Fans of kitsch will want to walk a few minutes north of the ferry terminal to see Wakkanai's breakwater, built in 1936 to look like a straightened version of the Colosseum in Rome.
Lonely Planet's must-see attractions
21.83 MILES
Part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, these marshlands are 40km southwest of Wakkanai. Fields of wild flowers bloom here in summer, which can be…
0.83 MILES
About a 10-minute walk south of JR Wakkanai Station, this complex has restaurants, souvenir shops and the Minato-no-yu Onsen. It's designed to evoke the…
14.36 MILES
Thirty kilometres east of Wakkanai, Sōya-misaki is mainland Japan's northernmost point, where walkers and cyclists traversing the full length of Japan…
2.6 MILES
The second most northern point in mainland Japan, this cape is a pleasant walk (45 minutes) or bike ride (6km, 20 minutes) north of town. On the way, look…
0.85 MILES
Wakkanai's best public onsen has outdoor baths that look over the harbour, and funky boat-shaped stairs for those who opt out of taking the elevator.
Nearby Hokkaidō attractions
0.83 MILES
About a 10-minute walk south of JR Wakkanai Station, this complex has restaurants, souvenir shops and the Minato-no-yu Onsen. It's designed to evoke the…
0.85 MILES
Wakkanai's best public onsen has outdoor baths that look over the harbour, and funky boat-shaped stairs for those who opt out of taking the elevator.
2.6 MILES
The second most northern point in mainland Japan, this cape is a pleasant walk (45 minutes) or bike ride (6km, 20 minutes) north of town. On the way, look…
14.36 MILES
Thirty kilometres east of Wakkanai, Sōya-misaki is mainland Japan's northernmost point, where walkers and cyclists traversing the full length of Japan…
21.83 MILES
Part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park, these marshlands are 40km southwest of Wakkanai. Fields of wild flowers bloom here in summer, which can be…