Teshikaga - Explore the unspoiled nature of Akan Mashu National Park

Reach Kushiro Airport for lunch time from Tokyo Haneda with a direct flight and start your journey by hopping into a rental car to enjoy fully the spectacular unspoiled landscapes of Kushiro Marshlands on your way to Teshikaga. Your first stop will be the Lake Mashu Kamuy Terrace, where you can sip an hot drink at the cafe in the terrace building while enjoying a breathtaking panoramic view of the deep blue shade of Lake Mashu, Mt. Kamui and the little island of Kamuishu during sunset time. At evening, enjoy a stroll around the Kawayu Hot Spring area where free footbaths, with strongly acidic water, awaits you for a moment of relaxation. A lit up walking path along the river brings you to your accommodation for the rest of your stay in Teshikaga, the Kawayu Daiichi Hotel Suikazura. Enjoy a kaiseki cuisine with local fresh ingredients and hotel facilities including onsen spas and free access all-you-can-drink lounges.

On your second day in Teshikaga, meet your local guide at the Kawayu Visitor Center and start your light-trekking guided tour of Tsutsujigahara Nature trail. Learn about Teshikaga’s peculiar flora and fauna while traversing a forest filled with Sakhalin Spruce and Mongolian Oak. Not only you will be amazed by the beautiful autumn foliage, but thanks to the caldera ecosystem, you will be able to see alpine plants up close even on this lowland path. At the end of the trekking tour, enjoy your lunch at Auberge Sora, a warm cottage surrounded by abundant nature offering a french-cuisine with local ingredients. After your lunch, reach the shores of Lake Kussharo and enjoy a canadian canoeing tour through the clear spring water of Kushiro River. During the course, you can admire the distinctive scenery of a headwater area with the Kagami no Ma (“mirror room”) and the so-called Hidden Swamp wetlands. If you are lucky enough, you may even spot some of the local fauna such as deer, foxes, and seasonal birds. On your way back to the hotel, stop by a local museum dedicated to Ainu culture and learn more about the customs of these people who have dwelled in these lands for centuries. At evening, you will be back at your hotel for a buffet dinner and some spa time!

On your last day in Teshikaga, you are finally all set to join a light trekking tour of Mt. Atosanupuri, an active volcano located in the Hokkaido's Akan-Mashu National Park. Its name literally meaning “Bare Mountain” in the indigenous Ainu language, as it perfectly reflects its dramatic landscape of rocks and sparse vegetation. Formerly a sulfur mine, the mountain has a vast concentration of sulfur and thousands of fumaroles, which emit smoke plumes in a mystic atmosphere that you may have never experienced before. For lunch time, stop by Poppotei famous for its Mashu pork rice bowl made with Hokkaido pork loin. Proceed your journey to the last spot of this itinerary, the Kami no Ko pond, a beautiful small pond characterized by a clear, blue color associated to Japanese gods. For evening, you may proceed your Hokkaido's journey to the remote eastern region of Shiretoko, distant only 1h30 drive from Teshikaga city, and collect more unforgettable memories with our tailor-made wildlife watching guided tours! Else you may drive back to Kushiro Airport for your flight back to Tokyo.