Hokkaido 2: From Lake Akan to the Sea of Okhotsk

From Lake Akan to Lake Mashū, I drive along Hokkaido’s premier tourist route.

阿寒湖から摩周湖へ、北海道を代表する観光ルートを走ります。

Back then, the national highways were still gravel roads, and of course, they had that quintessential Hokkaido feel. Head north about 60 kilometers from Kushiro on Route 240 (the Marimo Highway), and you’ll reach Lake Akan. Around the lake are aquariums and museums, and among them, a single stuffed Ezo brown bear.

当時はまだ砂利道の国道も、もちろん北海道らしい国道も。釧路から240号線(まりも国道)を60キロほど北上、阿寒湖です。湖の周辺には水族館や博物館があり、そんな中、エゾヒグマの剥製を一枚。

From Lake Akan to Lake Mashū via Sōkodai. Along the way, I encountered Ezo deer crossing the national highway. Then, from Koshimizu Wildflower Garden to the Sea of Okhotsk, the beach at Masuura, next to Abashiri, became my spot for camping that night.

The Shiretoko Peninsula is visible hazy in the distance. The next morning, the sunrise rising from the peninsula.

阿寒湖から双湖台を経て摩周湖へ。途中、国道を横切るエゾシカに出会いました。そして小清水原生花園からオホーツク海へ、網走の隣町、鱒浦(ますうら)の浜辺がこの日の野宿の場所となりました。遠く霞んでいるのが知床半島です。翌朝、半島から昇る朝日です。