Hokkaido's Eastern Region: A World Natural Heritage

Shiretoko Five Lakes, Road to Heaven, Kamui Pond, Ura-Mashu Observatory, Kussharo Lake Sunayu, Kawayu Onsen Oyado Kinkiyu Annex Shinobutou Visiting the must-see spot "Shiretoko Five Lakes" in "Shiretoko National Park," a World Natural Heritage site, brought back nostalgic memories after seven years. Last time, I only walked the "elevated wooden path," but this time, I explored the "ground walking trail." The entrance fee is 250 yen, and visitors need to fill out an application form, attend a lecture, and watch a video before being allowed to hike freely. The trail is divided into a small loop and a large loop, both one-way routes. I chose the large loop, which includes photo stops and took about 1.5 hours to complete, returning via the elevated wooden path. Many tourists were hiking, some even with guides. Perhaps due to the cold weather and the crowd, I didn’t encounter any bears. The autumn foliage was not yet at its peak, and I found the elevated wooden path more scenic. The lakeside views along the ground trail were decent but not as stunning as the mountain spots I visited last week. For lunch, I dined at the popular "Utoro Fishermen’s Cooperative Women’s Division Cafeteria." Luckily, I arrived early and only waited five minutes before a long queue formed. After lunch, I drove for half an hour to "Road to Heaven," a truly heavenly path. The observatory offers a great view of the sunflower fields below. An hour’s drive brought me to the long-awaited hidden gem "Kamui Pond." I finally fulfilled my regret from 2017. Despite the narrow gravel road, turning around wasn’t an issue. From the parking lot, it’s less than a minute’s walk to the wooden walkway, where breathtaking views await. Compared to Biei Blue Pond, Aomori’s Juniko Blue Pond, and Yamagata’s Maruike-sama, Kamui Pond is much easier to access and photograph. This will definitely become one of my regular spots. About ten minutes later, I arrived at "Ura-Mashu Observatory." Although the air was slightly hazy, the visibility of Mashu Lake was high, offering beautiful scenery. Finally, I visited "Kussharo Lake" after seven years. I didn’t soak in "Sunayu," but the sunset view was stunning, evoking a European ambiance. By evening, at 5:00 PM, I reached "Oyado Kinkiyu Annex Shinobutou," located near "Kussharo Lake Sunayu." This high-end hotel is a renovated old facility. Nearby is the main building "Oyado Kinkiyu," where guests can enjoy free hot springs. The room is a cozy Japanese-style twin room, providing a comfortable sleep. The lobby is elegantly decorated, and the "Restaurant Haspo" buffet, offering a mix of Japanese, Western, and Chinese cuisine, is highly rated. The all-you-can-drink alcohol at dinner and the lobby’s drink bar make it worthwhile. Dinner highlights included crab legs, crab miso soup, and freshly made sushi. "Kawayu Onsen Village" is filled with the scent of sulfur. The outdoor walking paths are under construction, but the steaming streams create a fantastic atmosphere. Japan has many similarly named hot springs. Among them: - "Yunokawa Onsen" in Shimane Prefecture is one of Japan’s three major beauty hot springs. - "Kawanoyu Onsen" in Hokkaido, located below Mount Hakodate, is a famous hot spring. - "Kawayu Onsen" in Teshikaga Town, near Mount Io in Eastern Hokkaido. - "Kawayu Onsen" in Wakayama Prefecture, near Kumano Kodo. - "Yukawa Onsen" in Iwate Prefecture, near the Akita border. - "Yukawa Onsen" in Ishikawa and Nagano Prefectures. Including tonight’s stay, I’ve now visited three of these hot springs. In May 2015, I stayed at Hokkaido’s "Kawanoyu Onsen," and in March 2023, I stayed at Wakayama’s "Kawayu Onsen." Located within "Akan-Mashu National Park," "Kawayu Onsen" was historically a therapeutic hot spring area. It lies east of Mashu Lake and west of Kussharo Lake. Its strong acidic hydrogen sulfide water contains minerals like gypsum and greenstone, making it one of Japan’s rare volcanic hot springs. Known for its therapeutic properties and high sterilization effect, the spring’s composition is "acidic sulfur-containing iron sodium sulfate chloride spring (hydrogen sulfide type)." Electrical appliances here typically last only three years due to acid corrosion, increasing hotel maintenance costs. This is similar to the acidic hot springs I visited earlier this month, such as Aomori’s Sukayu Onsen and Akita’s Hoshinokai Onsen, as well as Tamagawa Onsen, which I plan to visit next week. After soaking in the large communal bath at night, I walked to the main building in the morning for another soak. The outdoor baths have pools with varying temperatures, and the autumn foliage along the way is perfect for photography.