Rishiri 1

It seems the Terminal Hotel is used not just by business travellers but also for wedding receptions and similar. I suppose it's easier for outstation guests.


The rail and road to Wakkanai follow a broad river valley with mountains visible in the distance. The land is used for farming and cattle ranching.  However the flow of the river is towards the north, which suggested that we were descending a high plateau.

Wakkanai is a scruffy end of the road kind of town. Road signs include Cyrillic.  It looks like the Russians come to get consumer goods like DVDs.  I suppose there must be trade with Russia; the Wakkanai Chamber of Commerce is labelled in Cyrillic also.  With three hours to kill until the ferry departure. I explored the town.

To the north of the harbour is a huge sea wave barrier, emblematic of the town. Above a seafood market I got an undistinguished ramen though the portion was big.

More crabs.

The ferry terminal is shiny and has a gift shop for the usual last-minute purchases. There were many package tourists, mostly older Japanese, going to Rebun and Rishiri islands. There is a ferry service to Sakhalin but it costs a lot and you need a visa for Russia.

The second class passage just gives one floor space to sit or sleep. Many elected to sit on the deck, walk around or watch the sea from the railings. I enjoy ferry crossings. The fresh breezes give you a feeling of change.

An hour and forty minutes later we put in at Oshidomari, Rishiri's port. Femke was waiting there. She had come with the landlady who was sending another hosteller back to the mainland by the return ferry.  At Femke's suggestion, we stopped at a convenience store on the way back to the hostel for me to grab a bento box because the hostel didn't serve dinner.

Daytime temperatures are mid-20s, and around 15C at night.  For the first time on the trip I used my pyjammas and slept well despite the floor mattress and tiny pillow.