- Address: Xiretokomisaki, 羅 臼 町 Rausu, Menasi County, Hokkaido Prefecture 086-1801, Japan
- Area of the park: 71.1 hectares
- Contact phone: +81 154-32-7500
Location:
The Shiretoko Park is located on the peninsula of the same name in the eastern part of the Japanese island of Hokkaido. It covers the territory from the central part of the peninsula to Cape Siretoko and the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk.
History of the Reserve
The name of the Siretoko Peninsula, the most part of which is the reserve, in the Ainu language means "the end of the earth". This is true, because there are no roads to the north and east, so you can only walk or take a boat. The status of the Shiretoko National Park was received in 1964, and in 2005 it was included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. A proposal was made to add a number of Kuril Islands to this nature protection zone and create a Russian-Japanese "Peace Park", but an agreement between the countries was not reached.
Flora and fauna of Shiretoko
The reserve is characterized by the residence of some representatives of wildlife, including brown bears, foxes and deer. Some animals and birds are on the verge of extinction, for example, fish owl. The vegetation of the Shiretoko National Park is also quite diverse: you can see Sakhalin firs, Mongolian oaks and even birches of Erman. In addition, the reserve has a very rich ecosystem, which is due to the presence here drifting ice floes. When melting, they form a lot of phytoplankton and thus attract huge colonies of salmon fish, which feed on bears and fish fillets.
Attractions of the park
In addition to the beauty of wildlife, in Siretoko you will find very interesting places, among which:
- Five lakes. They are surrounded by dense forests. Along the waterways there is a 3 km long walkway, passing along which you will see scratches from bear claws on trees, hollows of woodpeckers and traces of wild animals. The first lake is open for visiting all year round, and the passage to it is free. The other four can be visited only from 7:30 to 18:00 and strictly in the composition of the excursion group.
- Pass Shiretoko. It is located at an altitude of 738 m above sea level. Here you can see dwarf pines, also found in the highlands on the island of Honshu. And from the pass you can see a wonderful panorama to Mount Rausu - one of the most beautiful peaks in Japan.
- Furepe waterfall. One of the paths of the reserve leads to it. The waterfall is 1 km away from the Natural Center of Shiretoko. Water flows Furepe collapse from a height of 100 m to the Sea of Okhotsk. From the observation platform you can observe the panorama of the mountain chain.
- Mount Rausu (Rausudake). It is a peak 1661 m above sea level. Here is the volcano Io. On the slopes of the mountain grows about 300 species of alpine plants, and at the very top until mid-July is snow. From Mount Raus, you can see the panorama of the island of Kunashira, five lakes, the Sea of Okhotsk and the mountain range of Siretoko.
- Waterfall Camuyvacca. Translated from the language of the Ainu people, the name of the waterfall means "river of gods". Kamuyvakka is fed by thermal springs, so the water flows are warm. You can get to it from the Natural Center of Siretoko by shuttle bus in 40 minutes, private cars are not allowed to enter the waterfall.
When is the best time to visit?
The park is open all year round, but the most favorable time for visiting the National Wildlife Sanctuary of Siretoko and getting to know its wildlife is from June to September. In winter, on the coast of the peninsula along the Sea of Okhotsk you can observe drifting ice floes, and some tourists come here to look specifically at the ice drift.
Travel Tips
Be careful while visiting the reserve and follow all the guide's instructions. At the entrance you will be given a special can of gas and bells to scare away the brown bears (their greatest activity falls on June-July). It is recommended to make as much noise and ringing as possible and in no case separate from a group of tourists. In addition, the administration of Shiretoko draws your attention to the ban on feeding wild animals and asks to maintain cleanliness in the park.
How to get there?
In order to get to the Shiretoko reserve, you need to first use the domestic airlines and fly from Tokyo to Kushiro. Next, you need to change the train and get from Kushiro to Siretoko Sari. After that, you are about 1 hour away by bus, and you are at the Shiretoko National Park.