Hello.
Today, we’re departing from the roadside station Rumoi, where we spent the night in our car, heading towards Cape Soya, the northernmost point of Japan.
Since we’re leaving early in the morning and the roadside station isn’t open yet, we’ll stop by a convenience store to buy breakfast and eat it in our camper. When it comes to convenience stores in Hokkaido, Seicomart, commonly known as “Sekoma,” is the go-to. In Honshu, the market is dominated by three major chains: Seven-Eleven, Lawson, and FamilyMart, but Seicomart holds the top spot in Hokkaido with about 1,100 stores. There are 96 stores in Ibaraki and Saitama Prefectures, but there are none in Aichi Prefecture, where we live. Additionally, Seicomart has its own farms and processing facilities, offering a rich selection of private-brand products from Hokkaido, making shopping there feel like a true visit to Hokkaido.
After finishing our meal, we’ll head to the roadside station Obira Nishinbanya, which opens at 8 AM. Although we just had breakfast, the sweet herring simmered rice looked delicious, so we decided to try it, and it was exquisite. It’s a flavor I definitely want to experience again.
On the Sea of Japan side of Hokkaido, herring (Nishin in Japanese) fishing thrived during the Meiji, Taisho, and early Showa periods. The residences and fishing facilities built by the fishermen are known as Nishinbanya. One of these, the former Hanada family Nishinbanya, is a nationally designated important cultural property and is the northernmost of its kind in Japan. Built in 1905, this Nishinbanya boasts the largest scale of existing Nishinbanya in Hokkaido. At its peak during the bustling herring fishing days, the number of hired workers exceeded 200.
The sleeping area for fishermen is called a “deck,” which has a tiered design with three levels. To accommodate many fishermen in a tight space, there was a narrow passageway for nighttime trips to the restroom.
The tatami-matted room serves as the living space for the master’s family, with expensive woods like rosewood and ebony used for the pillars and other features. The luxurious Arita porcelain toilet explains why it is referred to as the “Herring Mansion.”
Now, let’s continue north along the Ororon Line.
The Ororon Line is a nickname for the road connecting Ishikari City on Hokkaido’s Sea of Japan side to Wakkanai City. “Ororon” is named after the seabird that once inhabited Hokkaido. While there are many scenic routes, the Ororon Line is the best drive to truly experience the sea of Hokkaido. Even for locals, this drive, including breaks, takes about seven hours.
The road runs straight through the Sarobetsu Plain, lined with wind turbines from the Otonrui Wind Farm for about 3 kilometers, with hardly any human structures or telephone poles in sight. This route is known for its breathtaking views, including the sight of Rishiri Fuji across the sea. The day we drove, it unfortunately rained, and we couldn’t see much of the scenery. Additionally, we accidentally took the bypass in Teshio Town, so we ended up driving inland instead of along the coastline. It happens often. Let’s try not to make that mistake next time we go.
That’s it for today. I’ll share the drive to Cape Soya next time.