Important: Wikitravel is exploring a license upgrade to CC by-sa 3.0, please give your consent or refusal here.
Wakkanai
From Wikitravel
Wakkanai (稚内, [1]) is the northernmost city in Japan. It has a population of about 42,000, and is in the subdistrict of Soya in northern Hokkaido.
[edit] Get in
[edit] By plane
Wakkanai's tiny airport (WKJ) fields regular flights to Sapporo and Tokyo (Haneda), with additional summer-only services to Nagoya and Kansai. The airport is 20 minutes away from Wakkanai station by bus.
[edit] By train
The JR Soya Honsen line connect Wakkanai to Asahikawa. There are two stations in city limits, Wakkanai itself as well as Minami-Wakkanai to the south.
Three daily Super Soya and Sarobetsu Limited Express trains make direct runs from Sapporo in 5-6 hours, at a hefty price (~¥10000). There is no charge to use this train with the Japan Rail Pass.
[edit] By boat
|
Further information available See also the itinerary Russia to Japan via Sakhalin for more information on the northern connection between the Trans Siberian railway and Japan |
The spanking new ferry terminal hosts frequent (in summer) connections to the National park islands of Rebun and Rishiri.
Right across from this terminal, is the International Ferry terminal with weekly departures for Korsakov, on Sakhalin Island. Journey time is 5.5 hours, and one way tickets starts at 24.000 Yen. Note that a Russian visa is required to buy tickts bound for Russia.
All ferries out of Wakkanai are operated by the Heartland Ferry Company [2].
[edit] Get around
[edit][add listing] See
|
Understand? Wakkanai sounds like wakannai, which happens to mean "I don't understand / I don't know" in colloquial Japanese (or wakaranai in standard Japanese). You can thus expect to get some ribbing if you answer questions like "Where are you?" with "Wakkanai"! |
Ryuhyo (floating ice) is of interest in winter, and occurs either in February or March. It is ice that drifts in from the sea. Although it probably doesn't have the same allure to it as in the Soviet days, in clear weather it is also possible to see the Russian island of Sakhalin. Dog sled races are also held in February.
[edit][add listing] Do
Wakkanai has a variety of stores and bars, a shopping mall, and a bowling alley. It does not have a movie theater, probably due to the fact that it is a small city, and movie theaters in Japan are expensive, one ticket costing 1800 yen (about 15-16 American dollars).
Try biking north along the coast to see the dozens of small seaweed drying family operations to know where the seaweed in your food comes from. At the northern tip a nice lighthouse and an excellent aquarium awaits you - with great views of Government radars on green hills - and the islands of Rishiri and Rebun and Sahkalin visible.
[edit][add listing] Buy
[edit][add listing] Eat
Wakkanai is known for its variety of seafood. Catching and selling sea-dwelling creatures (fish, crab, octopus et cetera) and drying of seaweed may be considered the industry in Wakkanai.
[edit][add listing] Drink
[edit][add listing] Sleep
There are three large hotels in Wakkanai, the ANA hotel, the Wakkanai Sun Hotel and the Dormy Inn. The Wakkanai Sun has free wifi in the lobby, however non smokers be warned, every room is a smoking room. They are all quite pricy however. Expect 8000 Yen for a single room and 16000 for a double. One can wonder why a small town with 40.000 inhabitants needs a great luxury hotel like the ANA hotel. The answer is probably an influx of Russian tourists.
There are two youth hostels at 3-4000 Yen per night. The Wakkanai Moshiripa and the Wakkanai YH.
[edit] Get out
| Routes through Wakkanai |
| END ← | N  S
| → Nayoro → Asahikawa |
| This article is an outline and needs more content. It has a template, but there is not enough information present. Please plunge forward and help it grow! |
