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AYUKAWA |
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The sleepy town of AYUKAWA , on the southwest tip of Oshika Hanto,
makes an alternative base for Kinkazan. A thriving port until commercial
whaling was banned in 1987, Ayukawa now depends on tourism and its only
sight is a smart new whaling museum beside the ferry pier. Despite the
moratorium, Japan still hunts whales for "scientific purposes" and the
residents of Ayukawa continue to receive whale-meat rations. You can
even eat whale ( kujira ) in local restaurants and buy whale products in
the souvenir shops.
Though it's a little pricey, the well-designed Oshika Whale Land museum
(April-Nov daily 9am-5pm; Jan-March & Dec closed Tues; ¥1000) pushes a
more conservationist line while also tracing the history of Ayukawa's
whaling fleet. The first exhibition hall takes you through the stylized
ribcage of a whale, accompanied by recordings of their eerie underwater
chatter. There are various films and interactive displays concerning the
life of whales, many aimed at children, though you might want to miss
the section full of pickled organs and embryos.
The museum, Kinkazan ferry pier and bus terminal are all grouped
together at the south end of Ayukawa. You can buy ferry tickets in an
office next to the bus stop (0225/45-2181; daily 8am-4.30/5pm), while
the tourist information office (April-Oct daily 8.30am-5pm; Jan-March,
Nov & Dec Mon-Sat 8.30am-5pm; 0225/45-3456) is a few doors further north.
Staff here can provide maps and make bookings for accommodation in both
Ayukawa and Kinkazan.
If you're looking for accommodation in Ayukawa, the Minami-so minshuku
(0225/45-2501; ¥10,000-15,000) is close to the ferry pier and the most
likely to bef open all year. It's in a grey iron building on the hill
above the pier but, despite appearances, is perfectly adequate and turns
out pretty good food. Smarter options are the new Atami-so
(0225/45-2227; ¥10,000-15,000), on the main road coming into town, or
the more upmarket Ojika Ryokan (0225/45-3068; ¥10,000-20,000), in the
backstreets two minutes' walk north of the pier.
A cluster of restaurants along the road behind the information office
sell ultra-fresh seafood. Try Misaki-ya (closed Thurs), on the
crossroads towards Whale Land, which serves moderately priced sushi,
sashimi and a range of standard dishes, or the soba joint next door.
Most places close at 5pm in the off season, but at the north end of town
the Caravan coffee shop serves curry-rice, spaghetti and other Western
dishes till a touch later (10am-8pm; closed Thurs). Opposite Caravan ,
you'll find Ayukawa post office , while the bank on the main road in the
middle of town has a foreign exchange desk.
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