Hokkaido, Japan · Remote island, Mountain, Sea / Beach
Two islands at the very top of Japan: Rishiri is a 1,721 m volcano rising straight out of the sea, and Rebun, 45 minutes away by ferry, is a carpet of alpine flowers at sea level with no bears or snakes. In summer, just-landed sea urchin and hikes with Sakhalin on the horizon.
Ferry or plane — JR train to Wakkanai (about 5h10 on the Soya limited express from Sapporo, only one direct train a day, or the Sarobetsu from Asahikawa), then the Heartland ferry, 1h40 to Oshidomari (Rishiri) or Kafuka (Rebun); the ferry between the two islands takes about 45 minutes. There are also roughly 50-minute flights from Sapporo to Rishiri (HAC from Okadama year-round, ANA from New Chitose in season only).
Rebun's best-known walk: 5.3 km and about 3 hours over hillsides covered in alpine flowers at sea level, between Momoiwa rock and Cape Shiretoko, with Rishiri across the water. June to August is peak bloom; wind and fog are frequent and the trail closes in winter.
Rishiri's sea urchins fatten up on the island's kombu: purple (murasaki) urchin is caught from early June to late September and the pricier bafun from mid-June to late August. Try Satō Shokudō in Oshidomari or Isoyaki-tei in Kutsugata; prices, and even availability, depend on the day's catch.
The monument at Japan's northernmost point, with Sakhalin 43 km away (visible on clear days), a statue of explorer Mamiya Rinzō and, on the hill behind, a tower remembering the victims of Korean Air Flight 007, shot down in 1983. About 50 minutes by bus from Wakkanai station; accessible year-round.
No long hike needed: Sukoton is Rebun's northernmost point, with Todo Island just offshore, and Sukai is a cove of startlingly blue water set between cliffs. About 70 minutes by bus from Kafuka, or on the Rebun bus tour.
About 13 km and 5 hours along Rebun's north coast, from Cape Sukoton past Cape Sukai down to Hamanaka, through flower meadows and turquoise coves. You link it with the local bus from Kafuka, so plan around the timetable.
A tough out-and-back day hike: about 1,500 m of ascent and 10-11 hours on the Oshidomari route, starting before dawn. A portable toilet kit is compulsory (¥400 at lodgings and the trailhead); if reaching the eighth station takes you more than 4 hours, the sensible move is to turn back. There are no resident bears on the island, but one swam over in 2018, so watch for notices.
A forest-ringed pond about 15 minutes' drive from Oshidomari, with a 1 km boardwalk loop you can do in half an hour. Early in the morning, with the water still, Mt Rishiri is mirrored in full.
The island's largest lake, on the southeast coast, backed by the steepest face of Mt Rishiri, with a short lakeside walk. By the car park there are shops and a stand selling ice cream and sea urchin, all closed in winter.
Municipal bathhouse a 10-minute walk from Oshidomari port, with an outdoor bath facing the mountain: the natural stop after climbing Rishiri. Open 12:00-21:00 (¥500), closed Wednesdays from November to April; from June to October there's a free footbath outside.
Ramen in a Rishiri kombu broth with toasted soy sauce, a Bib Gourmand in the Michelin Guide Hokkaido. Lunch only (11:30-14:00, a bit longer in summer), closed Thursdays and no bookings: in summer a queue forms before opening.
The cape 10 minutes from central Wakkanai is the best place to watch the sun set behind Rishiri. Next to it is a small municipal aquarium (¥500) with northern-sea fish, the rare itō, and captive seals and penguins, including seal shows; it's closed in April (until the 28th) and from December to January.
A roughly 90 m headland right beside the Oshidomari terminal: 15-20 minutes up steps to a lighthouse overlooking the port, Mt Rishiri and, on clear days, Rebun. Good for the spare time before a ferry or for sunset.
The island's longest route: about 17 km along the uninhabited west coast from Hamanaka to Kafuka, with boulder-beach stretches and paths beside the cliffs. Past the midway junction there are no villages at all, so start early with water and food, and check the trail status (open as of May 2026).
If you're not driving, the practical way to see the island in half a day: the Sōya Bus tour leaves from the Oshidomari terminal and stops at Himenuma, Otatomari and Cape Senhoshi (about 3 hours, roughly ¥3,500 in 2025). It's timed to the ferries and fills up in summer.
The schoolhouse built as the set for the film 'Kita no Kanaria-tachi' (2012), starring Sayuri Yoshinaga, on a slope facing Mt Rishiri about 10 minutes from Kafuka. Free, 9:00-17:00 from May to October, with a small café in summer.
A fishing festival at Kafuka port with stalls selling island urchin, shellfish and fish at local prices (18 July in 2026). One of the few days a year when half the island gathers on the quay.
A protected hillside in northern Rebun where the Rebun-atsumorisō grows, a cream-coloured lady's slipper orchid found only on this island and protected by law. It opens only during flowering, late May to mid-June (in 2026 it closed on 20 June); you view it from a fenced path.
A paved cycle path of about 25 km between Oshidomari and Kutsugata that runs through forest with the mountain in view. Bikes, e-bikes included, can be rented by the Oshidomari ferry terminal; there are climbs, and it's unusable under snow.
A small museum on herring fishing, kombu and island life (¥200, 9:00-17:00, closed Mondays; the galleries are very cold from November to April). Nearby, Cape Senhoshi park at the southern tip has lava flows and tide pools.
On Rebun, purple urchin is caught from Golden Week and bafun from mid-June through August. Kaisenshi Kafuka, run by the fishing co-op, and Takechan Sushi in the ferry terminal are the classic stops; grilled hokke (Atka mackerel) is the other local staple.
A 30-minute session (¥2,000) where you open freshly caught urchins and eat them on the spot; there's also a kombu souvenir workshop (¥2,000) for rainy days and free crab fishing along the shore. Summer season only; booking is advisable.
A track of about 3 km surfaced with crushed scallop shells winding over the bare Sōya Hills, 10 minutes from the cape; with luck you'll see Rishiri and Sakhalin. You need a car or bike; it's closed from mid-November to late April, and in 2026 wind-turbine works may cause closures.
Wakkanai's signature dish: paper-thin slices of giant North Pacific octopus swished for a second in kombu broth, served in the izakaya around the station. A good plan for the night before the ferry or after coming back from the islands.
Municipal bathhouse a few minutes from the Kafuka ferry terminal, with an outdoor bath facing Mt Rishiri and a sauna. Open every day of the year (from 12:00 April-September, 13:00 otherwise, until 21:00) for ¥600.
A 427 m arcade of 70 concrete columns built between 1931 and 1936 to shelter passengers boarding ferries to Sakhalin, then Japanese territory. Five minutes' walk from the station; a good stop while waiting for the train or ferry.
The town festival in the middle of Obon, with fireworks and the Kaikyō (strait) festival; in 2026 it was held on 10 and 12 August. If you're sleeping on Rebun then, book well ahead.
The Japan Cup dog-sled race, with more than fifty teams and amateur categories for people racing their own dogs (the 40th edition was on 21-22 February 2026). It's the big winter outing in the area: the islands have few services at that time and ferries are often cancelled.
A municipal hot-spring bath under a dome in the Noshappu area, Japan's northernmost onsen, looking out over the Sea of Japan and, on clear days, to Rishiri. Cheap entry; a good way to finish after sunset at the cape.
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