Japan’s northernmost city, Wakkanai is the main city in the Soya and Rumoi areas. The romance of Japan’s “northernmost frontier” such as ferry rides to the islands of Rishiri and Rebun, and views of Sakhalin beyond Cape Soya attract many travelers from outside Hokkaido and overseas. Strong winter winds that blow from the Sea of Japan cause drifts, and snow to “fall upwards.”

For more efficient transportation a rented car may the most convenient, but traveling by bus is a great way to enjoy the scenery at your leisure. For those heading to Japan’s northernmost point at Cape Soya, a seaside drive along the Japan Sea Ororon Route that stretches 194km north-south along the coast is highly recommended. The ever-changing beauty of the Japan Sea is unforgettable. Take a rest at the Hanada Family Banya, a former fisherman’s lodge now a Hokkaido Heritage, and nearer your destination is the Sarobetsu Genseikaen, a wild flower reserve where more than 100 varieties of flowers grow.

As well as the unique Toyotomi Onsen, which was discovered in the early 1900s while drilling for oil; Wakkanai Onsen, Japan’s northernmost hot spring; and Tomamae and Iwao Onsens along the Japan Sea Coast, from which the sunsets can be enjoyed, there are many other relaxing hot springs.

This area attracts many lovers of seafood, and is known for its sea urchin, the rich taste of which is said to come from the top-class Rishiri Kelp on which they feed off the shores of the Rishiri and Rebun islands. Visitors have been known to travel for hours just to savor the taste. This area also provides an array of other fresh seafood, including Atka mackerel from Rebun, shrimps from Haboro, and octopus from Rumoi. Why not stop off at one of the harbor towns, and eat your fill of delicious sushi or seafood dishes.

Mashike is home to the famous Kunimare Brewery, which was founded in 1882, and is Hokkaido’s oldest sake brewery. The refined dry taste of the sake made with subterranean water from the famous Shokambetsu-dake mountain proves popular as Japan’s northernmost locally-brewed sake. Tours of the brewery, which is also a historical building, are also possible.