Kushiro
Introduction
Kushiro is a city on the island of Hokkaido, Japan, and serves as the capital of Kushiro Subprefecture. It sits along the coast of the North Pacific Ocean and is the most populated city in the eastern part of the island.
The city covers a large area, with a population spread across it at a low density, and it is organised into more than ninety thousand households.
Before you go
Before you go, understand that the Kushiro area sits in one of Japan's volcanically active regions and is especially prone to small tremors from offshore earthquakes. The city itself took its present shape when the towns of Akan and Onbetsu were merged into Kushiro, with the old Onbetsu town area becoming an enclave. Kushiro is also the birthplace of Akira Ifukube, the classical and film composer best known for his work on the Godzilla series. For planning, the city's official multilingual guide site, Super Fantastic Kushiro/Lake Akan, is the place to start.Getting there
Kushiro is reachable by air from Tokyo, Osaka and Sapporo, with flights from both airports in each city. Rental cars are available across the street from the airport, and if you are travelling without a local contact a rental car is strongly recommended, since public transport within the city and the wider Kushiro area is limited. Akan Bus also runs airport shuttles, in Japanese only, timed to meet every inbound and outbound flight between the airport and Kushiro Station.
By rail, the Limited Express Ozora runs six times daily from Sapporo with a mandatory seat reservation and a green car available. Local trains connect Kushiro with Abashiri four times daily and require no seat reservation, while the Rapid Hanasaki runs once daily from Nemuro with optional seat reservations, supplemented by four local trains daily from Nemuro. Kushiro Bus also operates daily services to and from Sapporo, one midday and one overnight.
Getting around
Kushiro spreads over a large area that takes in rivers, lakes and a stretch of national park, and public transport is limited, so a rental car gives you far more freedom. Cars are available at Kushiro Airport, across the street from the terminal, and are strongly recommended if you do not have a local contact to drive you. There is no metro or tram network, so rail here means the JR Hokkaido lines: the Nemuro Main Line runs through the city and the Senmō Main Line serves Higashi-Kushiro. The Limited Express Ozora links Kushiro with Sapporo and requires a mandatory seat reservation, with a green car available; local trains run from Abashiri, and services connect with Nemuro, including a Rapid service on which reservations are optional alongside slower local trains. Book the limited express in advance, since reservations on it are compulsory.
Two bus operators cover the area. Kushiro Bus runs local routes around the city and long-distance services to and from Sapporo, with one midday and one overnight departure, but its route maps and schedules are Japanese-only and difficult to navigate if you do not read the language. Akan Bus goes further out, to Tsurui, Shibecha, Akan and Mashu, and also runs the airport shuttle between Kushiro Airport and Kushiro Station, timed to correspond with every inbound and outbound flight. Local taxis are rather cheap and are the easiest way to travel within the city proper; the source does not describe ride-hailing apps operating here, so plan on conventional taxis. Because Kushiro is spread out, treat walking as a way to cover a central area rather than to cross the city, and confirm stops and departure times in person before relying on a bus for a time-sensitive connection.
Where to stay
Where you stay in Kushiro depends largely on how you're travelling. If you're watching your budget or want to meet locals, couch surfing hosts are available in the city, which can make for a more personal stay than a standard room. For a conventional option, Super Hotel Kushiro sits at 11 Chome−1−1 Kuroganecho, in the Kuroganecho area of the city.Food & drink
As a port city, Kushiro's seafood is top notch. On the wharf by the MOO, you can grill your own seafood outdoors over charcoal grills (robatayaki) from early spring until late fall, when it closes for the winter season. For conveyor belt sushi (kaitenzushi), there are two Hokkaido local chains, Matsuriya and Nagoyakatei; Matsuriya's portions are generally larger. Menus at both places are Japanese-only but photo-filled, and you can also grab plates off the belt. Choices include the traditional salmon and tuna nigiris, but you will also find California rolls, whale meat (kujira) and tiramisu.
Kushiro is famous for whale meat, which you can eat raw or cooked in many restaurants around the city. It is not for the faint of heart, as it is very pungent, with an oily texture and a very fatty taste; a sushi restaurant is probably the best place to sample a small bit, since it does not taste much different cooked. Further east, the city of Akkeshi is famous for oysters and holds two oyster festivals a year, one in the spring and one in the fall, and Akkeshi oysters are plentiful in Kushiro restaurants as well. Besides seafood, you can also have Hokkaido-style barbecue Genghis Khan (with Genghis pronounced "jengis"), Korean-style barbecue (which is not very Korean), and the uniquely Hokkaido soup curry. Non-Japanese food includes McDonald's and KFC, "American-style" hamburger steak restaurants, Italian restaurants, a few Southeast Asian restaurants, and a Nepalese curry restaurant. Vegetarians who do not eat seafood will have a hard time finding food they can eat.
Suehiro-cho in the downtown area is the nightlife center of Kushiro, with many Japanese-style bars (izakaya), restaurants, karaoke boxes and snack bars (bars where female hostesses entertain guests) condensed in a few blocks. Most bars have a cover charge, and one alcoholic drink generally costs about the same. A notable local drink is Tantakatan, a shochu made with shiso leaves grown in the Shiranuka area, about 40 minutes west of Kushiro.
What to see and do
For a small city, Kushiro offers a surprising range of things to see. Start at the Kushiro City Museum, set on a hill above Lake Harutori in a building shaped to resemble a Japanese crane with its wings spread; its natural-history exhibits, labelled in both Japanese and English, are a good introduction to the region. Lake Harutori itself is a National Natural Monument and a habitat for the Red Crucian Carp, and its shores are popular for strolling and relaxing. Down on the waterfront near Nusamai Bridge you'll find Fisherman's Wharf MOO, a bustling marketplace with restaurants, shops and recreation facilities where you can watch fishing boats bob outside the windows, plus the EGG, a small conservatory attached to it that comes into its own during Kushiro's long, cold winters. Nusamai Bridge, lined with street lamps and bronze statues representing the four seasons, is especially lovely at dusk. A short walk from the wharf brings you to the Kushiro Art Museum, small but with pleasant galleries and good facilities. Beyond the centre, the Kushiro Wetland is the largest marsh in Japan, protected under the Ramsar Convention and a national park, with the Kushiro City Marsh Observatory offering views over the surrounding forests from the top of its stairs, along with forested walking trails and a replicated Ainu settlement — bring bug spray in summer, when the mosquitoes are out in force. Kushiro City Zoo, near the wetland and a good onsen, makes an easy pairing with a marsh visit.When to go
Kushiro's climate is humid continental, but the sea moderates it in both directions. Winters here are milder and sunnier than much of Hokkaido, with snowfall far lighter than Sapporo's, and the port stays reliably ice-free through the season. If you are travelling for clear, crisp days rather than deep snow, this is the season that distinguishes Kushiro from the rest of the island.
Summers are notably cool for a coastal city: daytime temperatures sit well below those of the interior, sheltered coastal spots, and Hokkaido's south coast. Expect mild, comfortable days rather than heat, and pack for cool air even at the height of the season.
Three days in Kushiro
Day one: Arrive at Kushiro Station on the Limited Express Ozora from Sapporo or by local trains on the Nemuro Main Line, or fly into Kushiro Airport and pick up a rental car. Spend your first hours around Kushiro itself, getting your bearings in this Hokkaido port city on the North Pacific Ocean. If you are interested in Japanese film, seek out the Akira Ifukube connection to Godzilla, and look for Super Fantastic Kushiro as a starting point for what the city offers.
Day two: Head out towards Lake Akan, reached by Akan Bus or your own rental car, and give the day to the lake and its surroundings. Before you go, book your transport, as services are limited. This is the day for the Akan area rather than the city, so plan to spend your time on the water and around the shore.
Day three: Use the JR Hokkaido network for a wider loop. The Senmō Main Line and the Nemuro Main Line connect Kushiro with places such as Abashiri and Nemuro, while the Rapid Hanasaki and the Limited Express Ozora serve the route towards Sapporo and beyond. Two options work well: ride the Senmō Main Line north, or take the Rapid Hanasaki east towards Nemuro. If you are returning to Tokyo or Osaka, connect through Kushiro Airport or via Sapporo.