Abashiri Getting there & around

Getting there & away

Memanbetsu airport links Abashiri with Sapporo, Fukuoka, Nagoya, Osaka and Tokyo. Airport buses (¥750, 30 minutes) are approximately timed to flights and run from the bus station via Abashiri station (they’re about 1km apart) to the airport.

Abashiri is the terminus for the JR Sekihoku main line, which runs across the centre of Hokkaidō to Asahikawa (tokkyū ¥7750, 3¾ hours). Local trains run along the same route and stop at Bihoro (¥530, 30 minutes) and Kitami (¥1040, 50 minutes). From May to October there are up to three buses a day from Bihoro to Kawayu Onsen in Akan National Park (¥1920, about 2½ hours). From Kitami you can catch buses to towns near Daisetsuzan National Park (¥2500, two hours).

Abashiri is the terminus for the JR Senmō main line, which runs east to Shiretoko-Shari station and then south to Kushiro. One direct bus daily links Abashiri and Shari (¥1120, 65 minutes).

Direct buses from Abashiri to Sapporo (¥6210, six hours) leave from the bus terminal, a 10-minute ride east of Abashiri station. Between June and mid-October there are three buses from Memanbetsu airport via Abashiri to Utoro in Shiretoko National Park (¥3000, 2½ hours).

Hiring a car may be the best option for those who want to get to the more remote sections of Shiretoko-hantō or Akan. Car-rental agencies such as JR Hokkaido Rent a Lease (; 43-6197; car hire per day from ¥6000; 8am-6pm Jan-Apr & Nov-Dec, 8am-8pm May-Oct) are located near the station, and you will need a valid International Driving Permit.

A ¥900 ticket gives all-day entry on a tourist-loop bus which stops at many of the major sites, including the museums (not the coral grass), as well as the bus and train terminals. Bikes may also be hired from JR Hokkaido Rent a Lease (; 43-6197; bike rental per hr ¥500; 8am-6pm Jan-Apr & Nov-Dec, 8am-8pm May-Oct), right in front of the station, though you should make sure the tyres have been inflated well if you’re heading up Tento-zan or out to the coral grass areas.