Shiretoko National Park is Japan’s easternmost national park. It is the northern part of Hokkaido’s Shiretoko peninsula and points like a finger up to Russia’s Kamchatka peninsula. The park is the closest land point you can get to large disputed islands called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kurils in Russia. You can see Kunashiri Island from the eastern side of the park. There are roads running up the east and west sides of the peninsula into the park and the Shiretoko Highway transverses the peninsula in the park, but the majority of the park is only accessible by hiking or by boat. There are, however, plenty of natural exhibits along the highway and in the Utoro area in the west and the Rausu area in the east. It is said that there are more Japanese black bears per area in the park than in any other part of Japan and for those who go hiking, there are warning signs at every nature center and trail head showing where the latest bear sightings have been. In the winter, the central part of the park, including the Shiretoko Highway, are closed due to heavy snowfalls. Utoro and Rausu remain open, and Siberian ice floes are often sighted outside the harbors at each town. I recommend a late summer or early self-driving trip, as there is much to see along the roads in the park. Visited 9/23/2017.

Shiretoko National Park is a World Heritage. Drove round here and you can chance upon spotted deers and red foxes on the road. Apparently, there has also been sightings of the brown bears. All of these are native to Shiretoko. Take the cruise to have a leisurely view of the park from the waters.

We were enchanted with the guided walking tour around the five lakes in Shiretoko. We needed the guide because the brown bears had just emerged from hibernation. We didn't see any in the Park, but there were breath-taking views at every turn, and plenty of deer and some birds of prey. It is all so well preserved and, in a word, natural.