|
|
|
WHAT
TO
SEE
I
WHAT
TO
DO
I
WHERE
TO
VISIT
I
WORLD
HERITAGES |
|
Shiretoko I
Shirakami-sanchi
I The
Historic
Monuments
of
Ancient
Kyoto |
|
Historic Villages I
The Shrines and Temple of Nikko
I Buddhist Monuments
|
|
Hemeji-jo Castle
I
Hiroshima Peace Memorial
I
Gusuku Sites
I Yakushima |
|
The Historic Monuments of Ancient Nara I
Sacred Sites & Pilgrimage Routes |
|
|
|
|
|
A
new
heritage
site
just
registered
in
2005
The
area
features
an
ecological
system
with
few
equals
in
the
world
Places:Shari-cho,
Shari-gun
/
Rausu-cho,
Menashi-gun,
Hokkaido |
|
|
|
Shiretoko,
a
new
natural
heritage
site
registered
only
in
July
2005,
is
considered
to
be
the
last
pristine
wilderness
remaining
in
Japan.
Shiretoko
is a
long
narrow
peninsula
located
in
northeastern
Hokkaido.
The
volcanic
Shiretoko
mountain
range
runs
down
the
center
of
the
peninsula
and
includes
the
highest
peak
of
the
range,
Rausu-dake
(1,661
m
above
sea
level)
and
the
active
volcano
Iouyama.
The
Sea
of
Okhotsk
lies
on
the
western
side
of
the
range
and
the
Nemuro
Straits
on
the
eastern
side.
The
coastline
cliffs
facing
the
Sea
of
Okhotsk
rise
up
more
than
100
m
high,
and
you
can
glimpse
waterfalls
large
and
small
cascading
directly
into
the
sea,
and
colonies
of
seabirds. |
|
|
|
The
salmon
and
trout
that
breed
in
the
sea
off
Shiretoko
are
an
important
food
resource
supporting
the
terrestrial
ecosystem
with
rare
birds
such
as
Blakiston's
fish
owl,
Steller's
sea
eagle
and
the
white-tailed
sea
eagle,
as
well
as
brown
bears.
The
Shiretoko
ecosystem
is a
dramatically
clear
example
of
the
linkage
between
marine
and
terrestrial
ecosystems,
and
it
is
considered
an
important
wildlife
reserve,
with
unique
features
unlike
any
other
in
the
world. |
|
|
|
Shiretoko,
blessed
with
mountains,
lakes
and
an
abundance
of
plants
and
animals,
offers
many
places
of
interest
throughout
the
seasons.
A
good
example
is
the
Shiretoko
Goko
or
Shiretoko
Five
Lakes,
situated
on a
lava
plateau
surrounded
by
old-growth
forest.
The
five
lakes
don't
have
individual
names;
they
are
referred
to
by
number
from
Lake
No.
1 to
Lake
No.
5.
If
you
take
a
stroll
along
the
walking
trail
(takes
approximately
1
hour),
you
may
see
wild
animals
and
will
certainly
enjoy
the
beauty
of
the
changing
seasons. |
|
|
|
In
the
fall,
when
the
mountains
are
adorned
in
red
and
yellow,
the
hoards
of
salmon
and
trout
swarming
up
river
to
spawn
are
an
incredible
sight.
In
winter,
there
is
also
beautiful
scenery
as
the
drifting
ice
changes
the
Sea
of
Okhotsk
into
a
white
snowfield.
There
are
various
nature
experience
programs
available
at
the
site
such
as
night
tours
for
animal
watching
under
wonderful
starlit
skies,
daytime
treks
for
alpine
plant
spotting
while
surrounded
by
birds
singing,
or
nature
watching
enjoying
waterfalls
and
wild
animals
while
walking
along
the
trail.
It
is
highly
recommended
to
contact
Shiretoko
Nature
Center
before
departing. |
|
|
|
*Shiretoko
Nature
Center
website
available
in
Japanese
only:
http://www.shiretoko.or.jp/
Tel:
0152-24-2114/Fax:
0152-24-2115
E-mail:
mat0946@shiretoko.or.jp
*Rausu
Town
website
available
in
Japanese
only:
http://www.aurens.or.jp/~rausukan/
*Shari
Town
Office
Commerce
and
Tourism
Section
Japanese
website:
http://www.town.shari.hokkaido.jp/shiretoko/ |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
