Rishiri Island

Rishiri Island (利尻島) is on the north-west tip of Hokkaido, Japan and a part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park. The island features native wildflowers, spectacular landscapes and fantastic hiking for experienced and beginner hikers.

Understand
Rishiri-to is a small island off the north-west coast of Hokkaido made up of a single volcano called Rishiri-san (利尻山) which towers 1721 m (5,646 ft) over the surrounding sea. It can be seen from over 100 km (62 mi) away. The view of Rishiri-to from it is nothing short of spectacular.

History
These islands belonged to the Ainu until the migration of the Japanese to Hokkaido.

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

Tourist Information Site

 * Rishiri Plus is a Japanese-only guide site by local tourist associations. Many nice photos.


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

Get in
To get to Rishiri, 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.

In addition, many cruise ship routes include Rishiri as a stop.

There are also limited turboprop plane services from Sapporo and Wakkanai to Rishiri Airport.

Fees and permits
None required.

Get around
Bus timetables are available at the ferry terminals and on the ferry itself. Rishiri has a bike path that circles the whole island with occasional segments on roads rather than paths. Roads don't go to the interior of the 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 are available for rent. It is also possible to book a nature tour by bus on the islands.

See
There are amazing views from the peak of Rishiri. You can see the Russian island of Sakhalin on a clear day.

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 Rishiri 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 in Oshidomari.

Backcountry
Everywhere on Rishiri can be reached by day hikes, so there is no backcountry.

Stay safe

 * The trail to the peak of Rishiri is not easy, so plan accordingly.
 * Water from streams may be unsafe to drink without purification. Try to obtain water from pure sources.

Go next
Ferries are available to Rebun and to Wakkanai.