After the residents had left the island, it had been closed to the public for several decades. However, a newly constructed boat dock has made it possible for sightseeing tour boats to land on the island since 2009. As a result, a lot of tourists visit Gunkanjima by boats from Nagasaki port.

The tourists can walk along the safe path in a group and see abandoned buildings with tour guides (only Japanese). Some buildings are the oldest reinforced concrete architecture in Japan. Therefore, tours do not involve getting too close because of the risk of collapse.

“The scenery you could see may change several years later. The old buildings might completely collapse”, the guide said.

Information

🚢 Tours Multiple companies operate boat tours to Gunkanjima. Gunkanjima Concierge / Yamasa Shipping / Gunkanjima Cruise

🤑 Fee Around ¥4,000 / adult (*some tours offer a discount for early booking or online booking)

I hope this article will help your trip. Thanks for reading 😆

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The Glover Garden, which has 4 of the oldest Western-style Japanese houses, remains in the area previously known as the foreign settlement and has been open to worldwide visitors since 2015.

The garden is located on the peaceful hill of Yamate in Nagasaki city, so you have to walk in the sloping street to get there (By the way, Nagasaki is famous for being a slopping city. You can see many Japanese-style houses being built on the steep).

In the garden, you can enjoy the atmosphere of Japan’s Meiji period — it was the 1800s and Japanese people started merging Western culture into their own culture.

Therefore, the former residences that remain in the garden are basically Japanese wooden architecture, but some of them were partly built with stones. They have mixed Japanese and Western features.

Information

🕘 Opening hours 8 am - 6 pm (*open until night in the summer season and the end of the year)

🤑 Fee ¥620 / Adult (*students and children are much cheaper)

The garden’s highlight is the mix-styled architecture, but I felt the view from the garden was brilliant as well. You can enjoy the magnificent scenery of Nagasaki port with the Inasayama mountains. In addition, drinking with this view was also excellent. You can buy drinks and snacks at the small cafe.

I hope this article will help your trip. Thanks for reading 😆

The falls are fed by groundwater, which surfaces just at the top of them, meaning there is no visible river. As a result, the water flow is delicate and seems like a girl weeping. This is because the falls are called “Furepe,” which means “maiden’s tears” in the indigenous word of this area. The Furepe Falls are not fully energetic, but you can find them beautiful and modest.

The Furepe Falls are impressive, but the path to get there is excellent as well. You can walk through forests and grasslands and see the Shiretoko mountains and flowers. With luck, you may see wild deer. If you want to enjoy this fresh greenery, the best season to visit there is in the summer. However, climate changes quickly, so I recommend you bring rain gear, along with a hat and a bottle of water.

Getting there and around

🛫Airports and 🚌Buses

If you arrive at Memanbetsu airport, you can get on “Shari bus” to go to Shiretoko Utoro where is an entrance to the World Natural Heritage Site. It has different timetables depending on the season. You should check it on the Shari bus’s website.

Next, you can get on another “Shari bus” in Shiretoko Utoro to go to the Furepe Falls (The bus stop is the Shiretoko National Nature Center). This local bus’s timetable changes every season. You should check it on the Shari bus’s website as well.

🏛️ Nature Center

The Shiretoko National Nature Center is the starting and ending point for taking a stroll to the Furepe Falls. There are some displays introducing vegetation and wild animals in Shiretoko, a clothing shop, and a cafe. You can learn about nature and purchase a hat or rainwear before walking. If you are thirsty after walking, you can buy various drinks at a cafe. My recommendation is a yogurt smoothie with berries.

I hope this article will help your stroll. Thanks for reading 😆

The best season for strolling is in summer, but some people enjoy walking through this snowy forest in winter with guides (You cannot walk without guides only in winter). This place has different magnificent views in two opposite seasons.

I highly recommend visiting there in the summer. It is sometimes foggy, but the temperature is perfect. You can walk through the forest basking in the negative ions and stay away from something annoying in your daily routines. Furthermore, you can find another side of Japan that is not the hustle and bustle atmosphere such as the capital of Tokyo.

Shiretoko is known as one of the hidden areas in Japan because people cannot access there quickly and easily. You need to get on a plane, a train, and a bus to reach just an entry point of the Shiretoko national park. Those transportation do not run often, so you should confirm the timetables and try to plan carefully.

Getting there and around

🛫 Airports and 🚌Buses

If you arrive at Memanbetsu airport, you can get on “Shari bus” to go to Shiretoko Utoro where is an entrance to the national park. It has different timetables depending on the season. You should check it on the Shari bus’s website.

If you arrive at Nakashibetsu airport, which I think this case is rarer, you could get on “Akan bus.” This bus can reach Shiretoko Utoro as well. However, you must reserve a ticket in advance via the Akan bus’s website (Japanese only). One advantage of this route is that you can visit another hidden spot “Notsuke Peninsula” because the bus stops by this place for sightseeing.

After arriving at Shiretoko Utoro, you can get on another “Shari bus” to go to the final destination, the Shiretoko Five Lakes. This local bus’s timetable changes every season. You should check it on the Shari bus’s website as well.

🏛️ Field House

You have to take a short lecture in the field house located in front of the five lakes before entering the pathways. These beautiful lakes are the best to find nature power and to get relaxed, but you may get close to bears during trails. In the short lecture, guides give you tips in order to avoid encountering them. You can check the lecture schedule on the Shiretoko Five Lakes’ website.

I hope this article will help your stroll. Thanks for reading 😆