Hokkaido's Drift Ice: 5 Must-See Winter Highlights in Abashiri

Abashiri: Hokkaido's Drift Ice Kingdom

In eastern Hokkaido, the city of Abashiri and the area around it are visited in winter by ice floes. It is also home to a designated site of national scenic beauty, Mt. Tento, as well as the Abashiri Prison, which compelled prisoners to do the harshest labor in Japan.

Abashiri is well-known as a robust producer of crab, salmon, scallops and other seafood, as well as vegetables like potatoes and onions. You can sample the freshest fish and vegetables at local restaurants and sushi places. Let’s look at five great places to visit in Abashiri.

Table of Contents

1. See the Drift Ice of the Okhotsk Sea on the Aurora Ice Breaker
2. Okhotsk Ryu-Hyo Museum: Experience the World at -15℃
Towels Freeze in an Instant!? The "Drift Ice Terrace"
See Clione, the Angels of Drift Ice
Exquisite Sweetness and a Salty Tinge with Drift Ice Soft Serve Ice Cream
3. Pretty Scenery at Fairy Tale Hill and the Seven Trees
4. Kitahama Station, the Closest Station to the Okhotsk Sea
5. A Recreation of Japan's Most Terrifying Jail: The Abashiri Prison Museum
Use Your Senses to Learn About the Abashiri Prison at the Museum
Guards and Prisoners Made of Wax Are Everywhere!
It's Worth It to Brave Abashiri's Winter Chill

1. See the Drift Ice of the Okhotsk Sea on the Aurora Ice Breaker

Photos courtesy of: Doto Kanko Kaihatsu Corp.

Abashiri faces out onto the Okhotsk Sea, and every year, drift ice arrives on its coastline from the far-off Arctic Ocean. We recommend taking a sightseeing ship to go see the ice floes.

From late January until late March, you can ride on a ship to see the floating ice, and if you’re lucky, you can see seals lazing atop the ice, as well as the endangered sea eagles.

Photos courtesy of: Doto Kanko Kaihatsu Corp.

The ship's interior consists of two floors and an observation deck, and it also has shops and a coffee lounge so you can stay warm during your time on board.

However, the observation deck is incredibly cold, so you’ll need to have a scarf, gloves, and other protection against the elements. Also, there is not much jolting, since the ship is large.

The Aurora-Go operates from late January to early April. You will need reservations to board, so check the homepage.

How to Get to the Aurora-Go Dock

Take the “City Sightseeing Tour” bus from JR Abashiri Station and get off at the “Michi-no-Eki Saihyosen Noriba” stop, which takes eight minutes.

2. Okhotsk Ryu-Hyo Museum: Experience the World at -15℃

The Okhotsk Ryu-Hyo Museum is a tourist spot themed around the drift ice at the top of Mt. Tento. Naturally, it has interesting exhibits, but a real highlight is the overwhelming 360-degree panorama view of Abashiri’s mountains and lakes, as well as the Okhotsk Sea, from the observation deck.

The main exhibit is on the underground level, which is themed around ice floes and ocean creatures. Since its renovation in 2015, the museum has implemented movies and various other displays to convey information visually, without the need to understand the words.

The Drift Ice Fantasy Theater, a Okhotsk Sea nature piece shown on five screens, contains no narration, so you can enjoy just the sounds and the video.

Towels Freeze in an Instant!? The “Drift Ice Terrace”

At the “Drift Ice Terrace” you can experience the world at -15 degrees. An actual ice floe taken from the Okhotsk Sea weighing 100 tons is on display, and you can touch it.

It is very difficult to be able to see an ice floe this close up, which makes this a very precious experience.

Trying shibare, which means “to freeze” in Hokkaido dialect, is becoming a popular activity here.

You are given a wet towel before you enter the -15 degree room, and if you swing the towel up to 20 times, it will freeze solid in an instant, showing you just how cold it is. If you come in light clothing, the staff will lend you a coat, so just ask.

See Clione, the Angels of Drift Ice

In the Animals of Okhotsk corner, you can see the clione, a rare animal that lives in the seas of Hokkaido.

Its cuteness belies something startling behind that exterior; it splits its head open when it feeds.

Exquisite Sweetness and a Salty Tinge with Drift Ice Soft Serve Ice Cream

Drift Ice Soft Serve Ice Cream (300 yen) is made with a caramel-flavored ice cream as a base, topped with blue salt meant to evoke drift ice.

It has a curious salty aftertaste, but if you try it once, you’ll develop a taste for it. It was produced by the first Japanese person to win a gelato contest in Italy, so its deliciousness is assured, and it has been gaining in popularity from many tourists.

Drift Ice Soft Serve Ice Cream is sold at the Cafe du Clione on the first floor.

3. Pretty Scenery at Fairy Tale Hill and the Seven Trees

Fairy Tale Hill is a scenic spot located on the route from Memanbetsu Airport to Abashiri, perfect for taking photos to share on social media. Seven larch trees stand up on the hill, and you will be charmed by their beauty. Visiting at sunrise or sunset, in particular, is recommended.

How to Get to Fairy Tale Hill

From Memanbetsu Airport, take the bus bound for the Abashiri Bus Terminal for 10 minutes, and get off at Showa-Dai 2 (fare is 330 yen).

4. Kitahama Station, the Closest Station to the Okhotsk Sea

This station was a location in the Chinese film If You Are the One, and is visited by many tourists. The Okhotsk Sea spreads out beyond the opposite side of the train platform, making for a scene that you can only see here.

There is also an observation deck next to the station where you can get a better view. During the ice floe season, from early February to early March, it’s likely that you will be able to see the ice up close.

One of the walls inside the station is covered in business cards and memos, which is a highlight. It might be good to leave behind a message when you come to the station. There is also a coffee shop where you can have a cup and a light snack.

How to Get to Kitahama Station

Take the Senmo Main Line from JR Abashiri Station for 15 minutes and get off at Kitahama Station (a 260 yen fare).

5. A Recreation of Japan’s Most Terrifying Jail: The Abashiri Prison Museum

During the Meiji era, Japan’s northernmost prison was established in Abashiri. At the Abashiri Prison Museum, you can learn about its history and the prison’s structure at that time (the current prison is in a different location).

The former Abashiri Prison buildings and the central guard post are known as the oldest wooden large-scale correctional facilities in the world. Exhibit explanations are available in English, Korean, and Chinese (Traditional and Simplified) in addition to Japanese.

Use Your Senses to Learn About the Abashiri Prison at the Museum

The Prison Museum has recreated scenes of prisoners doing road construction work in wretched conditions, which really happened more than a century ago, at the Red Prisoner Forest theater.

The manacles and clothing they wore are also on display, and you can get a graphic sense of how the prisoners were forced to do hard labor. “Mocco,” tools made of woven netting and rope that were used to transport things when prisoners were doing road work, are also on display. You can try lifting one yourself.

Guards and Prisoners Made of Wax Are Everywhere!

Wax figures are placed all throughout the museum, and you can feel what it was really like to be in the prison at that time. You can see the prisoners in many different states, eating and serving their time, and even see how the prison guards lived.

It’s Worth It to Brave Abashiri’s Winter Chill

Abashiri is two hours away from Tokyo by airplane, and five hours away from Sapporo by train.

It is intensely cold, so make sure to bring winter-appropriate clothing like a thick coat and a scarf. The area has amazing views that can only be seen in the winter, so why not head up to Abashiri?