Hello everyone! This is the Mashu Lake Tourism Association.
We will introduce many highlights and ways to enjoy Teshikaga in Hokkaido to viewers of Cool Japan Video!
First, can everyone read the name "Teshikaga"?

It is pronounced "Teshikaga".
When people think of Hokkaido, Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo come to mind as popular spots visited by many tourists, and both lakes are located in Teshikaga.

Lake Mashu spreads out in a deep blue and is known as the sacred lake.
Its blue surface is called Mashu Blue and boasts the highest transparency in Japan and ranks among the world’s very clearest lakes.

To fully enjoy this beautiful lake surface, we recommend visiting the observatories.
The Lake Mashu First Observatory is the most popular lookout, attracting about one million visitors a year.
It has a large parking lot and rest house with restrooms, so you can stop by to take a break.
The Lake Mashu Third Observatory and Uramashu Observatory also offer free parking and let you see different faces of Lake Mashu.
From the Lake Mashu First Observatory and the Lake Mashu Third Observatory, when luck and weather conditions are favorable, the entire lake can be covered in fog, and the settled mist can appear as a sea of clouds.

Lake Kussharo is one of the world’s largest caldera lakes and the largest caldera lake in Japan (a lake formed when a volcanic crater filled with water after an eruption).
Numerous natural hot springs gush out along the lakeshore, so you can enjoy hot springs in open-air baths and saunas that make the most of nature, as well as in large hotels.
In summer you can fully enjoy water sports such as camping, canoeing, and sailing.
Across the great outdoors of Teshikaga you can also enjoy activities like horseback riding, golf, fishing, cycling, and dairy farm experiences.

When you visit Teshikaga, please also savor the town’s local specialties and gourmet foods.
These include Mashu Soba, known as the prized "phantom soba" for its careful quality; Mashu Melon, in season from early to late August; potatoes packed with the bounty of the land; and popular products from Teshikaga farms such as Mashu Pork and Mashu Wagyu.

Teshikaga in Hokkaido is conveniently accessible by car—about 75 minutes from Kushiro Airport and about 70 minutes from Memanbetsu Airport.
Please come and enjoy the vast nature of Teshikaga.

Through Cool Japan Video, we will continue to bring you attractions and travel information about Teshikaga, Lake Mashu, and Lake Kussharo, so please follow us if you like!

Nice to meet you! We are the Kimobetsu Tourism Association.
We would like to share the many charms of Kimobetsucho in Hokkaido with everyone watching Cool Japan videos.
This is our first post, so we will briefly introduce Kimobetsu’s history, sightseeing spots, and local specialties.
In future posts we will provide detailed information on events and hidden gem attractions, so please stay tuned.

Kimobetsu has a long history and retains strong influences from Ainu culture.
The town’s name comes from the Ainu word Kim-o-pet, meaning “river with many mountains.”
As the name suggests, Kimobetsu is crossed by 41 rivers of various sizes, including the Shiribetsu River and Kimobetsu River. The town lies at the foothills of MtYotei, a 1,898-meter peak nicknamed Ezo Fuji for its resemblance to Mt. Fuji, and is a nature-rich town about a 1 hour 30 minute drive from Sapporo City.

The annual average temperature is a relatively cold 5.9°C, and the area receives heavy snowfall—sometimes nearly 150 cm. The large day–night temperature swings create a fertile environment for agriculture, and crops grown here are shipped across Japan. Kimobetsu has developed into one of Hokkaido’s leading agricultural regions.

In particular, asparagus is known as one of the places where commercial cultivation began in Japan. Its generous size, crisp yet tender texture, and natural sweetness are exquisite, so be sure to try it.
Other recommended souvenirs include high-quality Baron potatoes and sweet corn.

At Nakayama Pass, Roadside Station Boyou Nakayama offers specialties like age-imo (deep-fried potato) and a restaurant serving dishes made with local ingredients, as well as a shop selling regional products.
From Kimobetsu Town Park you can view both MtYotei and MtShiribetsu and fully experience Kimobetsu’s great outdoors.

Kimobetsu also actively operates an empty house bank as part of municipal initiatives to encourage relocation.
This program makes effective use of vacant homes in town and is available to people hoping to move here, settle permanently, or stay regularly, contributing to local revitalization.
If you are considering relocating to a place with abundant nature, please check Kimobetsu’s official website.

Kimobetsu combines rich nature, tourist attractions, and history, and offers a sense of slow, peaceful time.
You can find a pleasant respite away from the daily hustle and bustle.

Unknown beautiful landscapes, new experiences, and fresh encounters await you in Kimobetsu, Hokkaido.
We will continue to share Kimobetsu’s charms, so please come and visit Kimobetsu!

Hello COOL JAPAN VIDEOS viewers.
This time Shakotan we would like to introduce Cape Kamui at the tip of the peninsula.

Cape Kamui, located a little over one and a half hours by car from Otaru, is designated as a Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park and is the only marine park in Hokkaido.

Just as the Ainu words "Shaku = Summer" and "Kotan = Village" came to be called "Shakotan", the summer scenery is wonderful, and the vivid blue sea has come to be called "Shakotan Blue".

If you walk along the 770-meter-long promenade "Charenka Path" from the parking lot of the cape, you can reach the tip in about 30 minutes, and you can see the surroundings 300 degrees from near the tip.
On the promenade "Charenka's Path" there is the legend of Minamoto no Yoshitsune.

~Charenka Legend~
Charenka, the daughter of the chief who has strong feelings for Yoshitsune.
However, Yoshitsune left for the continent, and Charenka followed him to Cape Kamui, but Yoshitsune's ship went far offshore.
Charenka, who was grieving, threw herself into the sea with words of resentment, saying, "If you pass through here with a Japanese ship and a woman on board, you will capsize."
With sorrow and resentment, Charenka's body turned into Kamui Rock, and since then, whenever a ship carrying a woman approached the vicinity, it capsized, making Cape Kamui a place forbidden to women.
This rule continued until the early Meiji period.

There is still a "gate forbidden to women" on Cape Kamui, but now women can also go through that gate to the tip.
However, since Cape Kamui is originally a windy area, on days when winds of 13 meters or more blow, the gate forbidden to women is closed and it is not possible to go to the tip.

From June ~ July, the Ezo daylily flowers are in full bloom, and on foggy days, you can see a very fantastic scenery.

The cape, named Kamui, which means "god" in the Ainu language, has a very beautiful sunset and a superb view where you can feel the presence of the gods.

In 2004, the Shakotan Peninsula and Cape Kamui were selected as Hokkaido Heritage Sites.