Tsubetsu Unkai (Tsubetsu Sea of Clouds) from Tsubetsu Observatory, the No. 1 place to see it.
The sea of clouds that spreads over Lake Kussharo changes its mysterious color at sunrise!
Tsubetsu-cho (Tsubetsu Town) is located in the eastern part of Hokkaido, and is a healthy town with abundant clean air from the forests that cover 86% of its total area. The town has a thriving agriculture, dairy farming, forestry, and lumber industry. The nearest airport, Memanbetsu, is only about 30 minutes away, and within 2 hours you can reach Tokyo (Haneda, Narita), Osaka (Kansai International Airport), and Nagoya (Chubu). The town is a center of attention for its food and environment, with farm products grown in clean river water, high quality beef and dairy cattle as valuable foodstuffs, and wooden spoons and forks used for box lunches and other items attracting attention. Young people from outside the area who prefer to live in harmony with nature are attracted to this town.
Tsubetsu Tourism Association
7 Aza Odori, Tsubetsu-cho, Abashiri-gun, Hokkaido
Multipurpose Activity Center-Sansankan
tel : 0152-77-3771
Hours of operation: 9:30-18:15.
The Nonno Forest in Tsubetsu-cho has a magical power to heal and energize us. Walking through the forest with a Nonno Forest therapist (instructor), listening to the sounds, feeling the smells, and enjoying yourself, you will feel lighter in mind and body. Take in the clean air of the forests of Tsubetsu-cho, the town of trees, and experience forest therapy to relieve daily tension, depression, and fatigue by filling your body with negative ions.
Experience the spectacular scene of a sea of clouds spreading over Japan’s largest caldera lake / Lake Kussharo, changing mysterious colors as the sun rises (sunrise from June to October). The encounter rate is an astonishing 70% in some seasons, making it a popular choice for cloud sea enthusiasts. The attraction of the sea of clouds show is that the cobalt blue Lake Kussharo (79.3 km² in area) is completely covered by it.
Located in the 23-hectare “21st Century Forest,” the “Wooden Crafts Museum Kinos” is a hands-on facility where visitors can learn about Tsubetsu Town while having fun using the town’s wood, including a large playground combining a suspension bridge and slide, a climbing wall, a wooden tricycle, a wooden ball rolling mechanism toy and displays. It is very popular with parents and children.
The 21st Century Forest Campground is located in a rich natural setting where outdoor activities can be enjoyed. From mid-July to mid-August, you can enjoy the fantastic scenery of fireflies flying around in the clear stream of the Tsubetsu River that runs next to the campground.
Visualize Tsubetsu Town on a digital map. Find Tsubetsu Town Hall, Bus Terminal, Sansankan and Main Street area, Kinos, 21st Century Forest, Tsubetsu Pass, Aioi Railway Park, and Lake Chimikeppu on the map.
When you come to Tsubetsu, please eat delicious food. There are many restaurants where you can enjoy local ingredients such as Tsubetsu Seiken/ Ultimate Pork Bowl and Tsubetsu Ramen (white and red), Ajitoriya (Soba) / Ni-Hachi Soba and Milk Udon, JAZZBAR Session / Tsubetsu Wagyu (reservation required until the day before), CHANOMA / lunch store, Bakery Rupa / meal bread store.
Tsubetsu Wagyu (a tasty black Japanese breed that has won various awards of excellence), Kumayaki (four varieties: brown bear, white bear, namayaki, and kumayaki), Tsubetsu Ramen (white and red), wooden sticks (ice cream spoon, wooden spoon and fork, pick for Japanese sweets), cream croquettes (Tsubetsu Monogatari), wood products, wooden toys and chairs, and other specialties from the agricultural, dairy, forestry, and timber industries.
In Tsubetsu Town, there are three hotels: the Western-style hot spring hotel in the forest / Lamp no Yado Moritsubetsu (around Nonno Forest), the Auberge (authentic French course meals) / Chimikeppu Hotel on the shore of a mysterious lake (Lake Chimikeppu) in the virgin forest, the experience exchange facility / Miito Inn Tsubetsu, the guest house / Hokkaido Detekoi Land and Nanmo-nanmo.
These are temporary evacuation sites for people to escape the danger of a disaster that has occurred or is threatening to occur. If you live in the suburbs, please evacuate to a safe place around your home.
Designated Emergency Evacuation Site (Primary Evacuation Site)” is a temporary evacuation site for people to escape the danger of a disaster that has occurred or is threatening to occur.
Secondary evacuation centers are temporary indoor shelters when a disaster has occurred or is likely to occur.
Base evacuation centers are evacuation facilities for when a large-scale disaster has occurred or is likely to occur that will require evacuation with overnight stays for several days.
Designated Emergency Evacuation Sites (Primary Evacuation Sites)” are designated as temporary evacuation sites for people to escape the danger of a disaster that has occurred or is threatening to occur.
During an earthquake, check your surroundings and act calmly. Are you injured? Check your cell phone’s signal, calling, and charging status. Gather information at Sansankan and Tsubetsu Town Hall. Check the bus terminal for operation status.
In case of bad weather, check the weather forecast and other advance information, and wait for the weather to recover inside the building without exerting yourself. Tsubetsu River and Abashiri River flow through Tsubetsu Town, and the water in the rivers may rise even after the rain has stopped. Depending on the scale of the flood, there is a risk of river flooding and landslides. Please stay away from dangerous areas and by all means do not hesitate to gather information.
Because it belongs to the inland climatic zone of the East Hokkaido area, it records considerably high temperatures in summer, but winters are cold and have a large temperature difference due to the influence of drift ice and other factors.
It also features low precipitation and a large number of sunny days, and boasts one of the highest sunshine rates in the country.
Month | Average temperature (°C) | Rainfall (mm) |
Jan. | -8.5 | 41.6 |
Feb. | -7.9 | 28.5 |
Mar. | -2.3 | 33.4 |
Apr. | 4.7 | 48.0 |
May | 10.8 | 56.3 |
Jun. | 15.0 | 65.7 |
Jul. | 18.8 | 90.7 |
Aug. | 19.8 | 126.7 |
Sept. | 15.7 | 122.2 |
Oct. | 9.1 | 79.4 |
Nov. | 2.2 | 45.2 |
Dec. | -5.4 | 49.5 |
Tokyo – Memanbetsu (about 1 h 45 min)
Osaka – Memanbetsu (about 2 h 30 min)
Sapporo – Memanbetsu (about 45 min)
Sapporo – Kitami (about 5 hours)
Use JR Okhotsk limited express
Sapporo – Kitami (about 5 hours)
Take “Dreamint Okhotsk” express inter-city bus from Sapporo Bus Terminal
Memanbetsu – Tsubetsu about 30 min.
Kitami – Tsubetsu about 30 min.
Abashiri – Tsubetsu about 50 min.
The Machi Bus operates by reservation except for some services on the Aioi Line.
Hana-bus is a bus that can be used by anyone without registration or reservation.
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