Biei, Hokkaido, beautiful hills

Biei is about 30 minutes by local train from Asahikawa. Central Biei is a small town but the area is very large and hilly. There are Taisetsu mountains behind of the hilly land. The scenery of Biei is very beautiful. It's simular to a part of Switzerland. One of my friends told me that the view from the Swiss train is almost like in Hokkaido when we were in the train form Bern to Lausanne, Switzerland. I understood it when I visited there. I remainded Switzerland in Biei.

Asahikawa ramen, Hokkaido. Fine!

Hokkaido is the sacred place of ramen. According to one theory, the beginning of ramen was in Hokkaido. It was sold under the name Nanikin-soba. Sapporo is known as one of the biggest ramen place in Japan. In addition, Hakodate, Asahikawa and Kushiro are fine areas of ramen in Hokkaido. Those 4 places have been referred to as the four major areas of ramen in Hokkaido. Asahikawa area is smaller than Sapporo but very fine. I would say, Asahikawa is the second fine ramen place in Hokkaido.

I ordered miso taste ramen. It was very good. The soup was smooth and tasty. The texture of noodles was excellent.

What "Skun Cabbage"!

If you take a dictionary for "Mizubasho", the word would be "Skunk Cabbage" in English. But "mizu" means "water" and "basho" means "Japanese fiber banana". If you try to translate this directory, it would be "Japanese water fiber banana". That name is much better than Skunk Cabbage!

Mizubasho is a pure white tiny pretty flower. It grows only from east Japan to Hokkaido. The flower season is in May. If you want see this beautiful flower, you have to come to Japan in May. No other countries except Sakhalin.

How come such a white beautiful flower's name is Skunk Cabbage!? The flower is not like Skunk and not like Cabbage either. Never! According to the dictionary, America has an also similar flower. The flower is yellowish and stinky like Skunk. Ohoh. That's why they say it Skunk Cabbage. But Japanese is totally different from American!

If you dare to defend American, it would be good smell like heaven for insects, especially such as fly.

Sarufutsu village, living with nature

A lot of wind turbines have been installed on the hills of Souya. The development of renewable energy is desired more instead of depending on nuclear power generation. I visited a monument at the tip of Cape Soya. The cape was spacious.

Mr. Shimizu who is a friend of mine gave me a tour of Sarufutsu village. The village is located to the south of Wakkanai. Sarufutsu is the largest village in Hokkaido.

The main industries of Sarufutsu village are fishing and dairy. Many dairy farmers are dotted in the spread land. Sarufutsu has become as the representing place of scallop fishery in Hokkaido since the system of management fishery was introduced. Total fish catch is 50,000 tons per year. Of these, 30,000 tons are raised by releasing the juvenile scallop.

Mr. Shimizu is the staff of a fishermen's cooperative association to manage the scallop fishery. He watches areas of the fishing by boarding Asahi-Maru management fishery ship. He is responsible on important management for 50,000 tons fish catch per year.

He gave me an explanation of the management scallop fishery. Scallop fishing areas are located offshore of Sarufutsu village and divided into five areas. The fishing place of the year is determined from one of five areas every year. Fishermen cannot go fishing to other areas in the same year. Juvenile scallops are released into the fishing place after the fishing period. Then fishermen have to wait five years to go fishing to that area. Scallops can grow during five year, fine scallops are fished again after five years.

About 2,500 tons (about 250 millions pieces) juvenile scallops are released every year, then they become 30,000 tons fish catch.  But total fish catch becomes about 50,000 tons every year. The reason is natural increase. The ocean becomes rich thanks by management fishery. Four of five areas are kept in natural every year.

Mr. Shimizu is carefully observing the growth of scallops in five areas overall. There has been no problem on scallops so far, he says. That means the good catch of scallops have been promised at least next five years. But Mr. Shimizu says, scallops are natural gifts, you cannot see what will happen, so I must observe carefully.

Sarufutsu village has started management scallops fishery because of poverty measures. There used to be a good place for herring and scallop but the catch was plummeted caused by overfishing. Then the village became extremely poor. They had to find the solution.

They made 10-year planning of management scallops fishery under such a painful situation. They couldn't depend on natural fishing anymore. They had no choice. However, it takes at least 5 years to get results by the plan. They had to endure such a painful condition. But Sarufutsu village made it. They are now wealthy. There are many fine houses of Sarufutsu fishermen on the shore. Some people call those "palace scallops".

There are a lot of Itou (Japanese huchen) in the Sarufutsu river. Itou is called one of phantom fish but there are still many there. Anglers have come from far away. Sarufutsu village is managing also such natural resources. They are making effort to coexist with nature.

Hills arround cape Souya, Wakkanai

Cape Souya where is the northernmost point of Japan, is about 20 minutes by car from Wakkanai.city. Terrain around the cape is gentle hills. Cattle had been grazing. Snow still remained in some places even in May. North Hokkaido is cold. The windmill on cape Souya was impressive.

Russian fishing boat at Wakkanai port

Wakkanai Station is northernmost station in Japan. Soyahonsen which has Wakkanai Station as the end of the station is the railway northernmost in Japan. Scallops are caught in large quantities in Wakkanai area. Scallop shell has been piled like as a mountain near the harbor. Russian fishing boat had been anchored at Wakkanai Port. The distance from Wakkanai to Sakhalin in Russia is only 42km. Sakhalin can be seen from Wakkanai on sunny day.

It's cool!

Oh! Riding without a helmet!

 http://youtu.be/WQMok1RPRCk

Today is my birthday. It must be a blast day like this.

Horonobe, raindeer

In a way to Wakkanai, the express stopped at Horonobe.  I saw a very interesting guide board.  Horonobe is; the middle of the Northern Hemisphere, town at 45 degrees north latitude, village of reindeer, in addition, cattle seems.  Reindeer in Japan, I didn’t know that. So the landscape from Horonobe to Wakkanai looked somehow in Finland. (But I’ve never been Finland. w)

The train arrived at Wakkanai around 1PM.  It took 5 hours from Sapporo.  Hokkaido is big!

Wakkanai Station is the northernmost station in Japan. It’s located at 45 degrees 25 minutes 3 seconds north latitude.

By the way Chiasso which is southernmost town in Switzerland is located at 45 degrees 50 minutes.  Switzerland is completely located in the north than Japan.

Sapporo, Ramen Alley

Sapporo is known as the town where you can have good ramen noodles.  The ramen from Sapporo is called Sapporo-ramen.  There is Sapporo Ramen Alley in a middle of city called Susukino area.  There are tens good ramen restaurant along the alley.  The alley is very clouded by visitors until the morning.  People want to have ramen after drinking at the midnight.  I took curry soup ramen.  It was very hot but good.  I took the limited express “Souya” to Wakkanai where is the most north town in Japan.

Today is very hot day in Kiryu

Probably hotter than body temperature. I can't go out. I will be dead.