Kushiro Walk

Kushiro is our first stop in Japan, so there was a mandatory in person immigration. Our appointment was not until 1pm, so we could not leave the ship until the afternoon.

We spent the morning enjoying the free local WiFi and catching up on emails, FB, and so forth.

When our turn came, immigration went smoothly. (I haven’t looked too closely at my passport yet, but the stamp included a little QR code.)

We hopped a free shuttle to the MOO, which is what Kushiro calls its fisherman’s wharf. Before checking that out, however, it was so pretty that we took an aimless walk.

Along the way, we saw a flower clock, a Small Copper butterfly, and a funny mural on the side of a restaurant in which everyone’s nose was running. I guess they serve spicy food?

I didn’t expect to see phone booths all over town, but what really surprised me were the talking billboards. They don’t just show an advertisement, but you hear promos and jingles. It felt a little surreal to me, like a mix between the movies “A Boy and His Dog,” and “Blade Runner.”

Kushiro’s main bridge features bronze statues of women meant to represent the four seasons.

All in all, a delightful stroll.Read more