1. Four Recommended Restaurants Around Tomakomai Port

1-1. Puratto Shokudo

Tomakomai is famous for its surf clams. In 2022, the harvest reached approximately 770 tons, making it the top producer in Japan for the 23rd consecutive year.

While "hokki curry" is served in various places throughout the city, my personal favorite is the hokki curry at "Platto Shokudo" located inside "Umi no Eki Puratto Minato Ichiba".

This is a regular-sized portion of surf clam curry. The spicy curry sauce, infused with the rich flavor of surf clams, is absolutely delicious!

This is the Hokki-Oomori curry, which has double the amount of surf clams. It was a luxurious dish, with surf clams in every bite.

1-2. Marutoma Restaurant

Next up is Marutoma Shokudo, a restaurant that often has long lines even on weekdays. It's a popular spot that has been featured on national television broadcasts many times.

While surf clam curry is very popular at this restaurant, the seafood rice bowl is also highly recommended. The "Marutoma Don" is topped with a variety of seafood, and it's incredibly fresh and inexpensive!

They also have individual dishes such as "Hokke no Hiraki" (grilled Atka mackerel), which is unique to Hokkaido, so if you're coming with a group, try sharing some dishes!

1-3. Plat Italian Kestrano

While surf clams are often eaten in curries or rice bowls, I was curious about other ways to enjoy them, and that's how I found this restaurant where you can enjoy pasta and other dishes made with surf clams.

"Tomakomai Fishing Port Pescatore" is a tomato-based pasta dish packed with seafood such as surf clams, clams, mussels, shrimp, and scallops. The noodles are homemade fresh pasta, and the chewy noodles pair perfectly with the rich and flavorful tomato sauce.

For an additional 590 yen, you can order the daily "Dolce Set," which on this day included gateau chocolat, meringue cookies, and coffee jelly. There are also plenty of sweets available for takeout! They would make great souvenirs.

1-4. BBQ Park Broiler

This restaurant is popular with the locals. "BBQ Park Broiler" is located near the entrance to Shikotsu Street, which leads from Tomakomai towards Lake Shikotsu. Look for this sign!

The signature dish, "Kogane-yaki," is made by deep-frying half a young chicken and seasoning it simply with salt. You can really taste the deliciousness of the chicken; the outside is crispy, and the inside is plump and very juicy. We added rice balls and plain rice to make it like a set meal.

Since it's half a chicken, you can enjoy various parts, which is a great advantage. Takeout is available, but we recommend calling ahead to place your order.

2. Three Recommended Tourist Spots Around Tomakomai Port

2-1. Sea Station

"Umi no Eki Puratto Minato Ichiba," located within Tomakomai Fishing Port, is, as its name suggests, a market where you can easily drop by. In addition to purchasing seafood and vegetables, it also houses restaurants such as "Puratto Shokudo" and "Puratto Italian Kestrano," which were mentioned earlier.

Located within the grounds of the "Plat Market," the "Hokki Clam Museum" is a facility where you can learn about surf clam fishing and see exhibits of local products made from surf clams.

Located across the road, "Tomakomai Sea Station Hokki-kan" opened in November 2021 as a branch office of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism-certified Sea Station (Yufutsu Marina). Inside, you can purchase souvenirs and enjoy meals.

2-2. Sparkling Park

In "Kirakira Park," located about a 5-minute drive from Tomakomai West Port Ferry Terminal, you'll find a "TOMAKOMAI monument" like this one.

Located right on the harbor, you can see docked ships up close and even catch a glimpse of the oil refinery. It's perfect for a stroll on a sunny day!

The playground equipment shaped like a ship is a huge hit with the kids! We could hear their joyful laughter on this day too. There's also a pond for splashing around and a lawn, making it a great spot to relax and play all day long.

2-3. Nagomi no Yu Tomakomai

There are several facilities in Tomakomai where you can enjoy natural hot springs. For those who want to thoroughly relax and soothe their fatigue at the end of their trip, we recommend "Natural Hot Spring Nagomi no Yu Tomakomai". It's about a 12-minute drive from Tomakomai West Port Ferry Terminal.

This hot spring boasts 100% natural hot spring water and also has a sauna. The availability of towel and yukata (Japanese-style robe) rentals is a nice bonus. There's also a restaurant, making it a great place to relax and unwind.

3. Access to Tomakomai Port

The nearest station to Tomakomai Port is Tomakomai Station on the JR Muroran Main Line.

Tomakomai Station also serves as a bus terminal, and buses to the ferry terminal operate from there. However, the bus schedules are often inconsistent and do not always coincide with ferry times, so please check in advance if you plan to use this service.

Reference
▶Donan Bus Co., Ltd. > Tomakomai City Route Buses
Route 24 Ferry Line: Tomakomai Station Front Platform 1 → Ferry Terminal. Adult fare: 280 yen.

There is a taxi stand in front of the station, and it seems that several taxis are waiting there at certain times of the day.

Additionally, there are express buses running between Sapporo Station and Tomakomai Station (travel time approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes), and some of these buses also connect to the ferry terminal.

Reference
▶Hokkaido Chuo Bus Co., Ltd. > Express Tomakomai Bus

There is also a coin-operated parking lot at the West Port Ferry Terminal, which is frequently used by people who leave their cars there before boarding the ferry.
Those using the ferry terminal can park for free for 90 minutes. For longer parking periods, such as for travel, please use the North Parking Lot 2 (maximum daily charge of 500 yen).
Please note that there is no maximum charge for the North Parking Lot 1.

If you'd like to learn more about sightseeing in Tomakomai, visit the Tomakomai City Tourist Information Center located in the "Friend Building" near Tomakomai Station. They offer tourist information, sell local products and original goods, and have a wide selection of merchandise featuring the city's mascot, "Toma-Chop."

Maps and brochures are available, so try to find places and shops you'd like to visit!

kino

Born in Osaka Prefecture. Moved to Hokkaido in April 2020. I hold a domestic travel agency management certification, and after moving to Hokkaido, I obtained certifications as a Hokkaido Tourism Master and Hokkaido Food Meister. I will introduce the charms and culinary richness of Hokkaido.

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