Abashiri City Tourist Association
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Abashiri Tourist Information
Welcome
Association of Abashiri-shi Sightseeing gives sightseeing information for Abashiri and its surrounding areas. The information office is at the Abashiri River river mouth road side station “Ryuhyoukaido Abashiri” (Drift ice highway Abashiri), with seagulls fluttering and, fishing boats sailing around in full view of the Okhotsk Sea and Shiretoko Peninsula. In winter this is the departure point for the Drift Ice Sightseeing Icebreaker Ship “Aurora”, and in summer it becomes the departure point of the Whale Watching Cruise Ship.
Abashiri City Tourist Association
5-1, Minami 3 jo Higashi 4 chome, Abashiri-shi, Hokkaido
TEL : +81-152-44-5850
Open: 9:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m.
Regular Close Day: December 31- January 5
First map in Japan! A convenient map for walking around town.
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Michi-no-Eki (Road Station) 'Ryuhyo-Kaido Abashiri'
Abashiri Sightseeing Recommendations
Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum
The drift ice experiences will be reborn with these new facilities that include projection mapping, touching real drift ice, a drift ice experience terrace replicating day break and low latitude region aurora, a drift ice fantasy theatre that utilizes 5 large screens giving a full panoramic view and a variety of other techniques for experiencing drift ice that can only be found here!
Adults: 770 yen, children and groups discounted.
Abashiri Prison Museum
This open air museum is the reassembled building actually used in the Meiji era preserved and opened for the public. In addition the lives of the prisoners are replicated for the important role they played in the opening up of Hokkaido to Japan.
Visiting Time Approximately 90 Minutes
Open throughout the year, adults: 1,100yen, children and groups discounted.
Chinese signs and pamphlets are also available.
Northern Tribal Museum
The museum introduces you to the culture and way of life of the northern minor tribes. We have a complete corner for the Okhotsk culture that can only be found here in this region of Japan, You can gain knowledge about the wisdom of the peoples that live in the severely cold lands. Closed Mondays, adults 550 yen, children discounted.
Flower Garden – Hana Tento
Hana Tento is a flower garden with an area of 3.5 ha sloped filled with roughly 80,000 blooming flowers. The best time to see it is between early July and mid October where a variety of colors can be enjoyed, In a flower garden made beautiful by flowers such as the scarlet sage etc.
From the Drift Ice Sightseeing Icebreaker Ship ‘Aurora’
The 400 passenger capacity ship sails for approximately 1 hour through the drift ice sea. Drift ice can be seen up close, and the experience of breaking through the ice can only be felt here!
Adults: 3,500yen, children and groups discounted. 5 Ships in service per day.
Kitahama Station
The filming location in Hokkaido of the film ‘If you are the one’ (FEI CHENG WU RAO), Kitahama station was used as the first Hokkaido set piece. It starts with the two main characters disembarking the diesel train. Many messages and cards can be seen on the walls inside the station.
Moyoro Shell Mound Museum
Introducing the Moyoro people who lived at the northern seas through an exhibition including themes such as housing, graves and shell mounds. At this joint establishment grave exhibition you will be able to examine excavated gravesites up close. At this historic site you can view restored Okhotsk culture housing, graves, and post-Jomon period housing. Adults: 300yen, children and groups discounted.
Recommended Points
From spring till autumn flowers bloom in a variety of colors.
Seeing drift ice in Asia can only be done here in the Okhotsk Abashiri!
Abashiri may be strongly associated with the cold, however from spring to autumn many colorful flowers bloom, a lot of seafood is harvested from the Okhotsk and 5 lakes, as well as great amounts of produce from the mountains.
You can enjoy seasonal activities like cycling, fishing, horse riding, canoeing, skiing and so on.
Play hard, and then physically recover at a hot spring resort hotel around Lake Abashiri.
One more thing, Abashiri tap water is famous for being beautifully tasting even by Hokkaido’s high standards! Regardless of the facility, you can be sure that the tap water provided is great tasting, safe and free.
There are 3 museums that are unique to this area.
These are the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum, the Abashiri Prison Museum and the Hokkaido Northern Tribal Museum.In addition there is also the Abashiri-shi folk museum, the Moyoro Shell Mound Museum, the Tofutsu Lake Waterfowl – Swampland Center and more that you can visit.
How to Best Enjoy the 4 Seasons
Take a cruiser and see real whales and dolphins, or you can go horse trekking (outdoor horseback riding). Also canoeing in Lake Abashiri, cycling and running courses are also avilable.
【Climate of Abashiri】
Month
Avg. temperature (℃)
Precipitation（mm）
Jan.
-5.5
58.1
Feb.
-6.0
34.0
Mar.
-1.9
48.9
Apr.
4.4
54.7
May
9.4
65.3
Jun.
13.1
58.7
Month
Avg. temperature (℃)
Precipitation（mm）
Jul.
17.1
77.9
Aug.
19.6
98.4
Sep.
16.3
109.4
Oct.
10.6
76.0
Nov
3.7
66.8
Dec.
-2.4
53.8
| Month | Average temperature (℃) | Precipitation (mm) |
| Jan. | -5.5 | 58.1 |
| Feb. | -6.0 | 34.0 |
| Mar. | -1.9 | 48.9 |
| Apr. | 4.4 | 54.7 |
| May | 9.4 | 65.3 |
| Jun. | 13.1 | 58.7 |
| Jul. | 17.1 | 77.9 |
| Aug. | 19.6 | 98.4 |
| Sep. | 16.3 | 109.4 |
| Oct. | 10.6 | 76.0 |
| Nov. | 3.7 | 66.8 |
| Dec. | -2.4 | 53.8 |
Popular Food
Abashiri is a treasure house of food with top brand Tsuri Kinki, and more as well as seafood caught in Lake Abashiri such as Yamato corbicula, whitebait, and Japanese pond smelt, also blue king crab which in Japan can only be caught in Abashiri, our greatest asset the Oysters of the Lake Mokoto, and also the brand name beef ‘Okhotsk Abashiri Wagyu’! It’s worth to visit all the way over to try our produce aiming for the best seasonal periods! Also we would love you to try the local gourmet such as ‘Abashiri Zangi Don’ (deep-fried salmon on a bowl of rice) and ‘Abashiri Chanpon’ (noodle dish)!
Events of Abashiri
The crabs caught after drift ice is gone are delicious!
Spring Crab Battle in Abashiri
＜May 2021＞Postpone
This is a very popular event where you can taste the amazing flavor of crabs caught after the drift ice is gone.
The restaurants of the city have set-up gourmet food tents, crab sales, and the hugely popular event, unlike the usual mochimaki using rice cakes, it is kanimaki where crabs are tossed out to the crowd to be caught.
Abashiri Okhotsk Summer Festival
＜August 2021＞ call off
Festival where the local people gather and enjoy Abashiri’s summer together. Shopping street becomes pedestrian’s paradise during the festival. Ryuhyo (iceberg) dancing in which 1,000 people dance together and the fireworks are beyond a doubt the best part. The Okhotsk sea is covered by fireworks.
Abashiri Roadside Station Night Market Festival
＜Early July 2021＞ call off
Holding a beer garden at the special venue Roadside Rest Area Ryuhyo-Kaido Abashiri!
Three days filled with gourmet food stands, charcoal fire grilled meat, stage events and more.
Notoroko Sangoso (coral grass) Festival
＜From September 11 (Sat) to 12 (Sun), 2021＞call off
You can enjoy delicious food and atmosphere at the beginning of autumn under the blue sky. The aroma of seafood caught in Okhotsk like scallops will spread over the festival venue.
Okhotsk Abashiri Marathon
＜From August 7 (Sat) to 20 (Fri) , From September 25 (Sat) to 26 (Sun), 2021＞ call off
Various courses are run including a full marathon, 5k, and 3k starting from Abashiri Prison to the goal at Omagari Lakeside Park where the sunflowers are in full bloom. It is a splendid scenic course that has been chosen in the 100 selections of national running events.
Abashiri Okhotsk Drift Ice Festival
＜From February 11 (Fri) to 13 (Sun), 2022＞call off
You can see impressive large snow sculptures and delicately sculpted ice statues. In the evening the surroundings become even more fantastic when the ice sculptures are illuminated with 7 colors, thus taking on a different look compared to during the day.
Transportation to Abashiri
By Airplane
5 round trip flights a day from Tokyo Haneda Airport to Memanbetsu Airport approximately 1 hour 45 minutes, then regular bus approximately 30 minutes.
6 round trip flights a day from Hokkaido New Chitose Airport to Memanbetsu Airport approximately 45 minutes.
By Train
From Sapporo Station by JR Limited Express ‘Okhotsk’ to Abashiri Station (last stop), approximately 5 hours 30 minutes.
First departure from Sapporo Station at 6:56, last departure at 17:30, 2 round trips a day.
By Bus
From Sapporo Bus Terminal by Intercity Highway Bus ‘Dolly mint Okhotsk-Gou’ to Abashiri Bus Terminal (last stop) approximately 6 hours.
First departure from Sapporo at 7:50, last departure at 23:40 (overnight bus), 9 round trips a day.
Airport shuttle bus
Memanbetsu Airport depature and arrival is connected to the domestic.
Shiretoko Airport liner
Airport direct flights ‘reservationless’ (service for high season only)
Memanbetsu Airport-Abashiri Station – Abashiri Bus Terminal-Abashiri Drift Ice Icebreaker Landing (Abashiri Roadside Station)-Shiratori Park Entrance-Shari Bus Terminal-Road Station Utoro・Shirietoku-Utoro Onsen Bus Terminal-Hotel tour
Tourist attractions go by bus
Moyoro Shell Mound Museum
From Abashiri Bus Terminal take the ‘Omagari, Kouyou Iki (to Omagari and Kouyou direction)’ bus at the no. 2 bus stop or take the ‘Abashiri Eki, Kouyou Iki (to Abashiri station and Kouyou direction)’ bus at the no. 1 bus stop
▼
Get off at Moyoro Iriguchi (entrance)
Abashiri Prison Museum
(Ken Takakura starring movie Prison museum which became the model of Abashiri Bangaichi.)
From Abashiri Bus Terminal no. 3 stop, then ride the ‘Tourist Facilities Meguri’ at the Abashiri Station no. 2 bus stop
▼
Get off at Abashiri Prison Museum
Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum
From Abashiri bus terminal no. 3 bus stop, then ride ‘Tourist Facilities Meguri’ at the Abashiri Station no. 2 bus stop
▼
Get off at Tento-zan, Ryuhyo-kan
Hokkaido prefectural Museum of Northern Peoples
From Abashiri bus terminal no. 3 bus stop, then ride ‘Tourist Facilities Meguri’ at the Abashiri Station no. 2 bus stop
▼
Get off at Museum of Northern Peoples
Flower Garden Hana・Tento
From Abashiri bus terminal no. 3 bus stop, then ride ‘Tourist Facilities Meguri’ at the Abashiri Station no. 2 bus stop
▼
Get off at Hana・Tento (limited time)
Abashiri Municipal Provincial Museum
Ride the bus at the Abashiri Station no. 2 bus stop which is not end to Abashiri Bus Terminal
▼
Get off at Higashi 1 chome, then approximately 5 minutes from there on foot.
Sango-sou
Ride the ‘Saromako Sakaeura Line’Abashiri Station no. 2 bus stop
▼
Get off at Sango-sou (entrance)
Lake Tofutsu Shiratori Park
From Abashiri Station no. 2, ride the ‘Koshimizu Line ” Shari Line’ at Abashiri Bus Terminal no. 5 bus stop
▼
Get off at Shiratori Park (entrance), then 5 minutes from there on foot.
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