Experience Ainu culture at Lake Akan and visit some of the most famous hot springs of eastern Hokkaido Arrive at Tancho Kushiro Airport and depart from Memanbetsu Airport

Heading out by bus from Tancho Kushiro Airport, your first destination is the wondrous Lake Akan, where marimo moss balls, a protected species of Japanese flora, can be found. After you’ve dropped off your luggage and fed yourself for the trip ahead, it’s time for a walk to Lake Akan. First up is the Lake Akan Sightseeing Cruise, which will take you around the roughly 30-kilometer circumference caldera lake. Along the way, you’ll stop at Churui Island and visit the Marimo Observation Center to see the marimo in their natural environment in the lake. After taking in the incredible sites on the boat ride, it’s time for a walk through Lake Akan Ainu Kotan, a village home to around 120 Ainu folk and 36 Ainu houses. You can take a break at a local tearoom while you’re out browsing the folk craft stores and their stock of wooden sculptures and accessories as you wait for supper.

After dinner you’re off to Lake Akan Ainu Theater Ikor to see Akan-Yukar “Lost Kamuy”, a show that combines traditional Ainu folk dance with digital art.

On day 2, you’ll see the world how the Ainu do, as the sights of Lake Akan and its forests appear even more beautiful than before. Today you’ll head through Kushiro Station by bus and by JR rail as you make for Kawayu Onsen. Make sure to take in the sights of the area’s lush forests from your train seat on the way there. This hot spring district states that its waters come 100% straight from the source. As the springs’ abundant waters flow into the river, the smell of sulfur drifts through the air from somewhere in the area. Now you can enjoy the best part of visiting a hot spring: a nice warm bath before dinner.

Even more fun awaits after dinner as you head to Lake Mashu for a spot of night sky stargazing. As you look out into the pitch black skies that cover Lake Mashu Observatory No. 1, it feels almost as if countless stars are spilling out towards you. A guide will provide commentary for the constellations with the help of a laser pointer, making the evening as educational as it is extravagant.

*Lake Mashu Stargazing Tour
https://tourism-teshikaga.co.jp/mashu-star/

You’ll depart your lodgings early in the morning to make for Mt. Iou. You can get a true sense of the Earth’s energy here, as trails of white smoke rise all around from the countless fumaroles on the mountain that are stained yellow by sulfur crystals. After refreshing your body with a stroll through the area, it’s time for some bus & train rides to the port town of Abashiri, facing the Sea of Okhotsk. The first stop there is the unmissable Abashiri Prison Museum. Here you can learn about Abashiri Prison’s history and its deep ties to the development of the area in the Meiji period. Appreciate the architecture of the prison’s buildings, many of which are designated by the government as Important Cultural Properties and Tangible Cultural Properties.

At the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum, you can see genuine drift ice and sea angels up close and personal. After seeing what Abashiri has to offer, the trip approaches its end. Ainu culture, volcanic hot springs, and ancient traditions passed down in lands blessed by nature―experience it all on this exciting trip through Hokkaido.