This week, we continue on challenging local bus trips around Hokkaido. The idea is to travel north to Wakkanai, with the ultimate goal of reaching Soyamisaki in Hokkaido. From Sapporo, head to Nopporo. It takes 15 minutes to reach Nopporo by local bus. From here, you will have to take a bus to Kuriyama Station after which you can travel northwards to Iwamizawa. However, do note that the buses to Kuriyama only run on weekdays. So if you happen to be stranded here on a Sunday, you can stay the night Nopporo. Business Hotel Nopporo is the sole hotel here, and it only has tatami rooms.

The next day, take the first local bus to Kuriyama, which is 15 minutes away from Nopporo. Before boarding the bus, do buy some food from some stalls. If it is too early and no stalls are open, pick up some snacks from a convenience store nearby. From Kuriyama, travel by local bus to Iwamizawa. The journey takes 40 minutes. To travel northwards from here, take a bus from the Iwamizawa Terminal to Takikawa, through Bibai. Then, you will have to travel from Asahigawa to Rumoi, before heading north to Toyotomi on board the Engan Bus. Another route is to go to Nayoro and later Otoineppu from Asahigawa before making your way to your destination Soyamisaki.

While at Asahigawa, make use of the time before your next bus trip to indulge in the natural spa here. If you decide to take the Nayoro route, and later find there is no local bus going northwards to Otoineppu, you can always go eastwards to Okoppe and change buses. Okoppe is located near the Sea of Okhotsk. While at Nayoro, visit a foot massage shop to relax your aching feet. A relaxing 10-minute massage here costs 1,050 yen (S$15.30). You can also stay the night at Nayoro if you have missed the last bus. Hotels include Fujikawa and the Grand Hotel. For dinner, you can eat something light at the restaurants in the area. One recommendation is soba. You can try hot soba, chilled soba, or even soba salad which includes seasonal vegetables such as okra, eggplant and tomato.

The next morning, take the first local bus to Okoppe. Enjoy the view of the Sea of Okhotsk along your bus journey. At Okoppe, change buses and head to Omu. It takes about 30 minutes to reach Omu by the local bus. From Omu, you will have to travel along the coast on the Soya Bus to Esashi. The distance between Omu and Esashi is about 45km and it will take you less than an hour by bus. To travel northwards, you will have to take a local bus to Hamatonbetsu. If you have time before the bus departs, take the opportunity to explore Esashi. Take a 10-minute taxi ride to the Mt. Mikasa Observatory, which offers visitors a panoramic view of Esashi and the Sea of Okhotsk. Enjoy the stunning view as you take a breather from your bus trip. Next, to savour some of Hokkaido’s best seafood, drop by the Fuku-izumi restaurant. Try Esashi’s famous hairy crab, ten-don and other varieties of seafood.

The bus journey to Hamatonbetsu takes about 45 minutes. Do note that the bus does not stop at Soyamisaki, but travels inland instead. So you have to take a local bus to Wakkanai bus terminal first. The journey will last 2.5 hours. Wakkanai is one station away from your destination, Soyamisaki. It is a 50-minute bus ride from Wakkanai to the northernmost place in Japan, Soyamisaki.