Hosooka Visitors Lounge & Observatory （細岡ビジターズラウンジ・展望台）| Kushiro Wetland

Kushiro wetland was designated as a Ramsar wetland site in 1980, for the first time in Japan, and we can enjoy wildlife including red-crested cranes in the site!

I've joined the eco-tour in the area, and will show you a wonderful experience today! First, we entered the forest on the hill.

We've found a seashells!!! 5,000 years ago, the site was near the coastline and we've observed shell mounts and pit dwelling sites constructed in Jomon Era!

The guide asked us whether we know the way to measure trees' age without cutting it........... Actually I didn't know that. The only way to measure the age that I knew was to cut trees in order to count the number of annual growth rings................

Look at this tool↓ We can get a tiny a sample of trees!!

This is the actual sample↓It is as small as "Pocky", but big enough to count the rings! How amazing it is!!

Then we went to Hosooka Observatory.

How huge the wetland is!!! It is the largest wetland in Japan (19,357ha). It is a Ramsar wetland as well as a national park in Japan.

We've found red-crested cranes in the site!

How beautiful they are!

Just for reference..................
This is the pic taken in the summer time↓

Tourist trains very slowly run across the wetland and we can enjoy the site nearby!

This is the pic taken in the winter time↓

We can enjoy the contrast between the black & red parts of cranes and very very white snow!!

Well, well, well, after observing the nature, we visited Hosooka Visitors Lounge.

A lot of red squirrels are running around this area!

How cute they are!!!

I was so excited to see wild squirrels nearby!

I really felt we were in the place blessed with nature!

Let's enter the lounge! We can learn the ecosystem, get information, buy souvenirs, and take a rest here. I really recommend to come here to keep you worm especially in the winter time! They serve hot coffee and you can drink it in the warm space!

Do you want to create something special? How about wood-carving? This Hokkaido-shaped wood board is a postcard and you can carve anything on it!

The director of this lounge showed us how to carve it..........

and we tried in the same way, but...............　Hahaha! Anyway this is a good memory for us!!!

Last but not least, we enjoyed wild vine soft ice cream here!! Yummy x 2!!!

■Where is "Hosooka Visitors Lounge & Observatory （細岡ビジターズラウンジ・展望台）"?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Ichibatei （市場亭）| Seafood Restaurant | Washo Fish Market （和商市場）| Kushiro

Kushiro, located in the eastern part of Hokkaido, is famous for its seafood! We went to one of the popular fish markets for lunch!

Now is the best season for salmon roe! It's shining!!!

Whelk is a local shellfish and we can enjoy its distinctive texture! Yummy x 2!

Wow!!! Look delicious! I love hairy crabs, king crabs, queen crabs, and Hanasaki crabs!!!

I've found rare salmon here! Look at these↓ These are "Keiji（鮭児)", a very young salmon without any eggs or soft row. They can be caught only one in 10,000. Look at the price↓ Even though it is smaller than normal salmon, it is almost 20,000 yen per each! Wow! Wow! Wow! But it's worth eating it! It is supper x 2 delicious!!!

(We ate the salmon in the previous day. If you are interested in the fish, please refer to my previous post→Click here!)

This is also rare salmon called "Tokishirazu（時しらず）". The salmon is caught out of season (autumn) and fatter than seasonable salmon! Again, it is more expensive than the normal salmon, but much much more delicious!

I've found "Kansuke（寒助）", another delicious brand salmon, too!

I'm so excited to find whale meat here! They said a research whaling was conducted these days! I know this is a very controversial matter, but whale meat is very delicious!!!

I think Washo fish market reminds you of "Kattedon（勝手丼）", a seafood bowl.

This is a unique system. You can make your own seafood bowl in the market. First, please buy a rice bowl, then pick up your favorite sashimi (sliced raw fish) at each tenant↓ and put it on the rice.

(If you are interested in "Kattedon（勝手丼）", please refer to my previous post→Click here!)


The fish market has a few restaurants including a sushi bar and

a seafood restaurant↓
We decided to eat fish at "ichibatei （市場亭）", one of the seafood restaurants here!

They serve a lot of kinds of seafood bowls! Freshly-caught seafood off Kushiro is used for all dishes! Perfect, isn't it????

The restaurant was packed with fish lovers during the lunch hours!

One of my friends ordered a Pacific saury set↓ The saury was caught off Kushiro and very juicy!!! I really recommend it! Now is the best season to eat it!

This is channel rock fish（きんき）! The fish is also caught off Kushiro and the fat is naturally sweet! It is a little expensive, but cheaper than one you may pay for the same fish in Tokyo! Please try it when you come to Kushiro!

Each set has this crab soup↓

We shared salmon sashimi, too! Wonderful!!

Voila!!!!
I ordered this gorgeous seafood bowl called "large catch bowl（大漁丼）" including seasonable salmon roe, sea urchin, and HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE botanebi prawns!!!

I'm sooooooooooooo impressed with this HUUUUUUUUUGE prawn!!!!! The guts inside of the shell was also yummy x 2 and I was really happy that day!!!!

■Where is Washo Fish Market?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

Robata Renga （炉ばた煉瓦） | Char-Grilled BBQ Restaurant | Kushiro

Kushiro, located in the eastern part of Hokkaido, is famous for its seafood and char-grilled BBQ! Today, we went to "Robata Renga （炉ばた煉瓦）", a popular BBQ restaurant in the town.

The restaurant has the atmosphere of typical restaurants in the 1970's! How nostalgic it is!

Besides fresh fish, they serve dried local fish, too↓

Let's get started!

Cheers!!!!

The restaurant is famous for the local seafood, but

we ordered meat, too. This is pork neck! It's very juicy!!!

This is pork back rib! I love this part!

See!! looks very delicious!

Do you have any idea what it is?

It is Jingisukan, lamb BBQ, one of the local dish!

Pork & kimuchi goes well with beers!!!

Of course, we ordered local vegetables, too!

Onigiri, a rice ball, was also char-grilled! Yummy x 2!

We were having a good time!

 Fire!!! Hahaha!

Voila!!!
Here comes seafood!!

This is Atka mackerel, one of the popular fish caught is Hokkaido! It is very big and has plenty of fish fat! We drank beer a lot!!! 

Look at the special menu! They serve Keiji （鮭児）, a so-called "phantom" sermon, today!

Keiji is a very rare young salmon which doesn't have eggs or soft roe and can be caught only one in 10,000! It is very expensive, but it's worth eating it! Supper x 2 delicious!!!

Don't forget oysters caught in Akkesi! Tastes very rich!!

We really enjoyed the special BBQ tonight!

■Where is "Robata Renga （炉ばた煉瓦）"?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!

JICA Obihiro | Obihiro

JICA Obihiro (OBIC) is in the "Obihiro Forest" and has a good atmosphere↓ Now is the best season to enjoy autumnal leaves!! I believe JICA participants are very lucky to have a training in such wonderful atmosphere!

We can easily encounter squirrels in the compound! How cute it is!

The restaurant at OBIC is open to the public and packed with its training participants and ordinary citizens during the lunch hours.

Look at the menu! I'm so surprised at the variety of dishes!

You can eat Thai Curry such as yellow curry,

 green curry, and red curry and so on!

How about nasi goreng, an Indonesian fried rice???

They use Halāl meat and Muslims can fully enjoy the meals here!

If we have a wonderful day, we can enjoy the meal at the terrace!

I ordered yellow curry with scallop and a lot of prawns!! Yummy x 2!!

The set has a naan! I really enjoyed the meal with a friend (Fred from Malaysia) here!

■Where is "JICA Obihiro"?

View Larger Map

■Tour guide information■

Do you need a nationally-licensed English-speaking tour guide when you travel to Hokkaido?

I'll guide you! Plz click here!