I'm arranging photos while refraining from going out due to COVID-19. I've picked old photographs up again.
It's early September 2009. I took 5 consecutive holidays and drove alone in Hokkaido without booking hotels. It was the longest consecutive holiday during the days when I worked at a home improvement center.
The rental car was a Honda Fit. It was not suitable for overnight stays in the car, but I chose it due to its low price.
Day1 New TitoseーRumoi
On the first day, I arrived at New Chitose Airport from Nagoya around 3:00 pm. I rent a car near the airport and headed to Takigawa via Do-o expressway.
I had a dinner and took a hotspring at the Michi-no-eki (road side station), and arrived Rumoi at midnight.
I stayed at Rumoi's Senbodai Park in the car, but I couldn't sleep much due to the extreme cold. It was September 2nd, but the minimum temperature dropped to one digit.
Mileage on day 1 was 225km.
Day2 RumoiーCape Soyaーlake Saroma
It was Rumoi's Senbodai Park before dawn. Too dark to see?
I drove north along the Sea of Japan.
Sarobetsu Wilderness and Mt.Rishiri Fuji
I was able to see hay rolls those are so Hokkaido in the middle of the route.
There was an prairie house. It seemed good that there were no neighbors.
A straight road made me sleepy.
I came to Noshap Cape and stopped at Noshapu Cold Current Aquarium, the northernmost aquarium in Japan.
It's a small aquarium, but it's full of seals and fish from the North Sea.
Looking down on Wakkanai city from the hilltop of Noshap Park.
I came to Cape Soya, the northernmost point in Japan.
I could see Sakhalin. Russia is close!
Wind farms of Soya Hills
Cows
Then I headed south along the Sea of Okhotsk.
I was really sleepy around here, Omu town.
After taking a bath and dining at Tulip no Yu at Road Station Kami Yubetsu Onsen (hot spring), I decided to park my car near Saroma and sleep.
The mileage on the second day was 480km.
Day3 Lake SaromaーSiretokoーNemuroーCape Kiritappu
It was lake Saroma before dawn. It is the 3rd largest lake in Japan.
Wakka wildflower garden on the shore of Lake Saroma
These were Japanese bellflower.
I stopped by the Abashiri Prison that was a popular tourist attracton.
I drove through Shari Town.
Native flower garden station on the Kusami Main Line. The area is Koshimizu Wild Flower Garden.
This flower is called Hamanasu in Japanese. English name is Rosa rugosa.
I came to the Shiretoko Peninsula. Thiss was Oshinkoshin Falls.
I walked around Shiretoko Five Lakes, but I was scared of a brown bear. Because I got witness information of them a few days ago.
Shiretoko Pass and the highest peak of the Shiretoko Peninsula, Mt.Rausu （1,661m)
I could see Kunashiri Island from the trail of Rausu Pass. It was closer than expected. I thought this should be Japanese territory.
This was my lanch at the resturant in Rausu tow.
After approaching the Notsuke Peninsula, I headed inland to Nakashibetsu.
I came to Kaiyodai.
Kaiyodai was on the stage of Joe Sasaki's motorcycle novel "Looking back to the horizon". when I read this, I was a high school student. I had been longing to visit there since then. It's a car, but I'm really happy to be able to come.
I took a break by drinking Guarana which was a popular Hokkaido's local softdrink.
Then I drove to Cape Nosappu, the easternmost place of Japan. I took a break at Lake Furen in the middle of the way.
The Nemuro Peninsula is sunny but windy.
I reached Cape Nosappu. Kaigara island, just beyond the eyes and nose, is also ruled by Russia.
I return to Nemuro town. I saw the horses along the way.
It was a long-distance drive, but it had a good fuel economy fit. Based on my experience at this time, the car I'm riding in my house is Honda Fit.
It's getting dark before I got to town. I had dinner near Nemuro station and took a bath at a public bath. I was surprised at how hot the water was. I recognaized that public baths were hotter in the north.
After that, I drove the car again to Kiritappu. The signboard also showed the direction to the Mutsugorou Kingdom. I went there, but I didn't find it because it was dark. I decided to stay in the car at Cape Kiritappu.
The Mileage on day 3 was 580km.
Day4 KiritappuーKushiroーObihiroーcape ErimoーHidaka
It was the dawn of Cape Kiritappu.
I saw small fishing boats. What are they fishing?
I came to Kushiro City. I feelt like I came to a big city after a long time.
Kushiro wetland was full of green.
I came to Kushiro City red-crowned Crane (Japanese Crane) Nature Park near Kushiro Airport.
I came to the suburb of Obihiro.
From Obihiro, I headed south toward Cape Erimo. This was the Koufuku (Happiness) Station of the abandoned Hiroo Line.
The station building was still there.
It was the inside of the station building. The situation was incomprehensible.
It is said that the golden road that connects Tokachi and Hidaka along the coastline took its name because it cost tremendously to build it.
The steep coastline where the Hidaka Mountains fall into the sea follows.
I arrived at Cape Erimo at the early evening.
It seems that seals are sometimes seen, but I could not see it on that day.
Cape Erimo lighthouse
After leaving Cape Erimo I took a bath at a hot spring at a roadside station on the way, had dinner, drove for about two hours, and then stayed in the car.
The mileage on day 4 was 450 km.
Day5 HidakaーTomakomaiーTitose
It was here when I woke up in the morning.
The sorroundings were thoroughbred ranches.
Suddenly it was the last but I arrived safely at New Chitose Airport and had lunch at the dining room in the terminal.
The mileage on the 5th day was 220 km.
5 days total 1955 km
This is the end of the 4 nights-5 days car trip.
I drove almost along the coastline except from New Chitose to Rumoi, Kaiyodai, and Obihiro, but the mileage was nearly 2000km. Speaking of 2000 km, it will be a round trip from Tokyo to Shimonoseki, so Hokkaido is very wide.
If you include the Oshima Peninsula, you will have to see another two days. Considering that, it seems better to have one week to go around Hokkaido by car.
I don't remember much, but I think that I brought my sleeping bag and winter clothes from the house for sleeping in the car. I put it all together in one large backpack.
In addition, although I tried sleeping in the car, I did not from first to third nights,.I laid cardboard near the car and slept on it outside. That way enabled me to stretch my legs and sleep in a full flat. By the way, I got the cardboard at the supermarket I stopped by for food on the first day. On the 4th night, it started to rain, so I slept in the car.
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