Hokkaido Abashiri May/June tourist information: Moss pinks, whales, hairy crabs, cycling

This service includes sponsored advertisements.

This article introduces tourist information for Abashiri City, Hokkaido in May and June. It covers Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park, whale and dolphin watching on the Abashiri Nature Cruise, the Spring Crab Battle where hairy crabs fly through the air, the Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum, rental bicycles cutting through the wind in the middle of nature, asparagus harvesting, and more.

Written by

Abashiri City Tourist Association

Hello, this is the Abashiri Tourism Association. We would like to introduce the charms of Abashiri, a city located in eastern Hokkaido, full of nature. The city of Abashiri is full of delicious things, such as scenery you've never seen before, flavors you've never tried, and activities you can't experience anywhere else. Why not experience everything that the delicious city of Abashiri has to offer with spectacular seasonal views, flavors, and experience menus? Abashiri, a city where drift ice comes, is home to warm-hearted people who look forward to welcoming you.

Table of Contents
Higashimokoto Moss Phlox Park
Abashiri Nature Cruise
Spring Crab Battle in Abashiri
Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum
Bicycle rental
Asparagus Harvesting Experience

Higashimokoto Moss Phlox Park

Hibashimokoto Moss Phlox Park

At Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park, the moss phlox is in full bloom from mid to late May. After a long winter, the pink moss phlox that covers the entire hill is simply spectacular. There are also sightseeing cars, go-karts, a fishing pond, and a day spa, so the whole family can have a relaxing time. During the annual Higashimokoto Shibazakura Festival (usually in May), fun events are held every Sunday.

Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park (official website)

Abashiri Nature Cruise

Abashiri Nature Cruise Whales

Abashiri Nature Cruise Shearwater

On the Abashiri Nature Cruise, which departs from the roadside station "Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri," you can see fin whales from May to June. Fin whales, which can reach a length of 25 meters, are large even among whales, and there are only a few places in the world where they can be seen, making this a rare cruise. Another thing worth seeing is the countless water birds called shearwaters.

Please note that the tour may not be available due to weather conditions.

Abashiri Nature Cruise

Spring Crab Battle in Abashiri

Every May, a "Spring Crab Battle in Abashiri" event is held, where hairy crabs are thrown high into the air and compete to grab them. Anyone who catches a hairy crab can take it home with them, making this a great opportunity to eat Abashiri's delicious crab.

To participate in the crab throwing, you need to purchase a ticket in advance, and those who win the lottery on the day will be given the right to participate. Even if you can't participate in the crab throwing, there is a lottery where you can win hairy crabs and accommodation vouchers, a boiled crab sale at beach price, and a variety of food and drink sales corners, so you can enjoy crabs after the drift ice has cleared.

Spring Crab Battle in Abashiri

Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum

This is a tourist facility themed around drift ice and the creatures of the Sea of Okhotsk. There is the "Experience the World of Drift Ice" where you can touch real drift ice, the "Drift Ice Fantasy Theater" where you are enveloped in images that spread as far as the eye can see, and the rooftop "Observation Terrace" from which you can look out over the Sea of Okhotsk, Lake Abashiri, the Shiretoko Mountain Range, and the cityscape of Abashiri.

At the restaurant Dolce Aqua on the second floor, you can enjoy pizza and pasta made with plenty of Okhotsk ingredients. The drift ice soft serve ice cream at Cafe de Clione on the first floor is very popular for its salted caramel flavor made with salt from the Sea of Okhotsk.

Okhotsk Drift Ice Museum

Bicycle rental

The tourist information center at the roadside station "Ryuhyo Kaido Abashiri" also rents bicycles. They rent out various types of bicycles, including city bikes, crossroad bikes, and electric-assist bikes, and also introduce recommended cycling courses. Why not try a bike ride through the fresh greenery of spring and early summer?

Abashiri City Tourism Association Bicycle Rental

Asparagus Harvesting Experience

At Omagari Lakeside Park in Abashiri City, you can experience asparagus harvesting from mid-May to mid-June. The experience fee includes gloves, foot covers, and a set of harvesting tools, so you can come empty-handed. You can take home the asparagus you harvest for a fee. Reservations are required and can be made up until 5:00 p.m. the day before. Guests staying at hotels in the city can receive special benefits by applying through their hotel. Please check the website for more information.

Asparagus Harvesting Experience in the Delicious Town of Abashiri

What did you think of the tourist information for Abashiri City?

This article covers the months of May and June, but other seasons are covered in separate articles. Please check out the "Articles" section of the Abashiri City Tourism Association's profile.

Delicious town Abashiri

We look forward to seeing you there!

Written by

Abashiri City Tourist Association

Hokkaido

The information presented in this article is based on the time it was written. Note that there may be changes in the merchandise, services, and prices that have occurred after this article was published. Please contact the facility or facilities in this article directly before visiting. Some of our articles contain affiliate links. We kindly ask our readers to exercise careful judgement when making a purchase or booking a service online.

The contents on this page may partially contain automatic translation.