Eastern Hokkaido Road Trip Loop
A big self-drive loop of eastern Hokkaido from Kushiro via Lake Mashu, Lake Kussharo, Bihoro Pass, Abashiri, the Road to Heaven, Shiretoko and the Nemuro Peninsula.
Eastern Hokkaido has the sparsest public transport on the island and is best explored by car. This loop starts and ends in Kushiro and covers about 800 km. From the Hosooka Observation Deck in Kushiro Marshland, head north through Teshikaga to the mysterious Lake Mashu, past Mount Iō, a sulphur-emitting volcano, and to Kawayu Onsen. At Lake Kussharo, visitors can dig their own sand baths at Sunayu. Then climb Bihoro Pass for views over the entire lake. In Abashiri, visit Abashiri Prison and the Drift Ice Museum. Along the Okhotsk coast, pass the Koshimizu Wild Flower Garden to Shari, then drive the straight, rolling 28 km stretch called the Road to Heaven, which seems to climb into the sky. The route enters Shiretoko Peninsula, a World Natural Heritage Site, to visit the Shiretoko Goko Lakes and take a sightseeing boat from Utoro. It then crosses Shiretoko Pass, 738 metres high, to Rausu. Continue south along the Nemuro Strait past Notsuke Peninsula and Lake Furen to Cape Nosappu, the easternmost point of mainland Japan, then return to Kushiro via Kiritappu Marsh. Allow 4 to 7 days, with overnight stays in places such as Kawayu, Utoro and Nemuro. Wild deer and foxes are common in eastern Hokkaido, so slow down at dusk and at night. Brown bears live in the Shiretoko area, so never stop to feed them. Roads ice over in winter, and drivers need winter tyres and winter driving experience.