Rebun Island

Rebun-to (礼文島) is an island off the north-west tip of Hokkaido, Japan and a part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park. It features native wildflowers, spectacular landscapes and fantastic hiking for experienced and beginner hikers.

Understand
Rebun-to has a small and easy-to-climb mountain, Rebun-dake (礼文岳), which is 490 m (1,610 ft). The island has many wildflowers, some waterfalls, and unique rock formations.

History
These islands belonged to the Ainu until the migration of the Japanese to Hokkaido began in the 1870s.

Climate
Heavy snow in winter. Summer is the best time to visit.

Tourist Information Site

 * The local tourist association has a Japanese-only guide site with integrated Google Translate. English Map in PDF is available.


 * The local tourist associations has another Japanese-only joint guide site, covering Rishiri island and Wakkanai City too. (Clicking on "languages" lead to the prefecture's multilingual site.)

Get in
To get to Rishiri or Rebun, take a ferry from the city of Wakkanai. There are also ferries directly connecting Rishiri and Rebun. There are about five services a day during summer, and this is cut back in winter. 2nd class one way tickets to Rishiri or Rebun cost &yen;2200. Like many other Japanese ferries, 2nd class has almost no seating inside -- you sit on tatami mats on the floor (after taking your shoes off). There is outdoor seating, weather permitting.

Fees and permits
None required.

Get around
Bus timetables are available at the ferry terminals and on the ferry itself. Roads don't go to the interior of either island, so the best way to see them is on foot. There are hiking trails on both islands that really let you explore the best parts of the islands, and it may be desirable to take buses or taxis to the trailheads. Cars, bikes and scooters are available for rent. It is also possible to book a nature tour by bus on the islands.

See
Wildflowers on Rebun.

Do
Hiking is the main activity that can be done, and there are fantastic trails for beginners and experts alike. Hiking maps are available in English from Wakkanai railway station and the ferry terminals.



Eat
The specialty of Rebun is raw sea-urchin served on a bed of rice, called Uni-don (ウニ丼) and it's wonderful. If "adventurous" for you means trying a new kind of pizza then uni probably won't be your thing, but even compared to uni at high-priced sushi shops in Tokyo or Sapporo this is a world apart. It can be found in eateries surrounding the ferry port terminal at Kafuka, as well as Oshidomari on Rishiri.

Stay safe

 * Water from streams may be unsafe to drink without purification. Try to obtain water from pure sources.

Go next
There are ferries available to Rishiri and Wakkanai.