Travel in Abashiri
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Abashiri (??) is a small city on the northern coast of Hokkaido, Japan.
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Understand
Once unimaginably far in the back of beyond, the name Abashiri used to strike terror into the hearts of suspected lawbreakers: it was the site of Japan's first maximum-security prison, built in 1890 when the enlightened Meiji era decided to copy Western ways instead of simply executing convicted criminals. Enlightenment in this case, however, translated into backbreaking hard labor (mostly road construction) and, for difficult cases like political prisoners, unheated cells in a region where winter temperatures often fall below -20°C. The prison was finally closed, aptly enough, in 1984, but a newly constructed prison continues the tradition.
Today's Abashiri is an unattractive modern town filled with the implements and smells of its largest industry, fishing.
Get in
Abashiri is the closest thing in northern Hokkaido to a transport hub.
By plane
The nearest airport is Memanbetsu, 16 km south of Abashiri. Buses connect to/from the JR station before and after flights (25 minutes, ¥720).
By train
Abashiri is the terminus/junction of the JR Sekihoku Line (????) from Asahikawa and the Senmo Line (????) to Kushiro via the Akan National Park.
Okhotsk Limited Express trains run from Sapporo to Abashiri. There are five daily departures: Four during the day, reaching Abashiri in 5 1/2 hours at a cost of ¥9440 each way, and an overnight service which costs extra.
By bus
Night buses from Sapporo (around ¥8000) are the cheapest way to get to Abashiri. Buses arrive and depart from Abashiri Bus Terminal, a short walk east from the JR Abashiri station.
Get around
Abashiri is fairly spread out. A network of buses radiates out from JR Abashiri station.
See
- Abashiri Prison Museum (???? Abashiri Kangoku). The original buildings of the infamous prison, but moved halfway up Mt. Tento to free up some real estate. Inside are wax dolls of prisoners and a hair-raising array of shackles and other prison paraphernalia. Admission a steep ¥1050, open 9 AM to 5 PM daily. Take a bus towards Mt. Tento.
- Museum of Northern Peoples (??????? Hopp? minzoku hakubutsukan). 1 (http://www.ohotuku26.or.jp/hoppohm/index2.html). A modern and moderately interesting museum documenting the lives of northern peoples around the world, not just Japan's own Ainu, but Canadian Inuit, Scandinavian Lapps and many more. Most of the material is also in English and there are some fairly bizarre exhibits involving, among other things, seal intestines. Admission ¥450, open 9 AM to 5 PM daily except Monday. Take a bus towards Mt. Tento and get off at Hopp?-minzoku-hakubutsukan-mae (say that three times fast).
- Okhotsk Ry?h? Museum (???????? Oh?tsuku ry?h?kan). 2 (http://www.ryuhyokan.com/index.html) (in Japanese). A museum devoted to pack ice, a common phenomenon in the Okhotsk Sea but for some reason a subject of fascination among the Japanese. Here you will learn all you ever wanted to know and more about pack ice, and even get a chance to touch some in a room kept at -15°C (coats provided). Admission ¥520, open daily from 8 AM to 6 PM (shorter hours in winter).
Do
- In winter, when the famed pack ice has surrounded the town, you can hop aboard the icebreaker Aurora for a one-hour tour of the stuff up close and personal. Tours daily from January to April, ¥3000.
Buy
Eat
Being a fishing port, the thing to eat here is fresh seafood, particularly crab. There's a morning market with great selection.
Drink
Like every other city in Hokkaido, Abashiri has its own microbrew, creatively known as Abashiri Beer. The brewery, a 10-minute walk from JR Abashiri, is open to visitors and also serves lunch and dinner.
Sleep
- Abashiri Ry?h?-no-Oka YH (????????). Tel. 0152-43-8558, 3 (http://www.jyh.or.jp/english/hokaido/abaryuhy/). Inconveniently located a bus ride and an uphill walk away, but offers good views of the Okhotsk Sea. HI members pay ¥3250 per night.
Get out
The best reason to come to Abashiri is the attractions around it:
- Shiretoko National Park, to the east, is one of Japan's best yet least visited national parks.
- Akan National Park, to the south, is better known for its three mysterious lakes.
External links
- Abashiri City Travel (http://abashiri.jp/tabinavi_travel/index.html)