Ryusei Waterfall & Ginga Waterfall, and Obako （流星の滝・銀河の滝／大函）| Sounkyo, Daisetsuzan National Park

Sounkyo is a hot spring resort nestled in the Soun Gorge （層雲峡） of the Daisetsuzan National Park （大雪山国立公園） in Hokkaido.

It is known and named after the nearby gorge, which runs for 24 km along the Ishikari River （石狩川） and features some pretty waterfalls and interesting lava formations. The gorge is located to the east of town, an easy walk or bike trip of a few kilometers along a disused highway.

Entry is free, so head here early in the morning to beat the tour bus brigade... or just head further down into the gorge, past the few falls frequented by everybody.

Ginga Waterfall (銀河の滝), literally "Galaxy Waterfalls", is a series of thin, silvery rivulets cascading down the mountainside.

Ryusei Waterfall (流星の滝), literally "Shooting Star Waterfalls", is a powerful fall seemingly bursting out of solid rock.

I recommend to walk along the Ishikari River, and enjoy the famous waterfalls.

The twin waterfalls are collectively referred to in Japanese as Meoto Taki (lit. “husband-and-wife falls”), with Ryusei-no-Taki as the husband and Ginga-no-Taki as the wife, and are listed among Japan's top 100 waterfalls.

Right behind the shops at the large car park, we walked up a series of stairs to Sobakudai（双瀑台）, a pair of viewing decks.

The middle one was about half-way up and provided a view much better than the one we got at the car park.

But the upper viewing deck was even better as we were further above the tree line that would've blocked parts of the falls in the distance from our line-of-sight.

See?! The waterfalls are so beautiful!!!

We can see Mt. Kurodake (1984m) behind the twin waterfalls

This is a picture I took last fall. We enjoyed autumn colors of leaves here.

How about the two waterfalls in the winter time?

How romantic it is!!

The Ishikari River under the waterfalls are also covered with snow! Wow! Wow! Wow!

The gorge has a number of lava tubes （柱上節理） and other odd rock formations, many of which look not a little like concrete. Best known are the aptly named Big Box (Obako).


About 30,000 years ago, a volcano in this area erupted, and the pyroclastic flow  deposits were cooled, causing cracks to shrink and forming them in hexagonal or square patterns.

The deposits were eroded by the Ishikari River over 10,000 years, shaping today's gorge.

I really recommend this wonderful national park!

 ■Where are Ginga Waterfall & Ryusei Waterfall?

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■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!

Kuidokoro Sakebanya （喰処 鮭番屋）| Seafood BBQ Restaurant | Kushiro

If you want to eat fresh seafood early in the morning in Kushiro, how about "Kuidokoro Sakebanya （喰処 鮭番屋）"?

This is a seafood BBQ restaurant, and

we can enjoy fresh seafood such as squid, Pacific saury, and salmon caught off Kushiro （釧路）.

Look at the variety of choices; dried fish to ...................

alive seafood in the fish tank such as scallops and oysters.

Grill over charcoal fire, and fish flavor increases dramatically!

Actually I ordered seafood bowls↓ Which do you like the best? I love all of them; shrimps, salmon roe, and Tokisake salmon （時鮭）................., and surprisingly or naturally I ate all of them! Hahaha!

We can choose the size of rice! I think this is a good idea! Because like me, some people want to eat a lot, or can order some small-sized seafood bowls at the same time!!

Until the dishes were served, I was relaxed, drinking free tea .................

Voila! This is a shrimp and salmon roe bowl （えび・いくら丼）↓

Look at the plump, succulent shrimp! Yummy x 2!!

The roe is from the freshly-caught salmon in this season! Perfect!

This is a Tokisake salmon bowl （とき丼）↓

They use only Tokisake salmon caught with a fixed netting off Kushiro. How high the quality is!!

 The seafood bowls come with miso soup.

I love this fishing town!!!

The operation time of this restaurant is from 7:30 to 14:00. Wonderful, isn't it? It takes 20 minutes from JR Kushiro station to this restaurant on foot.

■Where is "Kuidokoro Sakebanya （喰処 鮭番屋）"?

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■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!

Minatonoyatai （港の屋台）| Food Stall Complex | Kushiro Fisherman's Wharf MOO

I love food stalls, because the dishes are not expensive, but delicious!! If you want to share several dishes from different stalls, how about "Minatonoyatai （港の屋台）", located on the second floor of the "Kushiro Fisherman's Wharf MOO （釧路フィッシャーマンズワーフMOO）"? This is in downtown Kushiro.

See!? There are 10 food stalls on the floor! Sounds fun!!!

We can take a seat at a stall, enjoying conversations with owners, or take several dishes from different stalls, sharing them with our friends at the center tables.

One of my friends chose "Robata Shidukawa （炉ばた 志づ川）"↓

Look at the set menu! They are so reasonable!!!

Voila! This is a sashimi set! Oops! The owner tripped near our table, and sprinkled soy sauce over the sashimi! Hahaha!

Look at the samishi! All of the fish is caught off this town, and very fresh! Yummy x 2!!!

Another friend chose "Shokujidokoro Fuji （食事処 藤）"↓

Wow! Wow! Wow! How big the grilled Atka mackerel （ホッケ） is↓ Yes! Kushiro （釧路） is one of the famous fishing towns in Hokkaido.

Anyway, I chose "Kushiromeibutsu Zanginoyokozuna （くしろ名物 ざんぎの横綱）"↓

They serve delicious fried chicken called zangi （ザンギ）, and fresh seafood. Actually I negotiated with the owner, and asked him to make an original set!

Voila! This is my own set!

Do you have any idea what they are?

I know it's controversial, but this is whale meat! Actually Kushiro is a whaling town, where we can enjoy fresh juicy whale sashimi. Yummy x 2!!!

And this is Pacific saury （さんま）. Kushiro is proud of one of the biggest catches of the fish in Japan, whose best season is fall! Naturally I should eat it!!!　
This is very fatty, and super-delicious!!!

I also ordered beef tataki （牛のたたき）↓

This is a Japanese-version of roast beef. Very appetizing, isn't it?

On the first floor of the "Kushiro Fisherman's Wharf MOO （釧路フィッシャーマンズワーフMOO）", we can enjoy souvenir shopping.

I love this stall complex!

■Where is the "Kushiro Fisherman's Wharf MOO （釧路フィッシャーマンズワーフMOO）"?

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■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!

Kushiro Ramen Kawamura （釧路ラーメン河むら）| Ramen Restaurant | Kushiro

Kushiro （釧路）, located in the eastern part of Hokkaido, is one of the famous ramen cities. Today I'll show you one of the most popular ramen restaurants in the city, "Kushiro Ramen Kawamura （釧路ラーメン河むら）".
They have several their branches, but this main restaurant （釧路本店） located in downtown Kushiro is the best↓

Let's enter it!

What is Kushiro ramen like, anyway? The typical Kushiro ramen is very thin and wavy ramen noodles with soy-sauce flavored soup whose broth is manly from seafood.

This is the menu. They serve several types of ramen, but if you haven't tried Kushiro ramen, I definitely recommend soy-sauce flavored ramen（醤油ラーメン）↓

Don't forget the side dishes!! They are also very recommendable!

Voila!
This is soy sauce-flavored ramen↓ Looks very simple, but well-balanced with each other!!!

One of the topping is the roasted pork. They make not very tender char ciu, so that we can enjoy the meat texture itself.

The bamboo shoot is very thinly sliced like this↓ It goes well with the seafood-based soup and thin noodles.

The minced green onion is also a great accent for ramen. Yes, the toppings are very simple, but very sophisticated!

Look at the very thin wavy noodles! Yummy x 2!!!!

Don't forget the side dish! This is Butameshi （豚めし） or pork bowl. Finely-minced roasted pork and green onions are mixed with mayonnaise, and special soy-based sauce is added to it.

Personally, I really love it! Whatever I eat ramen, I'm sure to order it! It is super-delicious!!

This ramen restaurant is open until 2 PM, and I recommend to go there after drinking, too!

■Where is "Kushiro Ramen Kawamura （釧路ラーメン河むら）"?

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■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!