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Sights of Eastern Hokkaido

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Eastern Hokkaido Express Bus Unlimited Ride Pass Winter

Easti Hokkaido Express Bus Unlimited Ride Pass Winter 01Make a prior reservation and get an unlimited ride pass of more than 20 bus lines including the intercity buses and Eastern Hokkaido Express Bus which provides you with an easy access to the major tourist attractions and hot spring resorts in eastern Hokkaido.
Recommended for fully enjoying your trip to eastern Hokkaido in winter!

<Contents>
1. Unlimited Ride Pass 2 points
2. 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day passes are available!
3. The Bus Lines Included in the Unlimited Ride Pass
 1)Eastern Hokkaido Express Bus
 2)The Intercity Express Bus
 3)Regularly Scheduled Sightseeing Bus
 4)Region Pass
4. Go to the Purchase Page and Notes

1. Unlimited Ride Pass 2 points

TIP➀ The more you ride, the more you save!
If you travel the three routes of Kushiro – Lake Akan – Utoro – Memanbetsu Airport, you pay only 12,800 JPY instead of the regular price of 15,000 JPY!

TIP➁ A great lineup is available!
Including the intercity buses, White Pirika Liner, and the popular bus line “Eastern Hokkaido Express Bus”, more than 20 lines are available!

Note
Advance booking is required to take each bus using the Unlimited Ride Pass! It’s recommended that you book 8 days prior to your boarding date. No guarantee, but you may book by 5 P.M. on three days before only if there are seats left.
How far in advance should I purchase the Unlimited Ride Pass?
Please make your purchase at least 10 days before the first day of your boarding date. You will be able to book each bus after that.

2. 3-day, 4-day, and 5-day passes are available!

 

……….3-Day Pass……….
.
9,800 JPY

.
Effective Period: January 29, 2022-March 4, 2022

 

 

……….4-Day Pass……….
.
13,800 JPY

.
Effective Period: January 29, 2022-March 3, 2022

 

 

……….5-Day Pass……….
.
17,800 JPY

.
Effective Period: January 29, 2022-March 2, 2022

 

Once activated, your pass is valid for the number of consecutive calendar days you’ve chosen.

3. The Bus Lines Included in the Unlimited Ride Pass

Easti Hokkaido Express Bus Unlimited Ride Pass Winter 02
click on image to enlarge

1)Eastern Hokkaido Express Bus

Easti Hokkaido Express Bus Unlimited Ride Pass Winter Eastern Hokkaido Express Bus

2)The Intercity Express Bus

Easti Hokkaido Express Bus Unlimited Ride Pass Winter The Intercity Express Bus

3)Regularly Scheduled Sightseeing Bus

Easti Hokkaido Express Bus Unlimited Ride Pass Winter Regularly Scheduled Sightseeing Bus

4)Region Pass

Easti Hokkaido Express Bus Unlimited Ride Pass Winter Region Pass

4. Go to the Purchase Page and Notes

Go to the Booking Page of Each Bus for Those Who Have Purchased the Pass at Your Travel Agency

・Advance booking is required to take each bus using the Unlimited Ride Pass.
Advance booking on the booking page is required even for a bus including a city bus which doesn’t need booking.
・You will be charged the regular fare in case you haven’t booked. No exceptions can be made.
・When boarding, you need to show either your boarding pass which has been emailed after booking the bus or a hard copy of your boarding pass.

Express Bus Personal Booking Office
Online Travel Co. Ltd. Osaka Branch
Tel.+8150-3850-6976
Mon. – Sat. 10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m.
(Closed on Sundays and Holidays)

If you’d like to ask any questions on your boarding day, please contact the bus company written on your boarding pass.

Now only! Exclusive to Mukawa! I ventured out to try the must-eat shishamo sushi!

むかわ町ししゃも

Fall, the best season for satisfying your appetite.
Countless food festivals are held around Hokkaido during this time when a variety of food sources are harvested and caught.
Amid this festive season, those in the know flock to Mukawa, forming endless lines in pursuit of Mukawa shishamo.

I ventured out of Sapporo in order to get a taste of the most exquisite shishamo and the sushi made with it, both of which can only be found in Mukawa at the outset of the fishing season.

Summary
1.On Mukawa
2.The shishamo you’ve been eating isn’t actually shishamo!? Shishamo vs. Capelin
3.Open fishing season at last! I went to eat shishamo as the season began!
3-1.The quintessential shishamo sudare that can be found nowhere else
3-2.Shishamo sushi that can only be found here and now
Conclusion

 
 

1.On Mukawa

Bordering the Pacific Ocean on the southern edge of Central Hokkaido is the town of Mukawa with its 8,700 residents.
Formerly written as “鵡川” (Mukawa in kanji), the town was renamed as “むかわ町” (Mukawa in hiragana) after absorbing the town of Hobetsu in 2006.

It is the birthplace of Akira Suzuki, an honorary professor at Hokkaido University, who won the Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 2009.

In recent years the town has garnered much attention due to the widespread fascination for dinosaurs.
Mukawa gained fame as a dinosaur town after a fossilized bone found there was identified as a dinosaur tail.

A diverse array of dinosaur fossils are displayed at Mukawa Hobetsu Museum, where visitors can learn more about the forefront of dinosaur research.
Along with its shishamo, Mukawa is known for the Hobetsu Melon and Mukawa Wagyu.

 
 

2.The shishamo you’ve been eating isn’t actually shishamo!? Shishamo vs. Capelin

Commonly found at supermarkets, “shishamo” may be enjoyed by many as a cheap and delicious fish.
However, the truth is that the “shishamo” you usually eat may not actually be shishamo…

What is usually found at supermarkets is capelin, also known as karafuto shishamo, meaning Sakhalin smelt.

Although shishamo and capelin are similar in appearance and texture, you may be surprised by the substantial difference after tasting real shishamo.
Shishamo is an endemic species that exclusively inhabits the Pacific Coast of Southern Hokkaido.

Shishamo is an incredibly rare fish, which can only be caught in said area.
Over ninety percent of the komochi shishamo (shishamo carrying eggs) that circulate the markets are capelin. What a shock…

むかわ町ししゃも
Shishamo was chosen as Mukawa’s town fish in July of 1995.
The town of Mukawa is undoubtedly the town of shishamo.

 
 

3.Open fishing season at last! I went to eat shishamo as the season began!

 

After shishamo fishing season opened on October first (the fishing season changes each year), I made my way over to Mukawa to indulge in this exquisite fish.

Mukawa is an hour and 20 minutes by car from Sapporo and 40 minutes from New Chitose Airport.
For transportation, JR lines and express buses for Mukawa leave from Sapporo, New Chitose Airport, and Tomakomai.

むかわ町 カネダイ大野商店

This time, I headed to Kanedai Ohno Store.
Established in 1923, the store handles only shishamo and offers a medley of shishamo products.
 
 

3-1.The quintessential shishamo sudare that can be found nowhere else

むかわ町 ししゃもすだれ

An exquisite sight that can only be seen at the peak of shishamo season—that is the shishamo sudare, or half-dried shishamo.

むかわ町 カネダイ大野商店 店内

Half-dried shishamo can be bought and taken home, or cooked right in the shop using hotplates that are ready and available for use.

むかわ町 カネダイ大野商店店内説明

There is an instructional sheet as well as friendly employees to aid customers with the cooking process, so even those without any experience can cook and eat their fill.

むかわ町 カネダイ大野商店 ししゃも

After cooking for some time, a delicious aroma and sizzling disseminates throughout the air.

The fish may come apart if they are flipped too much, so be patient and flip sparingly.
Dig into the finished shishamo.

むかわ町 カネダイ大野商店ししゃも

Topped with fat, the skin is crisp and the meat succulent.

The flavors vary between male and female shishamo. There tend to be strong preferences toward one or the other for each person, so it is advised that you ask the store employees for more details before purchasing.

What it lacks in its inability to carry eggs, the male shishamo makes up for with more fat.
On the other hand, the texture of the female’s eggs is irresistible… The chewy meat is full and rich in flavor.

As made obvious in my writing, my favorite is the female shishamo.

There are varying sizes for both female and male shishamo.

Frying up one fish then going back to purchase an even fattier one is another way of enjoying shishamo.
 
 

3-2.Shishamo sushi that can only be found here and now

むかわ町 ししゃも寿司

The one dish that visitors in Mukawa during the shishamo fishing season must try is the shishamo sushi.

To start, have you ever seen shishamo sushi or sashimi at any sushi restaurant?
There probably are not many who have.

The reason being, raw shishamo spoils quickly, making it unsuitable for distribution, which in turn means it never leaves the vicinity of Mukawa.
Further, it cannot be eaten at just any time in Mukawa; it is only available during the fishing season, which takes place from October to November.

むかわ町 ししゃも寿司

Masses congregate in Mukawa to get their hands on this time and region exclusive shishamo sushi.
Male shishamo are used in shishamo sashimi and sushi. They are light and have a sophisticated sweetness.

The sushi can be enjoyed dipped in soy sauce or topped with sansho (Japanese pepper), both of which brings out the sweetness of the shishamo.

むかわ町 看板イメージ

Along with the shishamo sushi, there is an abundance of other shishamo dishes.

However, products and dishes may sell out depending on how far you are into the fishing season.

If there is a dish that you absolutely want to try, it is highly encouraged that you make your way to Mukawa as early in the season as possible.
 
 

Conclusion

Did you enjoy the Mukawa shishamo?

It may have come as a complete shock that the “shishamo” that you usually have is not true shishamo; however, once you take your first bite of real shishamo, you may never be able to eat the imitation “shishamo” again.
 

Shishamo Specialty Store - Kanedai Ohno Store
Address 2 Chome-42 Miyuki, Mukawa-chō, Yūfutsu-gun, Hokkaidō 054-0042
Opening hours 9:00 – 17:00
Dayoffs Every Sunday from January to April

 
 

7 Popular Hot Spring Hotels & Ryokan at Botanical Hot Springs in Tokachigawa


The Tokachigawa Hot Springs, a designated Hokkaido Heritage site, are botanical hot springs, which is a globally rare phenomenon.

It is also known as a “Beautiful Women’s Hot Spring”, which will make your skin in it surprisingly smooth.

In this article we will introduce 7 popular hotels and ryokan (Japanese-style hotel) at the Tokachigawa Hot Springs.

We hope you will come out to have a relaxing stay at these inns, enjoy their delicious cuisine, take a dip in the hot springs, and soothe stress from your daily life.
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The gardens of Tokachi can’t wait for the beautiful spring!- Spring in Obihiro, Tokachi


Many people associate Hokkaido with beautiful landscapes and gardens, but Tokachi stands out as an area packed to bursting with gardens that showcase the best of Hokkaido. Flower lovers and garden enthusiasts from all around flock to Tokachi every year.

And now that the long winter is finally over, spring has also arrived in Tokachi! With the gardens being some way from the city center, a dusting of snow remains, but that snow will melt away before long. As we move into April, staffs at the gardens are busy preparing to open to the public.

We’d now like to introduce you to “Shichiku Garden”, famous for having over 2,500 varieties of flowers that bloom throughout the year.
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Sightseeing in Tokachi – Recommended Spots, Onsens, and Gourmets!

sightseeing at TOKACHI
The Tokachi region has the most “Hokkaido-like” flavor.

Steep mountains of the Tokachi range in the west; valiant peaks of Daisetsu to the north.

In addition to this amazing landscape, rich produce and delicious sweets are plentiful no matter which season.

However, with so many highlights perhaps there are many people who can’t choose what spots they should see.

This time we introduce Tokachi’s tourist spots.

Here are some recommendations that everyone from repeaters to first time visitors to the Tokachi region can enjoy.

Please use this as a reference when you travel to Tokachi.

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