[2025 Shari District Attraction] Travel Guide for Shiretoko Goko National Park (Updated May)

The charm of Shiretoko! Shiretoko in Hokkaido is just amazing nature! It's surrounded by incredibly beautiful scenery, and the air is great. What's more, this is where brown bears live, and if you're lucky, you might even see them! It's like a "theme park of nature" where you can meet wild animals. ⸻ Why Shiretoko is Amazing! Shiretoko in Hokkaido is all about wild, untouched nature! You'll be blown away by the stunning scenery and super fresh air. It's also home to wild brown bears, and if you're lucky, you might even spot one! It's like a giant nature park where you can really feel the power of the wild.

📍8:30 AM: Woke up for breakfast. The buffet offered a wide variety of dishes, some of which were freshly prepared by the chef. The presentation was nice, and the food tasted good. The window seats offered a sea view. 📍This afternoon, I had a reservation for an ARPA Shiretoko Five Lakes hike. After checking out at 11:00 AM, I tried calling ARPA, but no one answered. As per the email instructions, I walked to the Shiretoko Monsoon Club Hotel, where I would be staying tonight, to meet them. Although it was only a ten-minute walk, dragging my suitcase through the snow was quite difficult. Thankfully, a kind stranger offered me a ride. 📍12:40 PM: The ARPA guide picked us up from the hotel lobby and drove us to the Five Lakes. It turned out that they waited for all the cars to arrive before opening the gate. At 1:30 PM, after putting on our snowshoes, we set off. Each guide was followed by a line of "ducklings," and we entered the area in separate groups. On the way from the fifth lake to the first lake, we saw bear footprints and the entire lake surface covered in snow. We slid down a snowy slope and drank the tea the guide brought. It was my first time seeing such thick snow in a forest. If I wasn't careful, my legs would sink in. As we progressed, the wind and snow intensified, and the guide quickly changed our route. It's a little disappointing that we didn't see any animals. Although the entire hike only lasted 2 hours, my legs felt heavy. 📍After returning to the hotel and resting, we had dinner at 6:00 PM. Unfortunately, we didn't see the sunset due to the weather. We booked a two-night stay with two meals included. We went to the restaurant for breakfast and dinner at pre-selected times. Each meal was different. The first night was tempura. The ingredients were fresh, the tableware was cute, and the ice cream after dinner was delicious! We had reserved the outdoor bath in the small courtyard for 50 minutes after dinner. I loved it! There was a small hiccup during check-in. Because I didn't pay attention when booking, I chose two different room types for the two nights. The young lady at the front desk and her grandmother very enthusiastically tried to communicate with me. Due to my lack of Japanese and not wanting to trouble them, I had already given up. After dinner, the person in charge called us over and told us that they had changed our booking to the same room for both nights. I was so grateful. The grandparents and young ladies greeted us every day. On the second night, the air conditioner in our room broke down. The owners tried to fix it for a long time, but when they couldn't, they quickly brought us a heater. It was so warm. There was a homemade hotel guide and several magazines about Shiretoko in the room. One of them featured photos of local shop owners in Utoro with their storefronts. It was a meaningful local publication.

We completed the beautiful Shiretoko Five Lakes morning hike with a guide and was blessed with great weather and sceneries. We did not spot any bear 🐻 but saw 2 wild swans 🦢 🦢 and some deers 🦌. The hike is about 3km, and it’s a fairly easy hike. However, the park conditions changes according to weather and seasons and it is safer to go with a guide as there are chances to meet brown bears who call the National park their home. The guide also provide educational info about the flora and fauna in the park in addition to the geology of the park. #travel #hokkaido #Shiretoko