This national park is home to the largest wetland area in Japan. It is the habitat of rare flora and fauna, including the Japanese crane, a special natural treasure, and the Siberian salamander. Visitors can enjoy the magnificent view of Kushiro Wetland by strolling along the observatory and wooden paths. Kushiro Wetland’s majestic views and seasonal landscapes can also be enjoyed on Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko Train in summer and on SL Fuyu-no-Shitsugen Train in winter.
Akan-Mashu National Park includes a caldera created by volcanic activity approximately 150,000 years ago. It features a unique topography that is rare even in Japan, with three lakes in close proximity: Lake Akan, famous for its hot springs, Lake Kussharo, the largest caldera lake in Japan, and Lake Mashu, which boasts top-of-the-world transparency. Lake Akan is home to marimo moss balls, a special natural treasure. In and around Lake Akan, you can enjoy the great outdoors by fishing, strolling along the lakeshore, or cycling.
It is said that Kushiro is the birthplace of Robatayaki, a style of grilling and serving seafood. There are Robata restaurants where you can enjoy fresh seafood grilled by skilled hands and Ganpeki Robata where you can grill your own ingredients. Enjoy local seafood you grill over charcoal on the quayside of Kushiro Port with a view of Nusamai Bridge at Ganpeki Robata.
Visitors can experience an enchanted traditional Ainu story that has been passed down in this region with the aid of such digital technology as projection mapping and scenography (light and sound stage sets), in the forest of Lake Akan at night. The event is usually held from mid-May to mid-November each year.
This summer festival in Kushiro started to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the opening of Kushiro Port. Various events unique to the port city of Kushiro are held, including the Tairyo-bayashi Parade, when fishing boat floats march through the streets, as well as a music parade.
This festival, which marks the arrival of autumn in Kushiro, is held under the theme of “the blessings of the earth, the delicacies of the sea, and the flowers of the sky.” Visitors can enjoy various events that herald the arrival of autumn in Kushiro, including a fireworks display that uses one of the largest fireworks shells (sanjaku-dama) in Hokkaido to beautifully illuminate the Kushiro River and Kushiro Port.
This event is held at Lake Akan, when the autumn leaves have started changing their color, to protect Lake Akan’s marimo, a special natural treasure of Japan. A wooden boat is floated on Lake Akan, and a religious ceremony to welcome, protect, and send off the marimo is held.
This is a major event that adds color to Kushiro in winter with ice snow sculptures and ice snow slides. At night, the area is lit up with lights and fireworks, and visitors can enjoy local delicacies while watching the astonishing collaboration of light and snow.
This event features a ceremony, ice-cutting experience, and mini-games on the ice, as well as fireworks that are lit over the frozen Lake Akan every night during the festival period. In the clear sub-zero air, large fireworks beautifully color the night sky above the ice covering Lake Akan.