{"id":31355,"date":"2017-12-18T08:00:47","date_gmt":"2017-12-17T23:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=31355"},"modified":"2024-11-25T22:22:31","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T13:22:31","slug":"eastern-hokkaido-koshimizu-access","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/eastern-hokkaido-koshimizu-access\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Get to Koshimizu-cho, Eastern Hokkaido"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sponsored by Koshimizu Tourism Association<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Koshimizu-cho<\/strong> (\u5c0f\u6e05\u6c34\u753a<\/span>\u00a0) is a small town<\/strong> of approximately 5,000 people in Okhotsk sub-prefecture, eastern Hokkaido.<\/strong> The area is renowned for its\u00a0scenery, wildlife<\/strong> and vast quantities of\u00a0birds<\/strong> that use the town’s lake, Lake Tofutsu,<\/strong> as a stop off point during migration.<\/strong>\u00a0As Hokkaido is one of the\u00a0least populated and\u00a0least developed prefectures in Japan, navigating may require a little\u00a0pre-familiarisation, but it’s well worth it!<\/p>\n

\"Hama-Koshimizu<\/a>

Hama-Koshimizu Station<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Birds<\/a>

Birds at Lake Tofutsu<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Japanese<\/a>

Red-Crowned Crane in Koshimizu<\/p><\/div>\n

In this post I will show you how to get to Koshimizu-cho and also give you some helpful tips to make your journey as easy as possible.\u00a0The town’s nearest airport is Memanbetsu<\/strong> (also called “Memambetsu”,<\/strong> \u5973\u6e80\u5225), so all flight information will be linked to that airport.<\/p>\n

Getting to Memanbetsu Airport (Koshimizu’s Closest Airport)<\/h2>\n

Flying Domestically<\/h3>\n

First thing’s first: getting to Hokkaido.<\/strong> The easiest, quickest and usually cheapest way to get to Hokkaido is to fly.<\/strong> Hokkaido is separated from Japan’s main island of Honshu by the\u00a0Tsugaru Strait,<\/strong> and its only land-link is an underground train tunnel.<\/p>\n

\"IMG_7787\"<\/a>

Hokkaido is a Popular Nature Destination<\/p><\/div>\n

Flying domestically in Japan<\/strong> is straightforward. You can take liquids in your\u00a0hand luggage (although they still need to be scanned outside of your bag), and unlike many other countries, you don’t need to have a passport to fly, just your\u00a0ID and reservation numbers.\u00a0There are usually Chinese, Korean and English displays showing flight information, but\u00a0audio announcements are often only in Japanese. So, If you’re unsure of anything, don’t hesitate to ask someone!<\/p>\n

You can purchase flight tickets online or at various kombinis (convenience stores). Some airlines<\/strong> offer special discounts<\/strong> and bonuses if you book one month in advance. I flew from Haneda Airport (Tokyo)<\/strong> to Memanbetsu<\/strong> with AirDo<\/a>.<\/strong>\u00a0If you live outside of Japan, you can get\u00a0a\u00a0JAL\/ANA \u00a510,800 PASS<\/strong>. \u00a0I, unfortunately (but also fortunately), don’t live outside of Japan, so my flights cost \uffe530,000 for\u00a0the round trip when I purchased the ticket 28 days before my travel (AIRDO SPECIAL 28.) However, there are flights available from Tokyo for less than half of this. You just need to be a little organised and check in advance!<\/p>\n

About Memanbetsu Airport<\/h3>\n

Memanbetsu Airport<\/strong> is small but still has the basics: car rentals, restaurants, gift shops<\/strong> and a convenience store<\/strong>. Please be aware that\u00a0there is no train station at the airport, but there are bus links<\/strong> to and from the nearby towns and cities.<\/p>\n

\"Memanbetsu<\/a>

Memanbetsu Airport (\u5973\u6e80\u5225\u7a7a\u6e2f)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Departures<\/a>

Departures Lounge at Memanbetsu<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Departures\/Area<\/a>

Departures Area with Restaurants and Gift Stores<\/p><\/div>\n

From Tokyo<\/h3>\n

Tokyo’s Haneda airport\u00a0<\/strong>offers good, frequent connections to Memanbetsu. The total flight time from Tokyo is approximately 2 hours.<\/p>\n

From Sapporo<\/h3>\n

Being the capital of Hokkaido<\/strong> and all, it’s probably unsurprising that flights from Sapporo<\/strong>\u00a0(New Chitose Airport<\/strong>) are regular and cheap. The total flight time is less than 1 hour, and you can fly from as little as \uffe55,000.<\/p>\n

From Osaka\/Kyoto<\/h3>\n

Unfortunately, there are no direct flights to\u00a0Memanbetsu from Kansai International<\/strong> or Osaka Itami Airports<\/strong>.\u00a0You will usually have to change at Tokyo or Sapporo<\/strong>.\u00a0The average flight time is around 4 hours including transfers, and the tickets are on the pricier side (\uffe530,000).<\/p>\n

Getting to Koshimizu-cho from Memanbetsu Airport<\/h2>\n

It is possible to take public transport<\/strong> to Koshimizu-cho, although, being such a small town in a remote area<\/strong> of Hokkaido, the public transport links are somewhat limited. To be able to explore the wonderful scenery of Koshimizu and eastern Hokkaido to your heart’s content, I strongly recommend renting a car from Memanbetsu Airport.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A Country Road Leading to Koshimizu-cho<\/p><\/div>\n

By Car\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Pre-requisites<\/h3>\n
If you don’t hold a Japanese licence, you will most likely need an international driving permit<\/strong> to rent a car in Japan. The requirements vary from country-to-country, but these are usually available to purchase at a small fee before you leave for Japan. I got mine in the UK in 2016 and I think it cost around \u00a37 \/ \uffe51,000 with 1 year validity. Get familiar with\u00a0Japan’s road rules\u00a0before you start driving! For American visitors, we\u00a0can tell you all about driving in Japan here<\/a>.<\/div>\n
\"My<\/a><\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n

Renting\u00a0a Car at Memanbetsu<\/h3>\n

As soon as you exit the departures area you will see the car rental<\/strong> stand directly in front of you. There are different companies with rental cars <\/strong>here, but I used Nippon Rent-a-Car, which costs \uffe516,000 for 48 hours between Monday and Wednesday. The collection point for the car is around the corner from the airport, so the rental companies run a\u00a0shuttle service to and from the airport\u00a0as required.<\/p>\n

When you get to the main site, you will be asked\u00a0to confirm your details, to select your preferred\u00a0insurance coverage and finally, to\u00a0make\u00a0your payment. Nippon Rent-a-Car has\u00a0English information<\/strong>\u00a0available and they can even help to set up\u00a0your in car navigation system, ‘my navi’.<\/p>\n

The Journey<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Koshimizu<\/strong> is about 35 km away from Memanbetsu and the journey takes around 45 minutes. It was such a fun experience to drive in Hokkaido because the roads were mostly empty and the scenery was incredible. My last driving experience in Japan was in Tokyo during rush hour, so this\u00a0was even more of a joy!<\/p>\n

\"IMG_2160\"<\/p>\n

At night, the roads are unlit outside of the built-up areas, so take extra care at\u00a0intersections and stop signs (\u6b62\u307e\u308c signs)! Hokkaido receives plenty of snow in the winter but the roads are always cleared, allowing traffic to pass through. However, you should be very careful of your driving if you have never experienced driving in these conditions before. Any roads that could potentially be dangerous\u00a0are usually closed off.<\/p>\n

You can take Route 39 north, and then jump onto Route 246 until Koshimizu-cho.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/a>

A Safe Arrival!<\/p><\/div>\n

By\u00a0Public Transport<\/h2>\n

The average journey time between Memanbetsu Airport<\/strong> and Koshimizu<\/strong>\u00a0is approximately two hours including connections.\u00a0The nearest train station to Koshimizu-cho is Hama-Koshimizu<\/strong> (\u6d5c\u5c0f\u6e05\u6c34), on the JR Semmo Line. However,\u00a0there isn’t a rail connection from Memanbetsu, so you will need to take the Airport Limousine Bus<\/strong> to Abashiri City<\/strong> (\u7db2\u8d70\u5e02) and take a train<\/strong> from there.<\/p>\n

\"Hama-Koshimizu<\/a>

Hama-Koshimizu Station and Michi no Eki (Rest Stop)<\/p><\/div>\n

\"Hama-Koshimizu

Hama-Koshimizu Station<\/p><\/div>\n