Discover Grand Scenery Including Drift Ice! 10 Popular Tourist Spots in Abashiri

Winter is the best season for sightseeing in Abashiri.
Drift ice, Abashiri’s biggest highlight, can only be seen in winter.
In addition to the daytime view of white ice stretching as far as the eye can see, don’t miss the magical and beautiful sight of drift ice softly glowing in the sunset.

From Tokyo, it takes about 2 hours and 30 minutes to reach Abashiri by plane and bus.
From Osaka, it takes Approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes by plane and bus as well.
Hokkaido is vast, so even from Sapporo it takes Approx. 3 hours and 30 minutes by plane, so keep that in mind.
By train, it takes Approx. 5 hours and 30 minutes, and by rental car it takes at least 5 hours.

The main way to get around Abashiri is by bus.
Since buses alone can be inconvenient in many situations, you should also use taxis when needed.
Public transportation is not especially extensive, so renting a car is recommended if you visit outside winter.

Abashiri Prison Museum is an open-air history museum located within Abashiri Quasi-National Park.
It preserves, restores, and exhibits former buildings from Abashiri Prison.
Visitors can explore valuable buildings from the Meiji and Taisho periods, centered on four facilities designated as Important Cultural Properties of Japan, including the Cell Block and Central Watchtower, the oldest existing wooden prison building in the country, and the Administration Building, which was used as a major prison management facility.

Opened in 1991, this is the only museum of its kind in Japan and a rare one even in the world.
It focuses on the cultures of the northern peoples of the Northern Hemisphere, from the Ainu, the Indigenous people of Hokkaido, to the Inuit living in Greenland in the east and the Sami living in Scandinavia in the west.
In the permanent exhibition area, valuable materials that supported the lives of northern peoples are displayed by theme, including clothing, food, housing, transportation tools, beliefs, and rituals.

Located west of Abashiri City in eastern Hokkaido, Lake Notoro is known for being covered in crimson coral grass in autumn.
One of the highlights is Japan’s largest coral grass colony, where a wooden boardwalk lets you enjoy the feeling of walking a runway-like path over a carpet of coral grass.
In winter, you can see drift ice, while in summer you can enjoy the area’s magnificent natural scenery.

Lake Abashiri, a lagoon located southwest of downtown Abashiri with a circumference of 43 km, offers a variety of activities throughout the seasons.
A 7 km promenade is maintained around the lake, making it perfect for birdwatching to observe wild birds that come to the lake, or for enjoying a leisurely walk.
The most famous activity is smelt fishing in winter. Since rental sets including rods, tackle, and bait are available, you can easily enjoy ice fishing for smelt.

Flower Garden Hana Tento is a beautiful Approx. 3.5-hectare flower garden spreading across Mt. Tento.
The site is used as a ski area in winter, and since the summer of 2002 it has also been used as a flower garden, becoming a beloved place of relaxation for local residents.

Opened in 1936, this is one of the oldest museums in Hokkaido.
Located in Abashiri City at Japan’s northeasternmost point, it introduces the rich natural environment of the Sea of Okhotsk and the history of Abashiri from ancient times to the present.
One of the first things that catches your eye inside is the impressive collection of taxidermy specimens.
Animals that live in the Sea of Okhotsk and animals代表ing the northern forests are lined up on display.

This site was once a farm operated by Abashiri Prison and was later developed and reborn as a tourist farm in 2006.
Across its 80-hectare grounds, crops such as corn, asparagus, and tomatoes are grown, and visitors can also enjoy harvesting experiences.
The biggest highlight is the sunflower field that blooms from summer into fall. Every year, around early to mid-July, Approx. 750,000 sunflowers reach their first peak bloom.

Notoro Cape features uplifted cliffs 40 to 50 meters high stretching out into the Sea of Okhotsk.
The name “Notoro” comes from the Ainu word “Not-oro,” meaning “the place of the cape.”
Known as one of Abashiri’s finest scenic spots, it offers views of the Sea of Okhotsk to the north and the Shiretoko Mountain Range to the east, as well as beautiful scenery that changes with the time of day, including sunsets and star-filled skies.

Every year from February to March, a special view can be seen at Kitahama Station, the station closest to the Sea of Okhotsk.
The sea around the station becomes completely white, filled with drift ice. This mystical beauty never fails to captivate visitors.
Next to the wooden station building is a drift ice observation deck, where you can enjoy a full view of the drift-ice-covered sea stretching out before you.

This science museum in Abashiri is themed around drift ice and the creatures of the Sea of Okhotsk. Located at the summit of 207-meter-high Mt. Tento, a nationally designated scenic site, it offers a 360-degree panoramic view from the third-floor observation terrace, overlooking the Sea of Okhotsk, the Shiretoko Peninsula, the Shiretoko Mountain Range, and more.
The Drift Ice Experience Terrace, kept at minus 15°C and capable of recreating low-latitude auroras, displays real drift ice that visitors can actually touch. The museum also exhibits rare creatures from the Sea of Okhotsk, including clione, known as “angels of the drift ice,” and lumpfish.

On National Route 39 heading from Memanbetsu Airport to downtown Abashiri, Hill of Fairy Tales is a popular viewpoint located along a straight 3 km stretch with excellent visibility. It was also used as a filming location for Akira Kurosawa’s movie Dreams.
Beyond gently sloping hills lined endlessly with fields of potatoes, wheat, beans, and beets, seven larch trees stand in a row, creating a grand landscape full of Hokkaido character. No matter when you visit, you can enjoy beautiful, storybook-like scenery. The view seen only at certain times, such as dusk when the silhouettes of the larch trees emerge against the setting sun, is especially memorable.

Roadside Station Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri is located near the mouth of the Abashiri River, where fishing boats come and go, in a scenic spot overlooking the grand Shiretoko Peninsula and the Sea of Okhotsk.
Inside, there is a local specialty shop selling a wide variety of Okhotsk products and other items, including Abashiri Pudding, famous sweets, processed agricultural and seafood products, original roadside station goods, and Aurora merchandise. It’s perfect for finding souvenirs.

Located right by the Sea of Okhotsk, Ryuhyo Glass Museum is housed in a renovated former fish paste factory and manufactures and sells glass products.
Open the door and you’ll find a wide range of glass items lined up inside.
From everyday items such as plates, vases, and glasses to drift-ice-inspired accessories and animal-themed goods, the shop offers a lineup of items that add color to daily life.