Well, I might as continue the way-up-north adventure.
I slept about two hours during that night due to the heavy snoring of the people around me and that the bunk bed wasn’t a proper bed. It had a very thin futon which my shoulders didn’t agree with.
Breakfast was alright and we could hang out with the Shiba dog. We took off from the hostel after taking some group photos.
Our next destination was to Wakkanai, Hokkaido and Japan’s most northern city. Drive, drive, drive. Nothing but scenery...
I do recall passing many more windmills. There was one stop-off point where we could see them from a distance. It was quite the sight to see these things on small mound like mountains without any trees. If only we had a bit more time, it would’ve been nice to walk around that area.
Drive, drive, drive... we finally arrived to Japan’s most northern point (not yet Wakkanai). I really had no idea what to expect. There are a few things you can see over here.
Along the seashore, there’s the famous warped-triangle shaped monument, where everyone has a chance to do some kind of stupid pose. I was forced to do this because of my friend. Well, it’s all for fun I guess. I tried to spot Saharin island from here (part of Russia) but I couldn’t see it. I wonder if it’s visible on a reeeeally sunny day.
There’s a small cliff next to this area which you can climb up and there are few more things to see.
There’s a look-out tower which has long been out of use and a few more monuments including one that’s supposed to pay respect to the many people that were in a plane that was shot down by the “Russkies” during the Cold War. I’m sure a lot of people don’t know about this in Japan and those times must have been pretty tense.
After this, we decided to head to Wakkanai city. Wakkanai is a small town but I thought it had enough stuff to be considered a “big” small town. The signs in the town were often in both Japanese and Russian which I’d never seen in Japan before.
The time was around lunch so we decided to find a sushi restaurant. After being disappointed by two restaurants that were closed, we found a decent place. I ordered a set of sushi and was not disappointed. This was some of the best sushi I had eaten since I came to Japan. Everything was made to near perfection and I had absolutely nothing to complain about. I forgot the name of the restaurant but if I have the chance to go again, I would definitely go again. Also, one more thing to note is how much better sushi usually tastes when prepared/made by an experienced chef (he was probably in his mid-50s).
So, Wakkanai really isn’t that famous for anything. If you open most guide books there’s really nothing about what people can do there. At the train station, we grabbed some pamphlets about what to do there, and there really isn’t that much.
We decided to go to a nearby park and climb to the top and this was a good choice. Half way up, there’s a monument dedicated to the young telephone operator women that committed suicide towards the end of World War II when the Russians were advancing. I don’t know if they had to commit suicide... but Japanese people tend to like these stories.
As you continue to walk up the mountain, you can notice a big and tall tuscan red tower. It’s not that pretty but it’s a sightseeing place. Inside there’s a nice museum that explains the history of the region and also promotes Ainu culture.
At the top, there’s a nice 360 degree view of the area... you can see Rishiri Island (either Rishiri or Rebun) which is quite stunning. Someday, I’ll go there... someday...
Well, that’s about it for Wakkanai. I’ve been there once so I’m glad.
By this time, it was probably around 3 pm so we decided to head to the next city and find our inn (ryokan).
After a two hour drive we arrived at a small town located a bit north of Rumoi. The Japanese style inn that we stayed at has a pretty good reputation and the service was exceptional. There really isn’t much to report about this city. The main industry seems to be fishing.
Dinner at the hotel was outstanding. While I wasn't the most inquisitive person when it came to asking questions to the waitresses or the okamisan (the head woman in charge -- this is the most important position in a Japanese style inn), my friend asked tons of questions and it was interesting to see how knowledgable all of the staff member were about everything.
Well, after that, I could enjoy taking a bath and I hit the hay. Looks like I’ll have to write one more write-up about this trip.
