Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

Explore Abashiri’s rich history and natural beauty within a Registered Tangible Cultural Property. This storied museum offers a serene escape into the atmosphere of the early 20th century.

Opened in 1936, the Abashiri City Folk Museum is among Hokkaido’s most historic institutions. Designed by architect Yoshiya Tanoue and designated a Registered Tangible Cultural Property in 2019, the building is a masterpiece of 1930s design. Opening its heavy, historic doors transports you into an elegant, symmetrical space where the quiet stillness makes time feel as though it has truly stopped.

The museum houses about 15,000 artifacts that tell the story of the land and its people. You can discover the unique Okhotsk culture through Moyoro Shell Mound findings and observe the resilient wildlife that thrives in the harsh northern winters. As you explore the galleries, the textures of ancient pottery and the scent of historic manuscripts bring the past vividly to life. Bathed in soft light from the windows, it is the perfect place to satisfy your curiosity and trace the journey of a city shaped by the Okhotsk Sea.

As Japan’s only ethnographic museum dedicated to northern regions, this world-class institution invites visitors to step into the resilient cultures shaped by the Arctic and subarctic worlds.

Opened in 1991, the museum presents the diverse cultures of northern peoples ranging from Greenland to Scandinavia. Its themed exhibitions explore ways of life forged in extreme environments, from reindeer herding to sea mammal hunting. Visitors come face to face with remarkable authentic artifacts, including clothing crafted from seal intestines and canoes made of birch bark—powerful testaments to human ingenuity and adaptation.

A highlight of the museum is the section devoted to Okhotsk culture, a history unique to Hokkaido. Through immersive audio-visual displays, visitors can hear the sounds of traditional instruments and admire the intricate beauty of northern designs. In the museum’s quiet, evocative atmosphere, the lives of those who thrived in the sub-zero world seem to quietly come alive.

In Abashiri, overlooking the Sea of Okhotsk, immerse yourself in a timeless journey through the northern world, where prehistory and the present meet at the edge of the Arctic.

An exhibition hall where you can experience the Okhotsk winter year-round, with views of the Shiretoko Mountain Range from the Mt. Tento Observatory, designated as a national scenic beauty.

One step inside the building, the drift ice experience room kept at minus 15 degrees awaits. In the room lined with real drift ice, cold air pierces the skin, and through the sensation of breath freezing white, you can experience the Okhotsk severe cold with your whole body. Touching the drift ice, the coldness and hardness transmitted to your palm evokes the journey of ice that has drifted from distant seas. In the aquarium, clione called "angels of drift ice" swim with their transparent bodies swaying, and balloon lumpsuckers and snailfishes with their round forms and adorable appearance soothe visitors.

From the attached Mt. Tento Observatory, a 360-degree panorama including the Okhotsk Sea and the Shiretoko Mountain Range, a World Natural Heritage site, spreads out. The view from this observatory is a valuable scenic beauty designated as a national cultural property. You can overlook the magnificent nature showing seasonal expressions - mountains of fresh green in spring, the brilliantly blue sea in summer, land dyed in autumn colors, and the sea covered white with drift ice in winter. The experience of gazing at the great nature of Okhotsk spreading below while receiving the cold wind is deeply engraved in visitors' hearts.

Step back in time and explore Japan’s only full-scale prison museum—the Abashiri Prison Museum. This open-air museum preserves and showcases actual buildings from the former Abashiri Prison, including cell blocks, the administration office, and a chapel, all relocated and restored. Set within a vast site in Abashiri, Hokkaido, the museum is home to 8 structures designated as Important Cultural Properties and 6 registered Tangible Cultural Properties, making it a rare and historically valuable destination.

One of the museum’s most remarkable highlights is the Cell Block and Central Guard House, designated as an Important Cultural Property. Five wooden wings radiate outward from a central watchtower, allowing guards to monitor all hallways at once—a unique design from the Meiji period. This is the oldest existing wooden radial prison building in the world, and the only one of its kind still standing in Japan. The complex once housed 226 cells, and some of them are open to visitors, allowing for an immersive, first-hand look into the life of a Meiji-era prisoner.

The museum also features many other captivating buildings, such as the Administration Office, painted in a distinctive pale blue and gray; the Futamigaoka Branch Prison, which was constructed as a self-sustaining facility; and the Chapel, showcasing an elegant blend of Japanese and Western architectural styles. In the on-site theater, a three-screen immersive video recreates the grueling road construction work carried out by inmates—offering a sobering glimpse into their harsh conditions.

No visit is complete without a stop at the Prison Cafeteria, where you can try a recreated meal served to current inmates at Abashiri Prison. You’ll also find a museum shop featuring exclusive merchandise and a local specialty store offering Hokkaido-made souvenirs—making it a memorable and satisfying sightseeing experience for all.

Experience a world-class legacy at this nationally recognized industrial heritage site, marking the era when Kitami supplied about 70% of the global mint market.

Once a global powerhouse of mint production, its history comes alive at this memorial museum. Housed in a charming 1934 Western-style building—formerly a factory office—the museum greets you with a sharp, nostalgic aroma the moment you enter. Explore fascinating displays of vintage mint products, dried specimens, and rare documents that illustrate how this fragrant industry built the region's prosperity.

At the adjacent Mint Distillery, you can step inside a reconstructed traditional workshop to see authentic distillation equipment in action. Surrounded by an invigorating mint scent, you will feel the passion and ingenuity of the craftsmen who extracted "liquid gold" during Kitami's peak. It is a unique opportunity to connect with the roots of Japanese craftsmanship through a truly refreshing and unforgettable journey into Kitami’s past.

A mountain aquarium adjacent to a roadside station where you can experience the world of Hokkaido's freshwater fish through Japan's first and largest exhibits.
In Japan's first tank viewing a waterfall basin from below, you can closely observe fish swimming powerfully against the strong current. Looking up from the clear water, you clearly see the surface bubbling white and fish vigorously moving their tail fins to avoid being swept away. River murmurs echo throughout the facility, and the refreshing scent of water drifts. In winter, tanks where the water surface freezes like a natural river appear, spreading a sight you can never see elsewhere—fish swimming quietly under ice.
The Ito exhibit tank boasts Japan's largest scale, with the overwhelming sight of large individuals over 1 meter swimming leisurely. No other facility allows such close observation of the powerful appearance of Ito, the great fish of the north also called a phantom fish. In the exhibition space with cool air drifting, you can thoroughly learn about fish's natural behavior and ecology, deeply understanding the rich freshwater world of Hokkaido.

Experience over 100 years of tradition at Onneyu Hot Spring, a sanctuary famous for its 100% free-flowing "beauty skin" waters and vibrant seasonal flower gardens.

Onneyu Hot Spring is a historic destination where every bath is filled with pure, mineral-rich water directly from the source. These gentle springs are celebrated for their ability to enhance skin clarity and provide natural anti-aging benefits. Since day-trip bathing is available, it is an easy and refreshing stop to add to any Hokkaido driving itinerary.

The surrounding landscape changes beautifully with the seasons. You can admire vibrant Ezo purple azaleas in the spring and elegant Japanese irises in the summer. At Nene-no-oka Hill Garden, a colorful variety of blossoms welcomes visitors from spring through late summer, offering a peaceful atmosphere for nature lovers.

Serving as a convenient hub for exploring Eastern Hokkaido, Onneyu Hot Spring is the perfect place to soothe your body and mind. A quiet moment surrounded by flowers and healing waters will undoubtedly become a highlight of your travels.

At Shirataki, one of the world’s premier obsidian sources, you can witness Japan’s first Paleolithic National Treasures—where prehistoric craftsmanship meets the raw power of the earth.

Your journey begins at the Shirataki Geopark Visitor Center, where you can explore the geological drama that created this "volcanic glass" through immersive videos and panels. A highlight of the visit is the hands-on experience: by touching the cool, smooth surface of raw obsidian, you can feel the mystery of the earth’s dynamism for yourself.

Continue to the adjacent Engaru Archaeological Center to see these stones transformed by human hands. In 2023, the "Excavated Items from the Hokkaido Shirataki Sites" were designated as National Treasures—a historic first for Paleolithic materials in Japan. Crafted about 20,000 years ago, these artifacts are breathtaking in both volume and beauty. The deep black, glass-like luster remains as sharp today as it was millennia ago, offering a profound and vivid connection to the ancient people who once thrived in Hokkaido.

Experience the "Amemiya 21," a living piece of Hokkaido Heritage. Feel the power and nostalgia of a steam engine that still breathes life into the woods today.

Located about 9km from central Maruseppu, this lush park is home to the Amemiya 21, a legendary steam locomotive built in 1928. Once a vital part of the logging industry, this majestic machine was saved from retirement by dedicated locals. Today, it remains Japan’s only locomotive of its kind still operating on its original tracks. As it travels the park’s figure-eight course, the billowing white steam, the scent of coal, and the echoes of its whistle transport you back to a bygone era.

The expansive grounds offer more than just history. Families can enjoy go-karts and "fluffy dome" trampolines, while the auto-campground is perfect for nature lovers. With an onsite history museum and a year-round Insect Museum, there are endless ways to satisfy your curiosity. Surrounded by the gentle murmur of rivers and trees, Maruseppu Forest Park is a unique destination where historical legacy and natural beauty meet.

Japan's largest 700-hectare wild flower garden, certified as a Hokkaido Heritage site, spreading across the narrow sandbar separating the Okhotsk Sea and Lake Saroma.

On the narrow sandbar called "Ryugu Kaido," approximately 20 km long and 200-700 m wide, a 700-hectare coastal grassland spreads. From June to August, over 300 species of seaside plants bloom profusely, including the vivid pink of Rosa rugosa, the orange of Lilium pensylvanicum, and the yellow of Thermopsis lupinoides, and the sight of colorful flowers swaying in the wind is overwhelming. The sweet fragrance of flowers drifts on the sea breeze, and walking while the sound of Okhotsk Sea waves quietly echoes, you are enveloped in a feeling as if lost in another world. The unique landscape sandwiched between two bodies of water - the blue Okhotsk Sea on one side and the calm Lake Saroma on the other - is also attractive.

At the Wakka Nature Center, you can rent bicycles to tour the flower garden. Vehicle entry is prohibited to protect nature, and you can enjoy the changing expressions of flowers through each season while slowly cycling along the sandbar on rental bicycles. The experience of touring Japan's largest wild flower garden at your own pace while feeling the pleasant wind caressing your cheeks makes you feel Hokkaido's great nature with your whole body.

Experience the raw power and ethereal beauty of drift ice year-round! Step into a world of -20°C to touch real ice, watch "Sea Angels" dance, and immerse yourself in a massive 360-degree dome theater that brings the Okhotsk Sea to life.

The Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum is an interactive center dedicated to the mysteries of the frozen North. The highlight is the 15-meter wide, 360-degree dome theater. With stunning visuals and surround sound, you will feel as though you are swimming through the icy sea. Since its 2018 renovation, the theater has offered an even more vivid and breathtaking portrayal of the region’s natural wonders.

Enter the "Extreme Cold Experience Room," kept at a biting -20°C. About 100 tons of authentic drift ice are on display, allowing you to feel the incredible chill even in summer. You can try the "frozen towel" experiment or create "frozen soap bubbles" that shimmer with rainbow colors as they crystallize—a magical sight that captures the essence of a Hokkaido winter.

The museum also hosts Japan’s largest collection of Clione, the mysterious "Sea Angels." Beyond these captivating creatures, you can explore 140 fish specimens preserved in ice and the original test vessel for the "Garinko-go" icebreaker. From hands-on science to maritime history, this museum offers an unforgettable journey into the heart of the ice.