Recommended for such people
・ I want to see nature like Hokkaido
・ I want to experience Ainu culture
What is Pirika?
The "Pirika" is a sightseeing bus that departs from Kushiro.
It will efficiently go around sightseeing spots that are difficult to reach without a rental car in one day.
For sightseeing around Kushiro, it is a recommended sightseeing bus that seems to be indispensable.
Pirika: Reservation site(The course changes a little during the winter)
Depart from Kushiro
Then, I will introduce the Pirika issue.
Boarding locations are from 3 locations in Kushiro City (Kushiro Station, Fisherman's Wharf MOO, Kushiro Prince Hotel).
There is no toilet on the bus, so be sure to wash your hands before boarding.
Rest assured that each tourist spot has a toilet.
Lake Mashu
The first place to visit is Lake Mashu, which is famous for its fog.
I visited in August, but it seems that fog often occurs in the summer, so I could hardly see the lake.
The transparency of water is the second highest in the world, but this fog does not tell you how amazing it is. (The world's number one transparency is Lake Baikal in Russia)
Kamuishu Island
It cleared up a little and I could see Kamuishu Island floating on Lake Mashu.
According to Ainu folklore, this island is a former "grandma".
You might think what you're saying, but there's a sad story.
Ainu folklore
An old woman and her grandson, a clan who lost the tribal conflict, fled at the risk of their lives.
However, the old woman gets separated from her grandson on the way.
The old woman, who arrived at Lake Mashu in search of her grandchildren, kept waiting for her grandchildren day after day and eventually became Kamuishu Island.
When someone comes to Lake Mashu, the old woman sheds tears with joy, thinking that her grandson has appeared!
That is fog, which is a snowstorm.
The flow of transformation into Kamuishu Island is too rapid, but the story is dark.
If you can't see Lake Mashu in the fog, don't be afraid to think, "Grandma is happy."
Mt. Iou (Akan National Park)
Next is Mt. Iou (Ainu language: Atsanupuri).
Until I visited, I didn't know that there was such a mountain near Lake Akan.
Gas is blowing out from here and there, giving a feeling of a different world.
Sulfur is a raw material for matches and gunpowder, so mines were actively developed during the Meiji era.
Prisoners from Kushiro Shuji (Prison) were mining in this mountain, but since they smoke sulfur all year round, it seems that many people, including guards, became addicts.
It smells amazing, but you can go right in front of the fumaroles.
Sulfur is sticking and the rock is dyed yellow.
Video of fumaroles
Please be careful as the gas that blows out is hot.
I think it's rare in the world to see fumaroles so close.
(As far as I know, only here in Japan)
It's a sight that you can't see even in Japan, a volcanic powerhouse, so it's a must-visit tourist destination.
Hakone's "Owakudani" is similar if it's just a view from a distance.
Sand bath at Lake Kussharo
Next is Lake Kussharo.
This is a great place where hot springs spring up when you dig sand.
Some people bring a shovel or dig it by hand.
When I touched it, it was a normal hot spring.
If it's too hot, add lake water to adjust the temperature.
(Is the staff of the facility returning the sand to the dug hole?)
There is also a hot spring that you can drink for free.
It seems to be effective for gout, gastrointestinal tract, urticaria, etc.
When I drank the hot spring, it was salty, so I'd like to try something sweet.
It will be ice cream from a shop called "Cleart" in Kitami City.
Kussie
When the Nessie (unidentified creature of Loch Ness) boom occurred in the 1970s, a subspecies called "OO sushi" was born in lakes all over Japan.
Among them, Kussie from Lake Kussharo and Issie from Lake Ikeda, Kagoshima Prefecture were famous all over the country.
Ainu Kotan (Lake Akan)
The last is "Ainu Kotan" from Lake Akan.
A small village with the theme of Ainu, where you can find shops for traditional crafts.
The owl displayed at the entrance is the guardian deity of the village in the Ainu.
Lake Ainu Theater Ikoro
You can also see Ainu traditional dance.
It's a traditional performing arts dance, so it's not very entertaining.
It is "Salorun Limse (Crane Dance)" that expresses a crane to dance with the cloth raised overhead.
(When I first saw it, I wondered if I was begging for rain.)
Folk art cafe Poronno
"Folk art cafe Poronno" where you can eat Jibie (using wild deer and wild boar) dishes.
Probably the most famous shop in the village of Ainu Kotan.
I ordered a set of Yuk (Ezo deer) soup and rice.
It's a simple seasoning, and it doesn't smell so much.
Marimo Exhibition Center
It takes 85 minutes by ferry to go to "Chuului Island" on Lake Akan.
On a bus tour, the length of stay at Lake Akan is 120 minutes (60 minutes in winter), so it is almost impossible to take a ferry.
Even if you can ride it, you will not have time to eat or go to Ainu Kotan.
But on Chuurui Island"The world's largest marimo is on display"Isn't it?
When I hear that, I have no choice but to go. (Knowledge about Marimo is about "Marimokkori" of Yuru-chara)
I choose to get off the tour bus here and return by another bus.
Even if you take the Pirika, you just have to go back to Kushiro.
Then, I will aim for "Chuului Island" floating in Lake Akan.
Departure on a ship decorated with Ainu.
By the way, please note that it is closed during the winter.
Lake Akan Ferry: Operation status
Even if you say "I've come to the hinterland of the Amazon", it's a landscape that seems to be believed at the last minute.
Arrived at Chuurui Island.
A Marimo-like character will guide you.
Marimo Exhibition Center
A large number of marimo are exhibited in the building.
Marimo is a type of algae that normally adheres to rocks, but in Lake Akan it rotates under the force of waves, so it becomes a round marimo.
In addition, a large storm comes to Lake Akan once every few years, washing away Marimo's natural enemy, aquatic plants.
Therefore, in Lake Akan, where there are no natural enemies, it becomes easier for large marimo to grow.
The world's largest marimo
This is the world's largest marimo you are looking for.
Is it about 25 cm in height?
It will take 5 to 9 years to grow this much.
Lake Akan is recognized as the best in the world in terms of the size and number of marimo.
Floating marimo
It used to be thought that "Marimo doesn't float", but it does.
Marimo is a type of algae, so it naturally photosynthesizes.
When the buoyancy of oxygen generated by photosynthesis exceeds the weight of marimo, it floats.
When I went, there was just a floating marimo.
(If you look at the surface of Marimo, you can see the particles of air.)
Marimo crumbles
As the last of Marimo, the collapsed figure is also exhibited.
The center of the marimo is hollow, so when it reaches a certain size, it will be launched to the shore or collapse.
I got off the Pirika on the way, but I found that Marimo is a very rare creature.
Marimo, which is sold in large quantities at souvenir shops in Hokkaido, is rolled by hand.
Marimo on Lake Akan is designated as a special natural monument, so it is a crime to take it. (Violation of the Law for the Protection of Cultural Properties)
What if you meet a bear?
When I was waiting for the return bus, I saw some precautions when I met a bear.
It's almost impossible to encounter if you don't enter the mountain, but it's information that could save your life in case of emergency ...
Hmm?
"Gently pick up a hatchet!"
I'm telling tourists unreasonable.
Finally
The Pirika is a sightseeing bus that can be recommended for solo or group trips in any case.
With the guidance of the bus guide, the travel time will be transformed into sightseeing.
When you go to the Kushiro area, please use the Pirika.
I personally had no mark on Mt. Iou, which was a shock.