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ERIMO MISAKI |
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One of the most fascinating places along Hokkaido's eastern coast is
the small fishing village of ERIMO MISAKI , 160km southwest of Kushiro
and a popular stop with tour groups and bikers, who come to take in one
of the windiest areas in Japan and gaze at the colony of three hundred
Kuril harbour seals living around the rocky cape. This is a dramatic
place at any time of the year, but is particularly beautiful in summer,
when the grassy hills which ripple down to the cape are dusted with wild
flowers. Along the coast on the way to the cape you'll see people
fishing for kombu seaweed, which is dried out in long strands on the
pebbly black-sand beaches.
The pride of this isolated community is reflected in the excellent Kaze-no-kan
(May-Sept 8am-7pm; Jan-April & Oct-Dec 8.30am-5pm; ¥500), a "wind"
museum just beyond the giftshops and car park at the cape, and set
against a backdrop of surrounding hills. The exhibition halls are
approached through a curved corridor resonating with swirly, tinkling
music. Inside, a wind tunnel gives you the chance to experience what it
is like to stand in a 25-metre-per-second gale (in case it's not so
windy outside). Other highlights include film and slide shows on the
area, with a slide screen that scrolls back to reveal a panoramic view
of the cape. There's also a room dedicated to the seals, with telescopes
to view them - if you're lucky they'll be basking on the rocks below.
Apart from visiting the museum, simply walking around the cape is
extremely pleasant. It's also something of a ritual, if you stay
overnight at Erimo Misaki, to visit the cape at dawn and watch the sun
rise.
The closest train station to Erimo Misaki is at Obihiro , 115km
northwest, from where you'll need to take two buses to reach the cape.
The Tokachi bus departs outside Obihiro Station and takes an hour to
reach Hiro , where you'll need to change to the less frequent (4 daily)
JR bus running to the cape and around to Samani . From southern
Hokkaido, you can take a local train from Tomakomai, which chugs for
three hours along the coast to Samani, where you will pick up the JR bus
to the cape.
If you decide to stay , your best bet is the Erimo Misaki Youth Hostel
(tel 01466/3-1144; under ¥3000), ten minutes' walk from the cape, next
to the Erimo Gakomae bus stop. Both the bunk dorms and slightly pricier
tatami rooms are comfortable, and the dinner (including local salmon and
seaweed and a complimentary beer), is well worth booking. But it's the
nightly singalong, when the staff rattle tambourines and dance around,
which makes this hostel such fun - not to mention the wild sendoff
you'll be given, with staff waving huge banners on the side of the road.
A more sedate option is Misakiso (tel 01466/3-1316, fax 3-1317;
¥7000-10,000), a traditional ryokan just below the museum and
overlooking the cape, where the rates include two meals. No English is
spoken here, but the management is friendly and you're well placed to
catch Erimo Misaki's sunrise.
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