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A Day Trip Around Lake Akan Hokkaido

29th September 2020 / 3 Comments on A Day Trip Around Lake Akan Hokkaido

Japan’s northernmost main island of Hokkaido is a nature-lover’s paradise. To the east of the island, just north of the city of Kushiro is the Akan National Park, named for the beautiful lake in the region. We spent a day in the Lake Akan Hokkaido park area. You need transportation to get around this area as many of the attractions are some distance apart.

Eastern Hokkaido is a popular holiday region and because of the volcanic activity there are plenty of onsen – hot springs resorts. Lake Akan itself was formed inside a caldera when lava cooled and formed a dam 6000 years ago. It’s a large lake of around 14 square kilometres and is known for its clear water. There are all sorts of activities in the area, including boat trips across the lake.

There is a very pretty waterfall close by.

Akan is not the only lake in the national park. Lake Mashu is also renowned for its beautiful clear water. That’s if you can see it. Unfortunately we visited on a particularly vile day – when we arrived it was raining and misty and there was no view of the prestigious lake to be seen. Hey ho. Can’t help the weather. This is what it looks like on a sunny day.

We did manage to see the sign though.

To make up for the lack of view, we decided that lunch would be a good option. The region specialises in soba noodles.

Mashu soba is made from buckwheat noodles. The noodles are made that morning, so are really fresh. They are cooked, rinsed in cold water and then served on a bamboo mat. Pick them up with chopsticks, dip into a savoury, refreshing dipping sauce and devour. Wasabi and negi (like spring onions) are available to add an extra dimension of heat and crunch. And don’t forget, it’s perfectly acceptable to slurp your noodles.

If you’re hungry you can eat mashu soba as part of a set meal. Vegetable and prawn tempura, miso soup, pickles and a cup of green tea make for a veritable feast.

You might think that cold noodles on a rainy day might not be the best combination for maximum enjoyment but actually it works. Especially if your next stop is to a hot spring foot spa. Simply dip your toes in the hot water and ignore the rain… (we’ll spare you the pictures of our feet in the water).

There are also some other interesting places to visit in the area.

The Iozan volcano area (Iozan literally means ‘sulphur mountain’), with its gloriously yellow sulphur deposits and eye-watering smells if you get too close. You are free to walk around on the footpaths, although areas are off limits for safety reasons. You can also buy eggs cooked using the natural heat of the mountain at the visitor centre.

The Kushiro wetlands.

And the Akan International Crane Sanctuary. The red crowned cranes are amongst the rarest cranes in the world but many reside on the eastern side of Hokkaido. They are best known for their courtship dancing ritual, especially during winter. The sanctuary provides a feeding station for wild crane visitors but also homes a number of captive cranes in a natural environment.

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Hokkaido’s Red Crowned Crane ‘Eggs’

4th August 2020 / 2 Comments on Hokkaido’s Red Crowned Crane ‘Eggs’

Hokkaido’s red crowned cranes reside on Japan’s northern – and second largest – island, are so famous that they feature on the country’s banknotes and as the logo for Japan Airlines. Half of the world’s population of these distinctive and beautiful birds, amongst the rarest cranes in the world, reside on the eastern part of the island. The cranes mate for life and are known for their ‘dancing’ together as part of their courtship ritual. Many red crowned cranes are migratory but the ones that reside in Hokkaido are resident all year round.

It isn’t always possible to see wild cranes – wildlife being wildlife can be somewhat elusive – but the Akan International Crane Sanctuary is located close to the town of Kushiro and offers the opportunity to see these marvellous birds up close. It can be enjoyed as part of a day trip visiting the beautiful countryside surrounding the town.

Kushiro is the last stop on the line. If you’re using your JR Pass and travelling from Sapporo, the train has a logo at the front that is highly appropriate.

The sanctuary has information about its work which is mostly in Japanese but, like a lot of Japanese information, it uses plenty of graphics as well.

The cranes almost became extinct during the 20^th century and remain on the endangered list. The centre acts as a feeding location for wild cranes and also has a number of captive cranes which are held in as natural an environment as possible making it possible to see the cranes all year round.

If you want to see them dancing in the snow you need to visit in winter but be prepared for loads of tourists with very expensive cameras who are all vying to snap that elusive shot of the crane couples’ fascinating dances.

The birds are able to breed. It was rather lovely to see one of the newest arrivals.

Hokkaido Red Crowned Cranes Souvenirs

And what point is there in a visit to a local tourist attraction to see Hokkaido red crowned cranes without indulging in some edible souvenirs? Made from local ingredients, you can buy ‘crane egg’ omiyage (souvenir gift), which come in presentation box.

Each cake is individually wrapped with a crane logo and, on opening up each wrapper the eggs don’t look as though they survived the journey home! However, any cracks in the shell caused by a slight crushing in our rucksacks as they endured a 24 hour journey home just added to their charm.

The egg’s shell is chocolate which coats hollow cake, and a soft smooth bean paste moulded into a sphere represents the yolk. The flavours are very subtle and not over-sweet. Our only complaint would be that they are much smaller than actual crane eggs and vanish in just three bites.