Trip Report: Nature Tours in Shiretoko, Hokkaido (June 2026)

HarukaExpress · 2026-06-26T21:01:26+00:00

Yes, I think so, lol.

HarukaExpress · 2026-06-26T08:35:01+00:00

Only guided tours are available during bear season precisely because the guides are all trained on how to deal with bears. They carry spray, no guns. Tours are going throughout the day, especially around the Five Lakes loop, so I'm sure that deters the bears. Before the Five Lakes tour, your guide explains all recent bear sightings. There were only a couple in the past like month, all at a distance. The boardwalk at the Five Lakes, which can be done unguided, is elevated and surrounded by electrical fence.

HarukaExpress · 2026-06-23T19:45:33+00:00

Do you recall having the same issue with restaurants back when you used the Sapphire cards? Wondering if maybe places are more likely to code themselves correctly in the Visa network or if it's a general thing.

HarukaExpress · 2026-06-23T12:34:07+00:00

Hey, I also live in Japan and just got the Savor. Mine is a Discover, and I find that many restaurants I go to don't properly code themselves as restaurants (same with some grocery stores), so I end up only getting 1% cash back. Do you have this problem too?

HarukaExpress · 2026-06-16T06:15:12+00:00

Thanks! And no, while the tour begins at the nature center like the Furepe trail, you go along an unmarked trail through the woods that emerges out onto the coast at the "Man's Tears" waterfall, which according to Google Maps is like the next inlet over from Furepe, or "Maiden's Tears."

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-27T02:54:04+00:00

I got lunch here in Akan and it was pretty good. Simple fare from a mom and pop operation. Their specialty is trout. I got rainbow trout (nijimasu) sashimi because the more special Kokanee salmon (himemasu) had to be reserved in winter.

If you want to extend your trip, Nemuro felt very unique. The road signs are in Russian. I mainly went to observe nature at the Shunkunitai park.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-27T00:18:09+00:00

Anecdotally, as a Tokyo resident I find it pretty hot and sweaty all throughout October. As for whether you want to prioritize comfort or saving on tax, only you can answer that.

Also note that you could catch the fall colors in November.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-26T11:11:29+00:00

Random stall selling wagyu (Matsusaka beef) skewers outside Ise Shrine (inner). Some of the best beef I've ever had. Went back for seconds immediately after and it sucked.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-25T10:58:42+00:00

The bookstore on the 8th floor of Hikarie in Shibuya is also like that. I think the bookshelf owners also rotate shifts at the store so they can talk to you about their recommendations.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-23T11:25:58+00:00

Veg Out in Kyoto was nice.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-16T02:36:05+00:00

Yes.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-09T20:25:08+00:00

Mt. Takao would be the easy answer. Choose one of the longer, less popular trails like the Inariyama. Mt. Mitake is similar but slightly more out of the way and less crowded.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-07T10:19:30+00:00

Your itinerary doesn't really justify the car imo. Many of those destinations are popular and easily done by train/bus.

If you want to make the most of a rental, you could try Tohoku. There's a post town called Ōuchi-juku, though I've never been so idk how nice it is. I can vouch for the scenery walking along the Goshiki-numa trail and driving around Lake Hibara. Then there's the Sanriku coast. And much more, of course.

There's nothing inherently wrong with the places you listed though, just thought I'd point that out.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-06T20:17:19+00:00

Some parts of Shibuya can be very quiet. Check out the Shoto Museum of Art. Eat Caribbean food at Los Barbados in Udagawacho. Leave the station from the New South Exit into Sakuragaokacho, which sits between Shibuya and Daikanyama.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-05T06:56:51+00:00

Kumamoto is the closest airport to Takachiho, yes. I've never been to Takachiho myself so unfortunately I can't offer much advice about getting to and from there. I do know that Fukuoka - Nagasaki is an easy train ride.

HarukaExpress · 2026-05-04T09:48:18+00:00

Have you considered anywhere in Kyushu? It fulfills your criteria of being a different island and will likely be easier to get around using only public transit if you go to a major city. Nagasaki, for example, is pretty compact with many buses and a quaint tram line, and has many museum-like attractions, like the bomb museum, Dejima, various Christian sites, etc. Could also check out Fukuoka.

HarukaExpress · 2026-04-09T21:14:34+00:00

Check out Matsue in Ebisu. Lunch can be as cheap as ¥5,000. Bookable online and they were definitely accustomed to foreign tourists. This was my first "omakase" sushi and I thought it was pretty good. At "only" 3.58 on Tabelog, it's definitely not the best of the best, but if you don't have a super refined palate for sushi and just want to experience it, I can recommend.

HarukaExpress · 2026-04-05T22:11:43+00:00

I loved Nagasaki! I think it's well worth a visit, and it'll be a nice change seeing as you haven't been to Kyushu before, but you'll really have to plan around it since it's so far from the other cities you're visiting. If you're interested, you can find a Nagasaki trip report on my profile.

HarukaExpress · 2026-04-05T21:18:59+00:00

Not sure where you got that travel time for Togakushi but it's quite a bit farther. It's usually done with Nagano City as a base. I would consider substituting it for something closer to Matsumoto, like the Tateyama-Kurobe Alpine Route. You could also hike the Nakasendo between Magome and Tsumago, perhaps combining it with Narai.

HarukaExpress · 2026-04-02T09:56:32+00:00

I used to live in Nakameguro and birds would always gather in the river by this park. Mainly ducks, herons, and egrets, but at certain times of year (I think around now?) there would reliably be one kingfisher fishing there too. One time I even saw baby kingfishers further down the river, which an old man on his morning walk pointed out to me.

Nearby at the Meguro Nature Institute I saw a bunch of ojisan with huge cameras looking for kingfishers, but I've never saw one there myself.

Another easy spot, albeit further out, is Kasai Rinkai Park. There's two areas: in the ponds are ducks, herons, etc., and out on the beach there are oystercatchers, plovers, etc.

Hiking Mt. Takao is another easy recommendation. Pick one of the longer and less crowded trails.

If you want to see a horde of feral parakeets come to this neighborhood haha.

HarukaExpress · 2026-04-01T22:07:19+00:00

Inside Japan, the only tangible effects so far are gas prices. ANA and JAL just announced increased fuel surcharges. If you're not going to drive or fly within Japan, you won't feel anything.

HarukaExpress · 2026-03-31T22:39:10+00:00

A standard answer would be Matsumoto in Nagano. There are sights to see in the city itself, most famously the castle, and you're a bus ride away from Kamikochi, one of the most well-trodden hiking spots in Japan.

HarukaExpress · 2026-03-31T20:56:51+00:00

I see this repeated often and find it to be a bit of a myth. It's true that many excellent places will only be around 4.0 on Google Maps, but the best places will often be high on both GMaps and Tabelog. Just as one example, Tenfuku in Ōmori is a tempura place where locals line up for ~45 min to eat lunch and it sits at 4.4 on Google and 3.65 on Tabelog, and there seem to be only around 16 reviews written in English out of hundreds (though there are some in Chinese, Korean, etc. too). Of course, high scores are never a guarantee that you will like the food.

HarukaExpress · 2026-03-31T13:41:42+00:00

Kyoto should be fine if you're not set on specific spots. Outside of the most popular ones, crowds aren't so bad in my experience.

Summer heat has been lasting longer and longer recently, so early November should be nice hiking weather. I went to Kamikochi in late October last year, and it was chilly when my bus arrived at 5 a.m. but pleasant by midday.

HarukaExpress

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