Nemuro tourism information

Nemuro City Tourist Association

【Climate in Nemuro】

	Jan.	Feb.	Mar.	Apr.	May	Jun.	Jul.	Aug.	Sep.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.	Year
Average temperature （℃）	-1.1	-1.6	1.6	7.2	11.5	14.4	17.9	20.8	18.8	14.4	8.3	2.1	9.5
Precipitation （mm）	35.5	22.6	52.5	66.5	102.1	90.9	121.7	120.8	167.0	106.3	84.5	50.4	1020.8

	Escalope The name derives from thin slice of meat. It also said to come from the name of Italian cuisine. Thinly sliced pork cutlet on buttered rice with bamboo shoots covered in demi-glace sauce, it is a dish that can be found in western restaurants in the city.
	Yakitori bento The name implies yakitori, however this is a unique bento boxed lunch with skewered pork. Available at the Taie convenience stores only found in Nemuro. → click here for the map of the store
	Holand-senbei One of Nemuro's confectionaries, 16 centimeters in diameter, a mildly sweet cracker, although it's light and soft. Available in Nemuro city supermarkets among other locations.
	Homerun-yaki Baked sweet filled with red bean-paste, 6 centimeters in diameter. Sold only in Hanasakiminato. Please try one when you visit. → click here for the map of the store

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	Onnemoto Chashi Site Built by the Ainu civilisation, it is said to have been used as a sacred place or fort during times of battle between the 16th and 18th century. There are 32 locations of these Chashi sites In Nemuro, however the Onnemoto Chashi site is a representative location and is maintained for visiting.
	Higashi-Nemuro Station The station with the platform at Japan's eastern-most point, before the terminus Nemuro Station. It's a highly popular location for commemorative photography.
	Japanese alpine cherry Seiryuji Temple is a great site to see with its cherry trees brough over from Kunashiri Island in the Meiji era. It is known nationally as the latest place where cherry blossoms bloom in Japan, often entering full bloom in the end of May.

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	Steller's sea eagle It's a popular bird for bird watchers, and it is said to be the biggest eagle in Japan, with a bright yellow beak shining on a black body. It's seen all over Nemuro from January to March.
	Tufted Puffin A seabird characterized by a big orange bill, it is seen only in the eastern part in Hokkaido. It can commonly be observed from cruise ships in Nemuro between June and August.
	Swan Many big white swans come to Lake Furen around November as a wintering spot.

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Welcome to Japan's No. 1 Wild Bird Paradise!

The Nemuro and Kushiro region is located in the eastern part of Hokkaido,Japan's Northern Island.
More than 360 species of birds have been recorded in this region.
The list of species includes a number of iconic birds such as Red-crowned Crane,Blakiston's Fish Owl and Steller's Sea Eagle, but the list of interesting species goes on and on: White-tailed Eagle, Whooper Swan, Harlequin Duck, Black Scoter, White-winged Scoter, Japanese Cormorant, Pelagic Cormorant, Red-faced Cormorant, Hazel Grouse, Latham's Snipe, Brown Dipper, Spectacled Guillemot, Pigeon Guillemot, Ancient Murrelet, Rhinoceros Auklet,Tufted Puffin, Ural Owl, Shorteared Owl, Black Woodpecker, Japanese Pygmy Woodpecker, Grey-headed Woodpecker,White-backed Woodpecker, Japanese Robin, Siberian Rubythroat,Gray's Warbler, Middendorff 's Grasshopper Warbler, Lanceolated Warbler, Asian Rosy Finch and so on.
There are three national parks in the region: Akan NP, Kushiro-shitsugen NP,and Shiretoko NP. In July 2005, the Shiretoko area was designated as a World Natural Heritage. They are all very well worth visiting.
Eastern Hokkaido is embraced by the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Oceanand the land is rich in rivers, lakes, bays, mountains, volcanoes, forests, and wetlands. As a result, it has a very diverse natural environment.
In addition to these features, this region has many fishing ports where you canenjoy watching hundreds of gulls, ducks and wintering sea eagles very easily.
You can also enjoy bird-watching cruises all year round and whale-watchingcruises in summer; these are operated from several of these fisging ports.
Seabird-watching cruises in the Nemuro area and eagle-watching cruises from Rausu are highlights of visits to this region. You can enjoy watching a range of guillemots, auklets, shearwaters, sea-ducks, divers, skuas,and albatrosses in the Nemuro area in summer or winter, while watching or photographing eagles on sea-ice off Rausu in February has become world famous.
Watching or photographinlg Red-crowned Cranes is another excellent experience.
In winter, you can easily enjoy this fantastic bird in the Kushiro area.
At Akan International Crane Centre, at Tancho no Sato, don't miss the feeding show which starts at 2 o'clock every day only in winter. In addition to the courtship dancing of the cranes, watch spectacular battles between the cranes and sea eagles tempted in by food put out for the cranes. Visit the Otowa Bridge in Tsurui Village very early on winter mornings to see the cranes leaving their overnight roost-it's a spectacular experience. You can watch the cranes resting or dancing in the mist rising from the river.
The best seasons for bird-watching in this region are the periods between late January and early March for winter birds and between mid-June and early August for summer birds. You need at least 4-5 days for watching or photographing, but if you really want to enjoy the region's birds, staying for one week is recommendable.

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There is a great range of accommodations in the area, which includes reasonable Japanese-style inns, B&B, and western style hotels. You can enjoy Japanese style meals throughout the region, but for those who do not enjoy Japanese cuisine, western-style meals are available in most of the towns. This area is also very rich in natural hot springs. In most of the inns and hotels, you can enjoy Japanese-style public hot-spring baths, which are wonderfully relaxing after a long day out in the field birdwatching. For those not interested in experiencing this traditional Japanese culture, western-style baths may also be available; it is best to make your intentions clear when you choose your accommodations.

Western-style rent-a-car service is available at each aitport, and is quite reasonably priced. Driving around this area in summer is very pleasant, but driving on Frozen winter roads is challenging and may be dangerous for beginners. Hiring an English-speaking bird-watching guide is recommended, and we have several that we can introduce you to. They can provide you not only with bird-watching guiding service, but will also drive for you and will be there to interpret the language and culture you experience during your stay.

	Early September,Nemuro Crab Festival This is a festival to enjoy Hanasaki crab, Nemuro's local specialty. You can enjoy various crab dishes such as teppo soup as well as boiled crabs and grilled crabs
	Mid September,Nemuro Saury Festival This is a festival to enjoy pacific saury harvested in Nemuro which boasts the highest catch of saury in Japan. Saury caught here have a lot of fat and some call it "fatty saury." In the festival, a 100m charcoal grill is prepared for visitors to grill saury, and there are various other interesting events such as saury grabbing, saury on-site sale, and saury cooking.
	Nemuro Sightseeing Cruise Ochiishi nature cruise and Habomai Fishing Port Panoramic Cruise (in winter) are popular.
	Footpath You can feel Nemuro's rich nature as you walk in the grassland and seaside area.

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Access

You can visit tourist spots in Nemuro City by regularly-operated bus or by seasonally-operated sightseeing bus. If you are not in a rush, enjoy traveling the City of Nemuro by using these local bus routes.

You can visit the City of Kushiro, one of the neighboring municipalities by train running on the JR Nemuro Main Line (also called by its nickname, the Hanasaki Line). From Kushiro, the JR Senmo Line train (famous as "Norokko Train" in summer) takes you to the City of Abashiri via the famous Kawayu Hot Spring Resort that participated in the Hot Spring Summit, and via Shari Town.

Bus routes operated by Nemuro Kotsu Bus take you to Bekkai and Nakashibetsu via Akkeshi.
From Nakashibetsu, you can go to Shibetsu, Rausu, Utoro and Kushiro by bus operated by Akan Bus.

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【Railway】

Hanasaki Line

Nemuro

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Hanasaki

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Attoko

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Hamanaka

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Akkeshi

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Kushiro

Kushiro

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Obihiro

Kushiro

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Sapporo

Kushiro

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Shari

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Abashiri

Abashiri

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Sapporo

Shari

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Utoro

Utoro

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Sapporo

【Bus】

Nemuro Kotsu

Nemuro

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Sapporo（Highway bus）

Nemuro

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Cape Nosappu, Onneto, Shunkunitai, Lake Furen, Kurumaishi, Ochiishi, Habomai

Nemuro Kotsu

Nemuro

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Kushiro

Nemuro Kotsu

Nemuro

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Attoko

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Bekkai

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Nakashibetsu

Akan Bus

Nakashibetsu

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Kushiro

Nakashibetsu

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Shibetsu

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Rausu

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Utoro

Nakashibetsu

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Kaiyodai, Yoroushi

Tourist spots which can be visited by bus regularly operated within the city.

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★From Nemuro Station
1.JR Nemuro Station
2.Tourist Information Center：Across from the Nemuro Station
3.Meiji Park：7 minutes by taxi.
4.Kotohira Jinja：Shiomi Line, 7 minutes. Get off at "Shiomi-cho", 5 minute walk.
5.Northern Territories Exchange Center 'NIHORO'：Attoko Line, 10 minutes. Get off at "Hoppo-yonto Koryu Center Iriguchi", 10 minute walk.
6.Museum of History and Nature：Hanasaki Line, 12 minutes. Get off at "Kurumaishi Iriguchi", 10 minute walk.
7.Kurumaishi：Hanasaki Line, 12 minutes. Get off at "Kurumaishi Iriguchi", 20 minute walk.
8.Shunkunitai Wild Bird Sanctuary：Attoko Line, 18 minutes. Get off at "Tobai", 2 minute walk.
9.Shunkunitai：Attoko Line, 18 minutes. Get off at "Tobai", 10 minute walk.
10.Roadside station, 'Swan 44 Nemuro'：Attoko Line, 20 minutes. Get off at "Hakuchodai", Short walk from the bus stop.
10.Lake Furen：Attoko Line, 20 minutes. Get off at "Hakuchodai", Short walk from the bus stop.
11.Ochiishi Fishing Port： JR Nemuro Main Line, 32 minutes. Get off at "Ochiishi Sta.", 10 minutes by taxi.
12.Habomai Fishing Port：Nosappu Line, 35 minutes. Get off at "Habomai Teiryusho", 10 minute walk.
13.Cape Nosappu：Nosappu Line, 45 minutes. Get off at "Nosappu Misaki".
14.Northern Natural Flower Garden：25 minutes by taxi.

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small-group trips, observation tours, etc.

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