Hello,
Today, we’re heading to the Kushiro Washo Market to have a katte-don for breakfast.
This market, established in 1954, is the oldest in Kushiro. Along with the Hakodate Morning Market and Sapporo Nijo Market, it is considered one of the three major markets in Hokkaido. The name “Washo” comes from the lively call of “Wasshoi, wasshoi,” and from the concept of “wa-shite-shōu,” meaning to do business harmoniously. The market is home to about 50 shops, including fresh seafood stores, salted and dried fish, specialty foods, produce shops, and meat vendors. It is beloved by locals as the community’s kitchen, and is also popular with tourists.
The market’s specialty is the katte-don, where you select your favorite seafood and assemble it into a custom bowl of rice, making your own original seafood donburi. First, you buy the size of rice you want at a prepared foods shop inside the market. With your rice in hand, you stroll from store to store, searching for your desired toppings. There’s a wide variety of fresh seafood options at each stall, making it hard to choose. Once you’ve picked your favorite ingredients, the vendors will top your rice with them, and voilà, your very own katte-don is ready! You can also buy crab soup and pickles, and enjoy your meal at the market’s eating area.
Visitors staying at nearby hotels can swap their hotel breakfast for a katte-don, and that day, around ten businessmen arrived by minivan to enjoy their breakfast here. Be careful if you come at the same time as these groups, as it might take longer to get served.
Next, we went to the Kushiro Shitsugen Observatory.
This observatory has a unique design inspired by the “Yachibozu” plants found in the wetlands in the area. Inside, there’s a diorama of the wetland, along with panels explaining the formation of the Kushiro Wetlands, its flora and fauna, and nearby archaeological sites. You can enjoy the view of the wetlands from the observation room and rooftop.
There is a one-hour walking trail that starts from the observatory, which includes a satellite observation deck. From here, you can experience a vast landscape that feels like an African savanna. However, we learned that there was a recent bear sighting along the trail, so the path was closed for safety. It was a bit disappointing since we were looking forward to walking the trail.
Next, we visited the Wine Castle in Ikeda Town.
The official name of the “Wine Castle” is the “Ikeda Town Grape and Wine Research Institute.” It is called the Wine Castle because its architecture resembles a medieval European castle. Inside, you’ll find French oak barrels where wine quietly matures, along with a collection of old vintages. On the first floor, there’s a shop selling Tokachi wines and local specialties. On the fourth floor, there’s a restaurant, making this a fun place to visit.
At the tasting corner, you can sample a variety of Tokachi wines in small quantities for a reasonable price. The castle also offers tours, and you can freely explore from 9 AM to 5 PM. To the east of the castle, there’s a wine production facility where you can observe the bottling process.
On the southern slope of the Wine Castle is a vineyard planted with unique varieties of grapes, such as “Kiyomai” and “Yamakou,” which are only found in Ikeda Town. These grapes are harvested in autumn and turned into rich, flavorful Tokachi wines.
The Wine Castle recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, and to mark this occasion, along with the 35th anniversary of the debut of the famous music group DREAMS COME TRUE (whose member Miwa Yoshida is from Ikeda Town), a “DREAMS COME TRUE Day” event was held in July. A signed poster from the event was displayed in the castle.
Next, we went to the Ryugetsu Sweetpia Garden Store.
Ryugetsu is a long-established confectionery company founded in 1947. It is famous for its Baumkuchen shaped like white birch firewood, called “Sanpōroku,” and its “Anbata-sand” (a sweet sandwich with red bean paste and butter). The Sweetpia Garden Store is located near the Otofuke-Obihiro Interchange on the Doto Expressway and features a shop, café, and a candy-making workshop, as well as a facility where you can observe the production process of “Sanpōroku.”
This store is the only place in Japan where you can buy the leftover pieces of “Sanpōroku.” Every day, there’s a long line before the store opens. The number of available pieces and types changes daily, and they are sold for around 500 yen per bag. They start handing out tickets at 8:30 AM, and the sale begins when the store opens. You can buy only one bag per person, and even on weekdays, the stock sells out by 9 AM. Unfortunately, since we arrived later in the afternoon, we couldn’t get any.
Next, we stayed at the Otofuke Natsuzora no Furusato roadside station, located next to the Ryugetsu Sweetpia Garden Store.
This place is a popular spot for campers, and that day, it was full of campers from all over Japan, with various license plates on the vehicles.
Otofuke Town is known for its agricultural activities, producing wheat, beans, and many other crops under the “Tokachi Clear Skies.”
There were also exhibits honoring famous classical musician Akira Ifukube, who grew up in Otofuke, as well as a large Godzilla figurine, 2 meters tall with a 3-meter-long tail, which was quite impressive.
At the roadside station, there’s also a set modeled after the NHK TV drama Natsuzora (aired in 2019). It was a nostalgic experience to visit.
The station also has a famous curry shop called “Indian.”
The first “Indian” curry shop opened in Obihiro in 1968. According to the owner, it is the second-best curry shop in Obihiro, because the best is the curry made by his wife and mother. We tried the curry, and it was simple but addictive in flavor.
See you again!