Visit to the local museums which specialize in the culture of Northern Peoples and drift ice. Abashiri, a small town, is located in the eastern part of Hokkaido, has some unique museums which give you opportunities to learn about the culture of the Northern Peoples and drift ice, which covers Okhotsk Sea every winter.
At your hotel in Abashiri.
At your hotel in Abashiri.
Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples is the only museum which specializes in the culture of Northern Peoples and you can see many interesting exhbits such as colorful clothes, wooden ritual masks, musical instruments, wood carvings,etc. You can enjoy some hands-on activities such as making toys of Northern peoples, leather cell phone straps, etc. Audio guide is available to get more information.
Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum offers you experience to actually touch some real drift ice in the special exhibition room with -15℃. Also you can see some cute marine creatures such as cliones, known as drift ice angels and balloon lumpfish. You can see panoramic view of Okhotsk Sea and Shiretoko National Park, which is designated as World Natural Heritage Site from the observation terrace.
guide fee, hotel pick-up at the hotel in Abashiri.
transportation fee ( you and guide) such as taxi fares or rent-a-car fee, ( taxi fares will be about 7000 JPY in total and renting a car will be about 8000 JPY a day plus gas , which varies depending on the size of the car ), lunch, dinner, entrance fee
I can help you visit the places around Abashiri, where I live and go hiking in our area. There isn't frequent transportation service here and I think you need to take a taxi or rent a car. We basically begin our tours from Abashiri and return to this city. If you plan to start your tour from different cities, let me know about your plan. In that case, you might need to pay for my transportation expenses and accomodation fees. There might be some cases that I have to drive a long way ( more than 3 or 4 hours for one way) and stay at a hotel on the day before meeting you.
Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples is closed on Mondays and there are some sepcial exhibitions at some certain time of the year.
There is no place to eat here. Open hours are from 9:30 a.m to 4:30 p.m (July - September 9:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m)
The observation terrace of Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum is sometimes closed when it is very windy. There are cafe and restaurant on the 2nd floor. Open hours are 8:30 a.m to 6:00 p.m (May - October), 9:00 a.m to 4:30 p.m (November - April)
Hiroshi is the nicest, most knowledgeable guide we've ever had. We are a couple travelling through the Shiretoko area and as we didn't drive, our request were out of the ordinary. As well as needing a guide through the national park, we also needed transportation included. Hiroshi was very accommodating in our needs. He went above and beyond for us, had coffee and homemade bread prepared which we are so touched by. The day was perfect and we are so glad we had met him and had him as our guide. We hope to meet him again one day.
Hi Melissa & Joe Thanks a lot for your kind words, Melissa. I also had a great time with you two. It's a bit too warm for a nature tour, but we're lucky to see so many Hokkaido deer while walking and driving. Please come to Hokkaido again and enjoy its natural beauty. Hokkaido gives us gorgeous views and natural habitats for many wild animals and birds. I believe it is a paradise for you, especially for Joe. Let's have another Origami folding paper time together!! Many thanks, Hiroshi
Hiroshi is a fantastic local Abashiri guide born, raised and living in the remote Shiretoko region of Hoddaiko. The unseasonal melting of snow meant our original plans to include snow-shoeing had to be changed, with Hiroshi re-arranging our day brilliantly to include Lake Tofutsu, Mt Mokoto observatory, the Museum of the Northern Peoples, and Cape Notoro. Hiroshi came prepared with home-made bread, coffee and tea, and binoculars for our bird-watching successes that included a family group of Japanese Cranes, Stellar Sea-Eagles and white-tailed eagles. Hiroshi made our day a fantastic experience. Highly recommended!
Hello Tony and Veronica, Thanks for your mail and good review. I haven't been doing guide jobs lately due to the covid-19, so I'm sure I'm a little rusty. Sorry about asking you again several times. As for our snowshoe walk, we didn't have any luck, but we were very lucky to be able to see gorgeous eagles and cranes. And I was really happy to know Mt.Mokoto observatory was a great success! Please come again, Tony and Veronica. I'll be very happy to have you here in Abashiri any time of the year. Feel free to ask me for more information about this area in the future. Many thanks, Hiroshi
Our group from Seattle Washington spent two days with Hiroshi in Eastern Hokkaido - one day touring the Abashiri area and the second hiking in Lake Akan. We had a great experience with him and highly recommend him. In planning the trip, Hiroshi was a pleasure to work with. We were interested in hiking and seeing some of the natural wonders of Eastern Hokkaido. He answered all our e-mails promptly with excellent ideas and information, and was very flexible in developing a trip that met the needs of our schedule and group interests. On our arrival to Japan, Hiroshi went out of his way to make two trips to the airport as some of our group was delayed. Upon meeting him, we bonded quickly. His written and spoken English is excellent - not surprising as he is a former English teacher. He is a charming, funny and delightful individual, a Hokkaido native full of local knowledge and lots of energy. He had prepared extensively for our trip, coming with maps, brochures, and a wide range of specific ideas. He drove us for two days in a rental car, including in some challenging weather conditions. He is an experienced and cautious driver who made us feel very comfortable. On our hike to Meakandake at Lake Akan, he arrived fully prepared with extra gear, maps, even fresh home made bread and hot coffee for the trail! He was very careful to track our progress and mindful of how the group was doing at all times as the weather and conditions changed during the hike. Even after our tour with him and during the rest of our time in Hokkaido, he stayed in touch frequently, providing additional ideas as to where to go, including many excellent spots that were not found in local guides. Overall, our experience with Hiroshi was great and I would recommend him without reservation.
Hi Sandy Thank you so much for your message. I had a GREAT time spending two days with you, too. It was also a hppy and pleasure time for me. Unfortunately, we didn't have the best weatherfor the hike at Mt.Meakan but as I told you during our hike, that was a kind of the notice that we should hike again. So I'd like you all to come again to Mt. Meakandake to enjoy its spectacular views in the near future !! I was really glad to know you had a good luck to be able to see beautiful views of Lake Mashu, a small pond called 'Kaminoko-ike',or God's Child Pond in English and rare birds including cranes during the rest of your tour. Please let me know anytime when you need some information about eaastern Hokkaido. I'm looking forward to hearing from you !! Thanks again for your kind words and say hi to David and Cezanne for me. Hiroshi
Hiroshi is an excellent and knowledgeable guide around the Abashiri area. He’s very communicative and worked with me to research and schedule a tour to fit my interests so don’t feel limited by the tour description on Triplelights. He was a gracious host. We ate the best oysters I have ever tasted near Lake Saroma. His English is very good, both written and spoken
Thank you for your kind comments, Craig. I'm happy to know you really enjoyed your stay in Abashiri. December is not the best time to visit Abashiri, but we did have a great time visiting scenic spots, water birds observation and drift ice museum. Especially, having delicious oysters WAS a high-light for me, too. Please come and visit Abashiri again and have more memorable experiences with me. Thanks again for visiting Abashiri. Hiroshi.