| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9:00 to 17:00 April - October 9:00 to 16:00 November - March |
| Closed | Tuesdays New Year Holidays |
| Contact | 011-5465-2323 |
| Notes | Museum, information center, restrooms, *wheelchair access, walking paths *contact center prior to arrival for special parking access |
| Location / Getting There | About 40 minutes by car from Kushiro Station, there is a parking lot along Route 53. For public transport take the 'Akan Bus' Tsurui Line / Hororo Line to the Onnenai Visitor Center Bus Stop. The center is a 5 minutes walk away from the parking. Onnenai, Tsurui, Akan District, Hokkaido 085-1145 |
The Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, also known as the Kushiro Marshland is a sprawling national park to the north of Kushiro. There are half a dozen observation decks, museums, and walking paths that surround the park. The Onnenai Visitor Center is one of these museums and can be found on the western side of the marshland. It is a point of contact between the marsh and the forest that leads down to the national park. It is here, that visitors can learn about the marsh, take a break, plus enjoy the walking courses throughout the year.
At the center, via video panels, you can learn about the plants and animals that live in the national park. This area can be visited in any season. The lush greenery in spring, the golden leaves in autumn, the winter snow, and during the summer months of July and August, you can see the marsh lit by the glow of fireflies. Cross-country skiing is possible in the winter, and you can rent skis and snowshoes free of charge from the facility. There are three separate walking courses from the center. The shortest being a short ten minute course. the middle course is 2 kilometers, and the longest course is around 3.1 kilometers. Free and paid guided nature walks are available. Cross-country skiing is possible in the winter, and you can rent skis and snowshoes free of charge from the facility.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 16:30 |
| Closed | Wednesday |
| Contact | 0154-56-2345 |
| Notes | National park, parking available, walking trails, museum |
| Location / Getting There | The national park is to the north of Kushiro City. It is about a 25 minute drive north from the centre of the city. To get an observation deck overlooking the marshland, take the JR train to Kushiroshitsugen Station (4 stops from Kushiro station) via the Semmo Line. 2-2101 Hokuto, Kushiro, Kawakami District, Hokkaido 084-0922 |
The Kushiro Shitsugen National park (better known as the Kushiro Marshland) is a national park, located to the north of Kushiro on the eastern side of Hokkaido. The park is known for its wetlands ecosystems. ‘Shitsugen’ translates to wetlands in English. It was designated as a national park on 31 July 1987. The massive park covers an area of 268.61 square kilometres on the Kushiro plain and is well known for its wildlife and vegetation. The park also contains the largest tracts of reed beds in Japan! The Kushiro river, which originates from Lake Kussharo, winds its way through much of the park and ends in the harbor of Kushiro City.
In 1967, the wetlands were designated as a national natural monument. For this reason, access to the park is limited to keep the preservation of the area. There observation points to view the marshlands. These being the Toro Sarurun Observatory, the Yumegaoka Observatory, the Kushiro Marsh Observatory, and the Tenbo Terrace. From these vantage points you can enjoy the marshlands. There are a couple of small walking trails near these observatories. The vegetation of the park consists reeds, peat moss wetlands, and black alder thickets. The wild species that can be seen here include the red crowned crane, huchen salmon, siberian salamander, and dragonflies.
bottom slider gallery.
both upper gallery and slider galleries must be premade.
| Admission | ¥480 - Adults ¥250 - Highschool Students ¥120 - Children *Free for seniors |
| Opening Hours | 8: 30 - 18: 00 April-September 9: 00 - 17: 00 October-March |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 015-456-2424 |
| Notes | Museum, wheelchair access, lockers available, parking 108 cars, souvenir store, toilets, restaurant |
| Location / Getting There | The museum is to the north west of Kushiro city on route 53. It's 30 minutes by car from JR Kushiro Station (Akan Bus: Tsurui Line), or it's about 18 minutes by car from Kushiro Airport. 6-11 Hokuto, Kushiro, Hokkaido 084-0922 |
Perched at the top of a large hill, overlooking Kushiro Marsh, you can find the Kushiro Marsh Observatory. This is one of the most interesting buildings in Hokkaido. The exterior, and especially the interior, has a strange and unique design and is reminiscent of a cool sci-fi movie. The central hall of the museum is definitely a place to get some photos. This museum is a good spot to appreciate the surrounding wetlands, known as Kushiro Wetland. On the rooftop of the building, there is an observation deck where you can enjoy a panoramic view of the marshland, the city of Kushiro, and the mountains of Akan.
Inside the museum there are various exhibits of the surrounding landscape and the local animals of the wetlands. There aren’t a lot of these exhibits but they have some interesting information of the local area. Admission is free for the first floor. It is here you can find a souvenir shop and a restaurant. The second floor has an exhibition area and from this stage on, you have to pay to enter. There is an elevator that reaches the rooftop. Around the museum, there are walking paths that lead into the marshlands of Kushiro. The Marsh Observatory is definitely worth a stop in if you are in the area.
| Admission | ¥480 - Adults ¥250 - Highschool Students ¥110 - Children |
| Opening Hours | 9:30 - 17:00 |
| Closed | Mondays |
| Contact | 0154-41-5809 |
| Notes | Museum, wheelchair access, free wifi, lockers available, events held throughout the year, wheelchair & stroller rental |
| Location / Getting There | The museum is a 40 minute walk from Kushiro station or a 15 minute drive.. For public transport from Kushiro Station bus terminal No.3 (bus 16 Shirakaba Harutori Shopping Center Line, 17 Shirakaba Akira Danchi Line) or No. 11 (bus 2 Wakakusa Danchi Line, 12 Fumizono Koju Line (for Midorigaoka), 55 Nanboku Line (2nd) Please take the bus from (to Wakakusa housing complex)). The nearest bus stop to the museum is the "Municipal Hospital". It takes about 10 to 15 minutes from Kushiro Station to the city hospital bus stop. ¥220 yen one way. (As of October 1, 2021) 1-7 Shunkodai, Kushiro, Hokkaido 085-0822 |
The history of the Kushiro City Museum dates far back to 1936. Originally, an exhibition room was set up as the “Kushiro City Folk Museum” on the second floor of the Kushiro City Hall Waterworks Construction Office. Over the decades, the location changed and finally on November 3rd, 1983, the “Kushiro City Museum” was born. The building was designed by a local arhcitect, Kiko Mozuna. His award winning design was designed to represent a red-crowned crane with its wings spread out. The museum is home to 4100 exhibits and objects.
The exhibitions at the museum incorporate flora and fauna from the Kushiro area. There is a permanent Ainu exhibition here also which is fascinating. This is one of the best museums in Hokkaido as the exhibits are first class and very well presented with great detail. There is information in multiple languages and there is plenty of space to walk around at your leisure. The museum is four floors and there is a huge amount of information to learn from the earliest archaeological findings to the current wild life of Kushiro. This museum is a must visit for those visiting Kushiro and are interested in history.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥600 per drink |
| Opening Hours | 20:00 - 02:00 |
| Closed | Mondays |
| Contact | 011-5423-2866 |
| Notes | Reggae bar, seating 12, no parking |
| Location / Getting There | The bar is located in central Kushiro. It is a 14 minute walk south from Kushiro station. The bar is down a narrow alleyway. Look for the sign out the front. 〒085-0013 Hokkaido, Kushiro, Sakaemachi, 3 Chome−２ |
Unity is a cool little reggae bar in central Kushiro. This long running bar originally opened back in 1995. It is run by the friendly owner who is happy to have a chat and keep the tunes rolling. The main music selection here is reggae, plus a wide range of genres such as soul and hip hop. The bar is small and comfortable creating a cozy atmosphere. At Bar Unity, you can sit at the counter and enjoy a beer or a cocktail. There is only enough seating for ten customers so its good for small groups or those drinking alone. It’s easy to meet people at the bar!
This bar is tucked away down one of the side streets so it has its regulars that often come. There is a lot to choose from on the menu. They have Kirin, Asahi, Sapporo, and Corona beer. For those who enjoy their spirits, there are around eighty cocktails to enjoy. All the drinks are priced at ¥600. Although there is no food menu, Bar Unity has various events and parties throughout the year where you can enjoy some food that is being served up. This bar is enjoyed by the locals and is a great place to checkout if you are traveling through Kushiro.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 21:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0154-24-4611 |
| Notes | Western restaurant, no parking, no smoking, seating 40, good for large groups |
| Location / Getting There | Izumiya is located in central Kushiro in the nightlife district. It is one block from Kushiro River. The restaurant is a 13 minute walk from Kushiro station. 2 Chome-2-28 Suehirocho, Kushiro, Hokkaido 085-0014 |
Izumiya is a western style restaurant in the entertainment district of Kushiro. Kushiro being one of the largest cities on the south eastern coast of Hokkaido. Izumiya opened in 1960 and has a claim to fame over any other restaurant. Kushiro is famous for its special cuisines. One of these dishes being ‘Supa Katsu’. It is here at Izumiya, that supa katsu originated. Supa katsu is a spaghetti dish that is presented on a piping hot iron plate. The spaghetti is topped with thick juicy cuts of tonkatsu (deep-fried pork cutlet) and on top of all that, a savory meat sauce is poured.
This dish is very filling and being on a hot iron plate, remains warm throughout. The restaurants decor hasn’t seemed to have changed over the years but there is plenty of seating here and is ok for small groups. Being a western style restaurant, there are other dishes on the menu. These include steaks, salads, pastas, and seafood meals and delicious desserts. For those visiting, the supa katsu should be tried due to the history of the place, just make sure you have a healthy appetite beforehand. The restaurant can be found on the second floor.
