Kawayu

This part of Hokkaido felt fairly remote and was populated with sprawling farms, many large and small crater lakes, and more onsens.
The ryokan we were staying in didn’t have a bath so we had to go a few hundred meters down the road to the local public bath for ablutions – group nudity always creates an interesting cultural experience.
We’ve been told many were scared off after the earthquake and cancelled their reservations so we’ve seen very few tourists here. Apart from indulging in onsens, we drove to several lakes and the coast to enjoy some very nice walks through the forest, near volcanoes, and along the shore. We also enjoyed a visit to the Peoples of the Far North Museum, which had an excellent collection of artifacts from the indigenous people from Alaska, Hokkaido and Russia. Hokkaido has been every bit as beautiful as we hoped.Read more