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The Shiretoko range reflected in the first of the Shiretoko Five Lakes

Hokkaido, Japan

ShiretokoSHIRETOKO

A peninsula where sea, forest and mountains remain unbroken.

44°08'N 145°05'E

01IntroductionIntroduction

A peninsula where sea, forest and mountains remain unbroken.

The Shiretoko Peninsula at the eastern tip of Hokkaido. Recognised for an ecosystem in which nutrients carried by drift ice link the sea to the forests and mountains, it was inscribed as a World Natural Heritage site in 2005. The Shiretoko Five Lakes, sheer coastal cliffs and pristine nature home to brown bears and deer remain.

World Natural HeritageShiretoko Five LakesDrift iceWildlifeCliff coastline

02Key InformationKey information

Key information about Shiretoko

Only information confirmed in the sources (listed at the bottom of the page) is shown. Please check the latest official information before your visit.

PrefecturePrefecture
Hokkaido
RegionRegion
Hokkaido
MunicipalityMunicipality
Shari Town, Rausu Town
CategoryScenery
SeasForestsLakesMountainsSnowscapesNational parksWorld Heritage
ElevationElevation
Summit of Mount Rausu 1,660 m
Protected areasProtection
  • Shiretoko National Park
  • World Natural Heritage "Shiretoko" (2005)
LocationCoordinates
44°08'N 145°05'E
Mount Rausu under a clear sky

Shiretoko — Hokkaido

Photo: 663highland / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY 2.5

03StoryStory

The Story of
Shiretoko

There are no roads to the tip of the Shiretoko Peninsula. The coast drops in sheer cliffs into the Sea of Okhotsk, and waterfalls pour straight into the sea.

In winter, drift ice fills the Sea of Okhotsk. The nutrients it brings nourish marine life, and life is passed on to the birds and animals that feed on it, and to the forest. That chain is why Shiretoko was chosen as a World Natural Heritage site.

At the Shiretoko Five Lakes, the Shiretoko mountain range, including Mount Rausu, is reflected in lakes within the primeval forest. From the elevated boardwalk, the view can be enjoyed in any season.

04GalleryGallery

5 photographs

—FilmTravel through film

Shiretoko on film

All films →

知床国立公園の旅｜広大な自然の中で生きる野生動物と人との共生

Source: 環境省　日本の国立公園 / Watch on YouTube ↗

The films shown here are published on YouTube by official channels such as the Ministry of the Environment, local governments and tourism associations, and are presented using YouTube's embed feature. Copyright remains with each publisher. No connection is made to YouTube until you press play.

05SeasonsThrough the seasons

The four seasons of Shiretoko

  1. SpringSpring

    The drift ice departs, and with the thaw the animals begin to stir.

    Recommended

  2. SummerSummer

    The season for walks around the Shiretoko Five Lakes and cruises viewing the cliff coastline from the sea.

    Recommended

  3. AutumnAutumn

    Salmon swim upriver, and the forest changes colour.

    Recommended

  4. WinterWinter

    The Sea of Okhotsk is covered in drift ice. The defining image of a Shiretoko winter.

    Recommended

06LocationLocation

44°08'N 145°05'E

Hokkaido, Shari Town, Rausu Town (Hokkaido)

OpenStreetMap ↗Google Maps ↗

An interactive map is in preparation. For now, the location is shown among all destinations.

26°N30°N34°N38°N42°NSHIRETOKO

07NearbyNearby scenic spots

Another landscape, close by.

Lake Mashu and its caldera walls seen from an observation point

Lake Mashu

MASHU

About 75 km (straight-line distance)

Mount Oakan and a sightseeing boat crossing Lake Akan

Lake Akan

AKAN

About 109 km (straight-line distance)

The vivid blue Shirogane Blue Pond lined with standing dead trees

Biei

BIEI

About 218 km (straight-line distance)

08RelatedSimilar landscapes

If you love this landscape.

Purple lavender fields spreading across a hillside

FURANO

Furano

Hokkaido

Summer lavender colouring the hills.

Mikurigaike with lingering snowfields and the Tateyama peaks

TATEYAMA

Tateyama & MurodoToyama · Hokuriku

Tateyama Town, Toyama Prefecture. At Murodo-daira, the heart of the Tateyama Kurobe Alpine Route at 2,450 m, the crater lake Mikurigaike holds blue water. Snow walls of Yuki-no-Otani in spring, alpine flowers in summer, autumn leaves in autumn.

Mountains / Lakes / Snowscapes

Mount Fuji across Lake Yamanaka from an autumn shore

FUJI GOKO

Fuji Five LakesYamanashi · Koshinetsu

Yamanashi Prefecture. The collective name for Lake Yamanaka, Lake Kawaguchi, Lake Sai, Lake Shoji and Lake Motosu, lined up along the northern foot of Mount Fuji. Each lake offers a view of Mount Fuji from a different angle, and they are included among the component parts of the World Cultural Heritage site "Fujisan".

Lakes / Mountains / National parks

09SourcesSources

Sources

10Photo CreditsPhoto credits

PhotoTitle / PhotographerSourceLicence
The Shiretoko range reflected in the first of the Shiretoko Five Lakes140829 Ichiko of Shiretoko Goko Lakes Hokkaido Japan01s5663highlandWikimedia Commons ↗CC BY 2.5
Mount Rausu under a clear sky140828 Mount Rausu Shiretoko Hokkaido Japan01s3663highlandWikimedia Commons ↗CC BY 2.5
The cliff-lined coast of the Shiretoko Peninsula140828 Otoko-no-namida Shiretoko Peninsula Hokkaido Japan01s5663highlandWikimedia Commons ↗CC BY-SA 4.0
Drift ice on the Sea of Okhotsk at duskHokkaido-Drift Ice-xlkkawamuraWikimedia Commons ↗CC BY 4.0
The Shiretoko range and a lake beyond the wetlands140829 Ichiko of Shiretoko Goko Lakes Hokkaido Japan04s3663highlandWikimedia Commons ↗CC BY 2.5
Oshinkoshin Falls tumbling through the forestOshinkoshin Falls 20140811SuicasmoWikimedia Commons ↗CC BY-SA 4.0
A Yezo sika deer standing by a riverEzoshika01Captain76Wikimedia Commons ↗Public domain
All photo credits →