An icebreaker not to be missed, a complete Hokkaido drift ice tour

"If you haven't stepped on the glaciers of Hokkaido, you can't really understand them."
– "Journey to the Glacier", Junichi Watanabe

Thought to exist only in Antarctica or the Arctic
The magnificent glacier scenery can actually be seen in Hokkaido as well!
Every winter, the northern coast of Hokkaido freezes over,
The blue waters of the Sea of Okhotsk turn into white glaciers,
It offers a magnificent view.
Glaciers floating around the Heilongjiang River in China (Amur River in Russia) flow into Hokkaido.
Heading south, eroded by cliffs and cliffs,
It creates a fantastic scenery
This is one of the must-see scenery in Japan.
It can only be viewed from late January to early March each year.
On the coast of the Sea of Okhotsk, there are many places where you can admire this extraordinary natural phenomenon.

* From mid-January to the end of March every year, you will be taken to a vantage point to admire the glaciers of the Sea of Okhotsk.
* From February to March, the glacier often flows to the nearby Nemuro Strait.

<How to see the glacier>

Using an icebreaker is the most recommended way!
It's also the easiest way to experience glaciers.
You can see it from Abashiri or Monbetsu by icebreaker.
You can also take a sightseeing boat from Rausu and see it through the Nemuro Strait.

* (Video) https://youtu.be/WS9TNPASTaw

<Traffic Route Tips>

Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport (Transfer to Monbetsu) ,
Memanbetsu Airport (to Abashiri),
And at Nakashibetsu Airport (go to Rausu),
Direct flights operate from Tokyo and Sapporo.

– If you depart from Monbetsu, take a taxi from the bus station or airport within 15 minutes
You can get to the Garinko 2 icebreaker embarkation.

– To get to Abashiri, take a bus from Memanbetsu Airport to Abashiri Bus Stop (40 minutes)
You can reach the Aurora icebreaker embarkation point, which is a 10-minute walk from the Netboro bus stop.

– From Nakashibetsu Airport, it takes 75 minutes to reach Rausu.
As you disembark at the rest area (michi-no-eki), you will see the Nature Cruise office.

– It takes about 6 hours to get to Monbetsu or Abashiri by bus from Sapporo.
It takes about 7.5 hours to get to Rausu.

<More ways to sightsee>

If you want to enjoy it at your leisure, you can go back and forth between Abashiri and Shiretoko stations.
Take the Ryuhyo-Monogatari sightseeing train.

If you want to experience a more dramatic trip
Try glacier walking, swimming, and glacier diving in Utoro.
If the above activities aren't enough, visit the Hokkaido Glacier Museum in Abashiri.
Gain a deeper understanding of the science hidden beneath the sea ice.

Meet the wildlife along with the < glaciers>

When the glacier comes, a variety of wildlife also appears.
If you're lucky, you might see seals lying down.
Large migratory birds such as the endangered white-tailed eagle
You can also see them relaxing on the glacier.
In the sea, Clione, known as the "Angel of Drift Ice", comes with the glacier.
Land animals such as northern foxes and Ezo deer are also occasionally present.
So when you go to see the drift ice, be sure to bring a telescope and a camera~