Day 686: September 18, 2023
Monday – 3-Day “Respect for the Aged” Road Trip D3
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| I woke up early and headed to the parking area nearby to get Ruru. In the park, there were already several people doing calisthenics. Amazing! |
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| Stay@Kushiro |
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| The interior looks a bit decent, but the are several parts of this place that need cleaning and renovating |
Today was the last day of our memorable 3-day "Respect for the Aged" road trip through eastern Hokkaido. We woke up to Kushiro City (釧路市) completely covered in thick fog — it was so dense it reminded me of the mysterious town in Stephen King’s The Mist. Driving felt almost impossible with almost zero visibility, but despite that, we decided to push forward with a mix of nerves and excitement.
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| Back on the road for the final day of our 3-day "Respect for the Aged" Road Trip |
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| In a sudden twist, the city was enveloped in fog just as we were about to leave it. |
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| We decided to stop at Seicomart along Route 44 to buy breakfast and wait out the fog. |
After checking out from Stay@Kushiro, we carefully made our way through the foggy streets. It honestly felt like we were in some suspense novel, with everything so quiet and blurred. To wait out the thickest fog, we stopped at a Seicomart along Route 44 near Kushiro’s edge. Inside, the warm lights and shelves full of food felt like a little haven compared to the cold, gray world outside. We grabbed some breakfast supplies and hoped the mist would clear soon.
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| The fog is slowly lifting away at National Route 44 |
Thankfully, after a while, the fog lifted enough that we could finally see our car just a few steps away. That gave me a boost of confidence, and we set out excited for the day. Our plan was to visit the towns we missed yesterday — Nemuro City (根室市) was our first big stop. We figured we’d go straight there, then explore the other places on the way back.
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| Nemuro Roadside Station |
The drive from Kushiro (釧路市) to Nemuro (根室市) was beautiful — the landscape rolling by with vivid colors and hints of autumn. About 1 hour and 45 minutes later, we arrived at the Nemuro Roadside Station around 9 AM. We got our first roadside station stamp of the day here.
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| Lake Furen Observation Deck |
Just behind the station, there was the Lake Furen Observation Deck, with a peaceful view of the shimmering lake. It was quiet, calm — a nice little spot to stretch our legs.
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| Onneto Bridge |
On the way to the city center, we crossed the Onneto Bridge and stopped nearby to enjoy the view. The bridge’s arches looked elegant against the soft light, and the crisp air was refreshing.
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| Nemuro Izumo Shrine's torii gate |
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| Nemuro Izumo Shrine |
Next, we visited Nemuro Izumo Shrine. Following our family tradition, we quietly offered prayers and paid our respects in the peaceful shrine grounds. It felt grounding, like a moment to slow down amid the trip’s busy pace.
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| Meiji Park |
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| Silo Plaza inside Meiji Park |
Then we went to Meiji Park, where the Nemuro Pokémon manhole cover is installed. The park itself was lovely, and nearby were the three silos that make up Silo Square — big, pastel-colored structures that really stand out.
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| Cape Nosappu |
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| Return the Northern Territories Monument |
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| Cape Nosappu Lighthouse |
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| Japan's Easternmost Post |
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| Hoppokan |
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| Bridge to the Four Islands Monument |
We drove further east to Cape Nosappu, Hokkaido’s easternmost point. The salty breeze was strong, and seagulls called overhead. The area is dotted with monuments and museums, like the Hoppokan and the Bridge to the Four Islands Monument. Of course, I had to check out the easternmost lighthouse and the bright red post box — small things, but they hold great significance to our goal of visiting all the notable points of Hokkaido.
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| Nemuro City Northern Territory Museum |
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| We're back on National Route 44 |
I wanted to visit the Nemuro City Northern Territory Museum, but it was already 11 AM and we still had many places on our list. So, we left Cape Nosappu and headed back toward Kushiro — but not without stopping in Hamanaka (浜中町), the hometown of Lupin III.
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| Hamanaka Station |
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| Inside Hamanaka Station |
In Hamanaka (浜中町), we stopped at the unmanned Hamanaka Station. There were several life-sized Lupin III character cutouts that my daughter loved. We hoped for an Eki stamp, but there wasn’t one. A bit disappointing, but the station had its own charm.
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| Crossing the Kiritappuo Bridge to the Hamanaka town center |
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| Hamanaka Town General Cultural Center |
Next, we visited the Hamanaka Town General Cultural Center, which is also the Lupin III Museum. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations when we arrived.
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| Kiritappu Shrine's torii gate |
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| Kiritappu Shrine |
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| Lupin III Street featuring Lupin III |
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| Lupin III Street featuring Fujiko |
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| Pub Fujiko |
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| Jigen's Bar |
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| Lupin III manhole cover design |
Not wanting to miss out, we drove to Kiritappu Shrine, the town’s main shrine, to offer our prayers. Right outside was Lupin III Street — with buildings styled like places from the show, like Jigen’s Bar and Pub Fujiko. The street was dotted with manhole covers featuring the characters, which was a fun surprise.
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| Hamanaka Wetland Center |
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| Hamanaka Wetland Center parking area |
By around 1 PM, we reluctantly left Hamanaka (浜中町). We decided to skip some sightseeing spots in the town and head straight back to Kushiro City (釧路市), which we hadn’t explored yet. Before leaving town, we stopped at the Hamanaka Wetland Center to change Kai’s diapers. We also had a bit for a toilet break, but didn’t stay long as we wanted to reach Kushiro before 3 PM.
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| Starbucks — Kushiro Tsurumibachi |
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| We were lucky that the store wasn't crowded when we visited |
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| Coffee break for Team Nicerio |
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| Tsurumi Bridge |
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| Shinkushiro River |
We arrived in Kushiro (釧路市) around 2:30 PM. Our first stop was Starbucks — Kushiro Tsurumibachi — which is the easternmost stand-alone Starbucks in Hokkaido. The second floor looked out onto the Shinkushiro River, the water glinting softly in the afternoon light. A few cable lines spoiled the view a little, but it was still a lovely spot to relax with coffee.
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| 2nd Street Showa Store |
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| Inside the 2nd Street Showa Store |
After that, we went to the 2nd Street Showa Store and found ski pants for Ella, which was a small victory.
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| Tottori Shrine's torii gate |
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| Tottori Shrine |
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| Tottori Centennial Museum |
It got dark quickly after that, but we still managed to visit Tottori Shrine to keep up with our family tradition. The shrine grounds felt calm and sacred in the fading light. There was also the Tottori Centennial Museum, shaped like a castle, which caught my eye, though sadly it was already closed for the day.
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| Idemitsu Shell gas station in Kushiro City |
From there, we began our long drive home. We stopped at the Idemitsu Shell gas station in Kushiro to fill up before hitting the road.
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| Kushiro Roadside Station / Roadside Station Akan Tancho no Sato |
On the way back, we made a brief stop at Kushiro Roadside Station / Roadside Station Akan Tancho no Sato. Luckily, it was still open, so we grabbed the last roadside stamp for the day and took pictures of the colorful Kushiro Pokémon manhole cover outside.
The final stretch was over 320 kilometers, mostly along Routes 273 and 39, which must be gorgeous during the day but were swallowed by night and rain on our drive. The headlights caught the gleam of dozens of deer and foxes darting across the roadside — little surprises that kept us alert.
Because of the long drive and bad weather, we stopped several times to stretch, eat, and rest. Finally, a little after 11 PM, we pulled into our driveway, completely wiped out. We decided to leave unloading our things for tomorrow.
And just like that, our 3-day "Respect for the Aged" road trip came to an end. We covered about 670 kilometers in roughly 11 hours on the road, but all that tiredness faded when I thought about the memories we made — the foggy mornings, colorful towns, quiet shrines, and little family traditions that made this trip truly special. If I had the chance, I’d do it all again without hesitation.
Read more:
Japan Diaries 4: Week 99
Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 99
Nemuro Roadside Station / Roadside Station Swan 44 Nemuro
Nemuro Izumo Shrine
Meiji Park
Cape Nosappu
Hoppokan
Hamanaka Station
Kiritappu Shrine
Starbucks – Kushiro Tsurumibachi
Tottori Shrine
Kushiro Roadside Station / Roadside Station Akan Tancho no Sato
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