{"id":72591,"date":"2020-12-03T10:00:00","date_gmt":"2020-12-03T01:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/?p=72591"},"modified":"2020-12-10T11:47:58","modified_gmt":"2020-12-10T02:47:58","slug":"hokkaido-rebun-island","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/voyapon.com\/hokkaido-rebun-island\/","title":{"rendered":"An Unexpected Stay on Hokkaido’s Rebun Island"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

\u201cCanceled?\u201d I asked, looking out to the blue skies across our coast-side hotel breakfast. It seemed unlikely, but our boat \u2014 along with others that day \u2014  was indeed cancelled. I feigned disappointment as the high tides were blamed, and my mind immediately wandered to the possibility of more hiking<\/strong>. Two hours later, I was perched atop a cliffside viewpoint, surrounded by the sea and secretly hoping the boats would never return. Rebun<\/strong> (\u793c\u6587\u5cf6, Rebunt\u014d) was far from a deserted island, but I couldn\u2019t think of a better place to play castaway for an extra day<\/strong>. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Japan\u2019s northernmost remote island<\/strong> of Hokkaido<\/strong><\/a>, Rebun, is known as the floating flower island<\/strong> and takes its name from the indigenous Ainu of \u2018repun-sir\u2019 which means offshore island. Thanks to the cold westerly winds and long separation from the mainland, it has cultivated a unique grassland and alpine flowers ecosystem<\/strong>. Using the seven protected walking trails, visitors can explore on foot <\/strong>\u2014 rewarded with breath-taking views of rocky coastlines, rolling hills, and distant islands. Home to a vibrant community, the island is by no means empty. From ramen in a busy local restaurant to towering sundaes in contemporary cafes, you\u2019ll be surprised at what the island has in wait at the end of the walking trails. <\/p>\n\n\n\n