drive (tolls included). Head east via route 38. For a long drive you can take the scenic coastal drive down south to Erimo and then across east Kushiro. This coastal drive will take about 8 hours. There is an airport in Kushiro also. |
Kushiro is a small city in the eastern part of Hokkaido and is located on the coast and is the most populated city in eastern Hokkaido. Its history dates back to 1869. Being a port city, it has strong ties to the fishing industry. It is also most famous for the two national parks surrounding the city. These national parks are Kushiro Marsh and Akan Marsh. Kushiro has a main train station, airport and a main road that runs through the center of town, with many temples, museums and restaurants. Food wise, Kushiro is the birthplace of ‘Zangi’ (deep fried chicken) and also ‘SupaKatsu’ (a local dish of spaghetti and fried pork cutlet). So what to do in Kushiro? Read on!
Sightseeing
Friendship Square Kobunka Kushiro City Museum Kushiro Fisherman’s Wharf MOO Kushiro Marsh Observatory
Kushiro Shitsugen National Park Nusamai Bridge Nusumai Park Onnenai Visitor Centre Sakaemachiheiwa Park
Food
Nightlife
Accommodation
Hotel Crown Hills Kushiro Kushiro Century Castle Hotel
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 - ¥2000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 22:30 All locations 11:00 - 21:00 AEON locations |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | https://danryu.net/ |
| Notes | Chinese restaurant, parking available, lunch set & dinner set available, no smoking |
| Location / Getting There | There are 11 stores in the Sapporo area. 1 restaurant in Asahikawa. 1 restaurant in Kushiro. Please see google maps below. |
Dan Ryū Chinese is a chain of mandarin restaurants mainly in the city of Sapporo. They also have a restaurant in Asahikawa and Kushiro, one a piece. The company was first established in 2002 and since then, the company has grown not only in Hokkaido but have spread out to the main island of Honshu. These restaurants are popular (especially during lunch time) as they have large set meals. For the volume of food served, it is well worth the price.
The menu here has all the usual items that can be found in most Chinese restaurants. Sichuan Mapu Tofu, crab with fried rice, stir-fried pork & cabbage with miso, shrimp in chili sauce, Gomoku spring rolls, and dumplings, to name just a few. The set meals come with rice, soup, and dumplings (the set meals differ depending on the day). The food here is good. For those wishing for a larger group or party, there are plans in place for that. These can include an all you can drink plan as well! Reservations and take out is available.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 to 17:00 April - October 9:00 to 16:00 November - March |
| Closed | Tuesdays New Year Holidays |
| Contact | 011-5465-2323 |
| Notes | Museum, information center, restrooms, *wheelchair access, walking paths *contact center prior to arrival for special parking access |
| Location / Getting There | About 40 minutes by car from Kushiro Station, there is a parking lot along Route 53. For public transport take the 'Akan Bus' Tsurui Line / Hororo Line to the Onnenai Visitor Center Bus Stop. The center is a 5 minutes walk away from the parking. Onnenai, Tsurui, Akan District, Hokkaido 085-1145 |
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. It is a point of contact between the marsh and the forest that leads down to the national park. It is here, that visitors can learn about the marsh, take a break, plus enjoy the walking courses throughout the year.
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At the center, via video panels, you can learn about the plants and animals that live in the national park. This area can be visited in any season. The lush greenery in spring, the golden leaves in autumn, the winter snow, and during the summer months of July and August, you can see the marsh lit by the glow of fireflies. Cross-country skiing is possible in the winter, and you can rent skis and snowshoes free of charge from the facility. There are three separate walking courses from the center. The shortest being a short ten minute course. the middle course is 2 kilometers, and the longest course is around 3.1 kilometers. Free and paid guided nature walks are available. Cross-country skiing is possible in the winter, and you can rent skis and snowshoes free of charge from the facility.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 16:30 |
| Closed | Wednesday |
| Contact | 0154-56-2345 |
| Notes | National park, parking available, walking trails, museum |
| Location / Getting There | The national park is to the north of Kushiro City. It is about a 25 minute drive north from the centre of the city. To get an observation deck overlooking the marshland, take the JR train to Kushiroshitsugen Station (4 stops from Kushiro station) via the Semmo Line. 2-2101 Hokuto, Kushiro, Kawakami District, Hokkaido 084-0922 |
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. The park also contains the largest tracts of reed beds in Japan! The Kushiro river, which originates from Lake Kussharo, winds its way through much of the park and ends in the harbor of Kushiro City.
In 1967, the wetlands were designated as a national natural monument. For this reason, access to the park is limited to keep the preservation of the area. There observation points to view the marshlands. These being the Toro Sarurun Observatory, the Yumegaoka Observatory, the Kushiro Marsh Observatory, and the Tenbo Terrace. From these vantage points you can enjoy the marshlands. There are a couple of small walking trails near these observatories. The vegetation of the park consists reeds, peat moss wetlands, and black alder thickets. The wild species that can be seen here include the red crowned crane, huchen salmon, siberian salamander, and dragonflies.
bottom slider gallery.
both upper gallery and slider galleries must be premade.
| Admission | ¥480 - Adults ¥250 - Highschool Students ¥120 - Children *Free for seniors |
| Opening Hours | 8: 30 - 18: 00 April-September 9: 00 - 17: 00 October-March |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 015-456-2424 |
| Notes | Museum, wheelchair access, lockers available, parking 108 cars, souvenir store, toilets, restaurant |
| Location / Getting There | The museum is to the north west of Kushiro city on route 53. It's 30 minutes by car from JR Kushiro Station (Akan Bus: Tsurui Line), or it's about 18 minutes by car from Kushiro Airport. 6-11 Hokuto, Kushiro, Hokkaido 084-0922 |
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. This museum is a good spot to appreciate the surrounding wetlands, known as Kushiro Wetland. On the rooftop of the building, there is an observation deck where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the marshland, the city of Kushiro, and the mountains of Akan.
Inside the museum there are various exhibits of the surrounding landscape and the local animals of the wetlands. There aren’t a lot of these exhibits but they have some interesting information of the local area. Admission is free for the first floor. It is here you can find a souvenir shop and a restaurant. The second floor has an exhibition area and from this stage on, you have to pay to enter. There is an elevator that reaches the rooftop. Around the museum, there are walking paths that lead into the marshlands of Kushiro. The Marsh Observatory is definitely worth a stop in if you are in the area.
| Admission | ¥480 - Adults ¥250 - Highschool Students ¥110 - Children |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 17:00 |
| Closed | Mondays |
| Contact | 0154-41-5809 |
| Notes | Museum, wheelchair access, free wifi, lockers available, events held throughout the year, wheelchair & stroller rental |
| Location / Getting There | The museum is a 40 minute walk from Kushiro station or a 15 minute drive.. For public transport from Kushiro Station bus terminal No.3 (bus 16 Shirakaba Harutori Shopping Center Line, 17 Shirakaba Akira Danchi Line) or No. 11 (bus 2 Wakakusa Danchi Line, 12 Fumizono Koju Line (for Midorigaoka), 55 Nanboku Line (2nd) Please take the bus from (to Wakakusa housing complex)). The nearest bus stop to the museum is the "Municipal Hospital". It takes about 10 to 15 minutes from Kushiro Station to the city hospital bus stop. ¥220 yen one way. (As of October 1, 2021) 1-7 Shunkodai, Kushiro, Hokkaido 085-0822 |
The history of the Kushiro City Museum dates far back to 1936. Originally, an exhibition room was set up as the “Kushiro City Folk Museum” on the second floor of the Kushiro City Hall Waterworks Construction Office. Over the decades, the location changed and finally on November 3rd, 1983, the “Kushiro City Museum” was born. The building was designed by a local arhcitect, Kiko Mozuna. His award winning design was designed to represent a red-crowned crane with its wings spread out. The museum is home to 4100 exhibits and objects.
The exhibitions at the museum incorporate flora and fauna from the Kushiro area. There is a permanent Ainu exhibition here also which is fascinating. This is one of the best museums in Hokkaido as the exhibits are first class and very well presented with great detail. There is information in multiple languages and there is plenty of space to walk around at your leisure. The museum is four floors and there is a huge amount of information to learn from the earliest archaeological findings to the current wild life of Kushiro. This museum is a must visit for those visiting Kushiro and are interested in history.
