Journeys in Japan - 2011/03/08 - Abashiri City

"ABASHIRI CITY: Hokkaido-Pref."
-To the Land of Drift Ice -

Mar. 8, Tue.
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- Drift ice in the Sea of Okhotsk
- JJ is enjoying drift ice
- Horse riding in the snowy plains

This week's "journeys in japan," heads 1000 kilometers north of Tokyo to the sea of Okhotsk off the northeastern coast of Hokkaido. From January to March, the area becomes a vast blanket of ice floes. The ice amassing and drifting from Siberia on the currents to Hokkaido are called "drift ice." Our traveler JJ enjoys the wintry splendor of ice floes and other icy pleasures in the area.

Icebreaker "AURORA" (Abashiri HOKKAIDO)
Drift ice sightseeing cruises off Abashiri are a popular tourist draw.
Season: January 20th - March 31st
Fare: 3300 yen
Access: about 10 minutes by bus from Abashiri station.
Address: Minami 3, Higashi 4-5-1, Abashiri city, Hokkaido
URL:
http://ms-aurora.com/abashiri/en/ (English )
http://www.ms-aurora.com/abashiri/cs/ (Chinese)

Drift Ice walking (Utoro HOKKAIDO)
Visitors can experience going into drift ice!
Season: February 1st - March 31st
Rate: 5000 yen
Access: about 40 minutes by train from Abashiri station to Shiretoko Shari station.
Then it takes 40 minutes by bus to Utoro.
Address: Utorohigashi 284, Shari-cho, Shari-gun, Hokkaido
URL:
http://www.shinra.or.jp/e/index.html (English)
http://www.shinra.or.jp/c/blg_ns_c/index.html (Chinese)

Horseback riding (Abashiri HOKKAIDO)
Snow riding in winter is a magical way of seeing Abashiri's nature.
Season: all-year
Rates: 1000 ~ 12,000 yen
Access: about 10 minutes by train from Abashiri station to Mokoto station.
From there it's five minutes on foot.
Address: 225 Mokoto, Abashiri city, Hokkaido
URL:
http://abashiri.jp/tabinavi/en/tourist/activity.html (English)
http://abashiri.jp/tabinavi/chinese/index.html (Chinese )

Smelt fishing in Lake Abashiri
Lake Abashiri measures 40 kilometers in circumference.
It freezes over in winter, providing an icy and snowy playground.
Season: Late December - March
Rate: 800 yen
Access: about 10 minutes by bus from Abashiri station.
URL:
http://abashiri.jp/tabinavi/en/tourist/activity.html (English )
http://abashiri.jp/tabinavi/chinese/tourist/activity.html (Chinese)

Traveler: JJ (musician)
Access Map

Access:
To reach Abashiri, it takes two hours by plane from Tokyo to Memanbetsu Airport, and from there it's another 30 minutes by bus.
To get to Utoro for literally playing in the drift ice, it takes about one and a half hours by train and bus.

Download: http://www.fileserve.com/file/yZKwtH5/20110308 Journeys in Japan - Abashiri City.mkv

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