Weekend 101: October 7-8, 2023
Day 705: October 7, 2023
Saturday – 3-Day “Sports Day” Road Trip D1
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| Day 1 - 3-day "Sports Day" Road Trip |
It’s a cloudy day here in Rumoi City, but that isn't going to stop us from embarking on our exciting 3-day road trip. I've named it the "Sports Day" Road Trip, in honor of the upcoming Japanese holiday on Monday. Our goal for this trip is to explore all the towns and villages around the stunning Shakotan Peninsula.
We set off from Rumoi City at 6:50 AM and made a straight drive to the town of Yoichi (余市町), which took us approximately 3 hours and 20 minutes. Unfortunately, the weather didn't cooperate upon our arrival in Yoichi, as it was raining. Consequently, we had to exclude several outdoor destinations from our itinerary.
These are the places that we visited in Yoichi:
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| Fugoppe Cave |
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| Team Nicerio visits Fugoppe Cave |
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| Inside Fugoppe Cave |
🍎 Fugoppe Cave
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| Yoichi Roadside Station |
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| Illusion Room in the Yoichi Roadside Station souvenir shop |
🍎 Yoichi Roadside Station
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| Yoichi Space Dome |
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| Inside the Yoichi Space Dome |
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| A replica of a space shuttle can be found inside the Space Dome |
🍎 Yoichi Space Dome
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| Shimoyoichi Unjoya Trading Post Historical Site |
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| Team Nicerio visits Shimoyoichi Unjoya Trading Post Historical Site |
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| Inside the historical site |
🍎 Shimoyoichi Unjoya Trading Post Historical Site
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| Hamanaka Moire Beach |
🍎 Hamanaka Moire Beach
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| Yoichi Shrine's torii gate |
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| Yoichi Shrine |
🍎 Yoichi Shrine
Before leaving Yoichi, we wanted to check out Backerei Yoichi, reputed to sell some of the most delicious bread and pastries in town. However, it was disappointing to find out that the bakery was closed.
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| AEON Mall Otaru - Wing Bay Otaru |
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| 2nd Street inside AEON Mall Otaru - Wing Bay Otaru |
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| Ella is enjoying the arcade game |
Since we had some spare time, we decided to head to AEON Mall Otaru - Wing Bay Otaru in Otaru City (小樽市). We did some window shopping at the mall, and my friend Ella even gave the arcade a try.
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| Naruto Shop inside AEON Mall Otaru - Wing Bay Otaru |
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| We all ordered the Naruto Chicken set |
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| Here's the menu for Naruto Chicken |
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| Itadakimasu! |
Just when we were about to leave and head to Naruto Main Shop in Inaho District for dinner, we stumbled upon a smaller branch of Naruto in the mall's food court. Naruto is known for its lip-smacking fried chicken with crispy skin, reminiscent of Max’s Restaurant back in the Philippines.
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| Hostel Junpu Manpan |
Satisfied with our meal, we then proceeded to check in at Hostel Junpu Manpan, our accommodation for the night. Surprisingly, the hostel is run and maintained by students, but it was impeccably clean despite its dated appearance.
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| Zodakeyamasho Temple |
The only downside was that there wasn't a nearby parking area. However, the student in charge kindly explained that we could park inside Zodakeyamasho Temple grounds, which were around 300 meters away. It felt like a safe place to leave our vehicle, as I had faith that the spirits and deities of the shrine would watch over it for the night.
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| Our room in Hostel Junpu Manpan |
Knowing that we had a long day ahead of us the next day, we opted for an early night. After a refreshing shower, we called it a day.
All in all, our first day of the 3-Day "Sports Day" Road Trip was eventful, despite the rain. We had the opportunity to visit Yoichi for the first time, as well as rediscover and explore some parts of Otaru City. Tomorrow, we're keeping our fingers crossed for better weather as we continue our adventure.
Day 706: October 8, 2023
Sunday – 3-Day “Sports Day” Road Trip D2
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| Bye for now, Hostel Junpu Manpan |
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| Otaru City early in the morning |
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| Zodakeyamashoho Temple grounds |
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| Zodakeyamashoho Temple |
It felt as though our prayers had been heard, because we woke up to a glorious sunny morning. The gloomy skies of the previous days had given way to bright, inviting sunshine, which lifted our spirits. After packing up, we checked out of Hostel Junpu Manpan in Otaru City (小樽市) and set off at around 7:20 AM. Our journey for the day would begin with a familiar yet exciting destination—the charming town of Yoichi (余市町), a place we were eager to explore once again.
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| Ella and Kai are off to another adventure |
We visited the following places in Yoichi:
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| Ebisu Rock and Daikoku Rock |
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| Team Nicerio visits Ebisu Rock and Daikoku Rock |
🪨 Ebisu Rock and Daikoku Rock
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| Candle Rock |
🪨 Candle Rock
From there, we continued on to the town of Furubira (古平町). This town is a popular camping destination. However, for this trip, we will only visit select destinations in town. Hopefully, we get to revisit this town again, and next time, we get to camp in it.
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| Next stop, the town of Furubira |
These are the places that we visited in Furubira:
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| Setakamui Rock |
⛺ Setakamui Rock
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| Furubira Town Hall |
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| Inside Furubira Town Hall |
⛺ Furubira Town Hall
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| Furubira Ebisu Shrine's torii gate |
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| Furubira Ebisu Shrine |
⛺ Furubira Ebisu Shrine
After offering prayers and making a wish at the shrine, we left the town and proceeded to the next town of Shakotan (積丹町). This town has the region’s most popular tourist spot – Cape Kamui Natural Park. However, before visiting it, we made sure to visit the other places inside and near the town proper first.
These are the places that we visited in Shakotan:
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| Shakotan Sightseeing Information Center |
✹ Shakotan Sightseeing Information Center
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| Shakotan Town Hall |
✹ Shakotan Town Hall
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| Cape Ogon |
✹ Cape Ogon
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| Takarajima |
✹ Takarajima
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| Bikuni Shrine's torii gate |
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| Bikuni Shrine |
✹ Bikuni Shrine
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| Cape Kamui parking area |
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| "Women-Prohibited Gate" |
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| Cape Kamui |
From there, we drove out of town to go to the highlight of today’s road trip – Cape Kamui Natural Park. There were numerous tourists, but the place wasn’t as crowded as it commonly is, probably because it rained a lot yesterday.
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| Kamuy Banya |
After exploring the cape, we went to the Kamuy Banya, which is a souvenir store/restaurant. There, we tried the famed Shakotan Blue Soft Cream.
We didn’t stay that long in Shakotan as we still have plenty of places to visit in our itinerary. We left the town at around 11:30AM. Our next stop is the village of Kamoenai (神恵内村). The town is known as the second-smallest municipality in Hokkaido in terms of population
These are the places that we visited in Kamoenai:
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| Japan Folk Toy Museum Doshinkan |
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| Inside Japan Folk Toy Museum Doshinkan |
👺 Japan Folk Toy Museum Doshinkan
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| Kamoenai Roadside Station |
👺 Kamoenai Roadside Station / Roadside Station Osukoi Kamoenai
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| Kiss Bear Rock - just on the wrong angle... |
👺 Kiss Bear Rock
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| Kamoenai Itsukushima Shrine's torii gate |
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| Kamoenai Itsukushima Shrine |
👺 Kamoenai Itsukushima Shrine
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| Kamoenai Village Hall |
👺 Kamoenai Village Hall
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| Route 229 to Tomari |
Our next destination is the village of Tomari (泊村). Tomari is called "Hometown of Energy" due to the fact that it is home to the lone Nuclear Power Plant in Hokkaido.
These are the places that we visited in Tomari:
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| Horinji's torii gate |
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| Horinji |
💡 Horinji
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| Tomari Inari Shrine's torii gate |
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| Tomari Inari Shrine |
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| Tomari Fishing Port as seen from Tomari Inari Shrine |
💡 Tomari Inari Shrine
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| Herring Goten Tomari / Herring Palace Tomari |
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| Inside Herring Palace Tomari |
💡 Herring Goten Tomari / Herring Palace Tomari
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| We stopped at Seicomart Tomari to buy some snacks |
Originally, Tomari was supposed to be the final stop for the second day of our “Sports Day” Road Trip. We had planned to wrap up our adventure there after exploring its scenic spots and learning about its local charm. However, when we finished touring the village, we realized it was still quite early in the day. Instead of heading back to our accommodation, we saw this as the perfect chance to extend our trip and visit another destination. With extra daylight on our side and our excitement still high, we decided to make the most of the day by venturing to a nearby town, adding an unplanned yet delightful twist to our itinerary.
For our next town, we drove to the town of Iwanai (岩内町). These are the places that we visited in Iwanai:
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| Marine Park |
🐟 Marine Park
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| Iwanai Roadside Station |
🐟 Iwanai Roadside Station
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| Kida Kinjiro Museum of Art |
🐟 Kida Kinjiro Museum of Art
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| Iwanai Shrine's torii gate |
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| Iwanai Shrine |
🐟 Iwanai Shrine
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| National Route 276 to Kyowa |
Surprisingly, it was just 3:30 PM when we left Iwanai. It only meant that we still had enough time to visit and explore the nearby town of Kyowa (共和町). Kyowa is known for its agricultural products like watermelons, melons, and corn.
These are the places that we visited in Kyowa:
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| Horoni Railway Memorial Park |
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| Preserved car SuHaFu 42 507 |
🍉 Horoni Railway Memorial Park
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| Kyowa Town Hall |
🍉 Kyowa Town Hall
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| Kyowa Town Scarecrow Hometown Museum |
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| Inside Kyowa Town Scarecrow Hometown Museum |
🍉 Kyowa Town Scarecrow Hometown Museum
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| Horoni Shrine's torii gate |
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| Horoni Shrine |
🍉 Horoni Shrine
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| Lawson Otaru Ironai |
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| 7-Eleven Otaru Inaho 5-chome |
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| Parked Ruru at Zodakeyamashoho Temple again after dropping off my family at Hostel Junpu Manpan |
After paying our respects and offering some prayers at the town’s main shrine, we decided that it was time to head back to Hostel Junpu Manpan, which is our accommodation in Otaru City. We wanted to eat out for dinner, but we were already drained from the full day of exploring, so we decided to just make some quick stops at Lawson Otaru Ironai and 7-Eleven Otaru Inaho 5-chome to buy our food, which we ate in the comfort of our room.
Overall, it was a long and tiring day, but one that felt incredibly fulfilling. Despite the exhaustion from traveling, we were thrilled to have visited six new municipalities, each offering its own unique sights and experiences. Every stop added something special to our journey, making all the effort worthwhile and leaving us with memorable moments to cherish.
Read more:
Japan Diaries 4: Week 101
Japan Diaries 4: Day 706
Japan Diaries 4: Day 707
Fugoppe Cave
Yoichi Roadside Station
Space Dome Yoichi
Shimoyoichi Unjoya Trading Post Historical Site
Yoichi Shrine
Ebisu Rock and Daikoku Rock
Candle Rock
Setakamui Rock
Furubira Ebisu Shrine
Cape Ogon and Takarajima
Bikuni Shrine
Cape Kamui
Japan Folk Toy Museum Doshinkan
Kamoenai Roadside Station
Kamoenai Itsukushima Shrine
Hakuinari Shrine
Herring Goten Tomari
Iwanai Roadside Station
Iwanai Shrine
Horoni Railway Memorial Park
Horoni Shrine
Hokkaido Manhole Covers
Japan's Awesome Manhole Covers
A Guide to Collecting Eki Stamps
Hokkaido Soft Cream Flavors
10 Things to Do in Yoichi
10 Things to Do in Otaru City
10 More Things to Do in Otaru City
10 Things to Do in Furubira
10 Things to Do in Shakotan
10 Things to Do in Kamoenai
10 Things to Do in Tomari
10 Things to Do in Iwanai
10 Things to Do in Kyowa
Hokkaido 179
Japan Diaries 4: Summary
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Japan Diaries 4: Week 100
Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 100
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Japan Diaries 4: Week 102
Japan Diaries 4: Weekend 102
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