Welcome to
　　　　Hokkaido Okhotsk
　We call this kind of blue Okhotsk blue for the sea and sky.
　The northern island is alive with clear air and the fresh wind.
　The Okhotsk Tourist area is located in the north-east part of Hokkaido and lies between 44°30’and 45°30' north latitude and between 143°and 145°east longitude. It faces the Sea of Okhotsk,and is filled with seasonal wonders.
　In summer the temperature sometimes goes up to 35℃ but　humidity is so low that it is very comfortable for holidays. People come for bathing,shell collecting and so on. Since there are no high mountains in this area,you will enjoy an open plain and colorful wild-flowers in the meadows. Whereas during the winter when drift ice from Amur surges,it changes the world to silent and silver. But people here suppose the drift ice as a poetic charm of winter and enjoy the severe winter by holding events such as The Drift Ice Festival , “Ryuhyou matsuri".The former inhabitants thought of it as a southern end of oasis that Ryuhyou arrives,and still today our livelihood is based on as it was then , fishery and agriculture.Most of the place names in Hokkaido came from the Ainu Language.Our special places in the Okhotsk have origins in the history of the Ainu as werll.

"Okhotsk"is the name of the north-eastern region of Hokkaido.which consists of the 19 municipalities of the Abashiri Region.

THE FOUR SEASONS OF OKHOTSK
　The Mizubasyou, skunk cabbage, heralds spring in Okhotsk.
　Summer is decorated with thousands of colorful flowers.
　In Fall,mountains and plans are turned into a burning red blanket .
　Then silent white winter comes after.
　All of nature forms the energetic symphony that is here in the Okhotsk Tourist area.
SPRING
 Mizubasho(skunk cabbage)
　The spring begins in Okhotsk in April when the drift ice recedes and the snow begins to thaw. Adnis comes out in the remaining snow and 　　　Mizubasho(skunk cabbage)blooms white at the Abashiri lakeside.
　Spring in Okhotsk has arrived. On the hills of Higashimokoto or in 　　　Ttakinoue,Shiba-zakura(flox)colors the ground with small pink flowers. In Onneyu spa,Ezo-purple azalea start blooming all at once as if they are having a race.

Ezo-purple azalea

tulip
SUMMER

　In early summer as the leaves turn green and the sky is
clear and deep blue all of the flowers in Kosimizu-Gensei-Kaen and Wakka-Gensei-Kaen start to bloom.This is the
beginning of the symphony of another Okhotsk summer. The season for escaping to the outdoors begins.
　The AUTO-camp site in Sanrihama-Kogen camp in
Yubetsu(where the sand-bar separates the sea of Okhotsk
from Lake Saroma).　Kimuaneppu camp site are open and
ready to welcome thousands of campers to the Okhotsk area. The campsites mentioned above are only four of the many camping facilities available in the area.




（Kosimizu-Gensei-Kaen)
ＥＺＯ-ＳＵＫＡＳＨＩ-ＹＵＲＩ
（Ｅｚｏ-ｓｕｋａｓｈｉ-liles）
　
　The name comes from the transparency of the petals． The flower grows in colorful bunches along the coast producing deep vermillion Petals．Other flowers in− Clude Ezo−Zenteika（or Ezo−Kanzo），Himeougi−Ayame （Sweet flags）that bloom at the same time offering wonderful bursts of color and variation．
HAMANASU
(Wild roses)
　This floweris chosen as the state flowe rof Hokkaido and blooms in early summer．
　It is a beautiful pale rouge in color，called Latifoliate，Rose family		SENDAI HAGI
(Sendai-bush clover)
　The bush clover grows along the lake shore and along the Okhotsk coast． In early summer，the bush clover has deep yellow flowers shaped like butterflies．
　When in full bloom you see them as if thousands of butterflies are dancing．
AUTUMN
　Fall in Okhotsk is a season of blazing red leaves．Late in September woods begin changing their　color　and　latifoliate trees change to red．At lake−side in Notoro or at the Coral Cape，Sango−so（coral grass） spreads like a red carpet．And the harvest season comes reflected in gold．

sango−so（Coral grass）
　In September when the autumn wind moves across the mountains，red carpets with coral grass are spread over the wetland of Sango−
Cape on the west bank of lake Saroma．
WINTER
　Swans are the messengers of winter in Okhotsk． When they come，snow starts falling and Okhotsk is ready for winter. Drift ice surges across the sea of Okhotsk at the end ofJanualy　and everything is completely buried in snow．
　The winter season，therefore，is full of excitement with the Drift Ice Festival and sightseelng boats by Ice breaking boat in Mombetsu．
　The Okhotsk area offers many exciting sports from snow mobiles，para−sailing to ATV raclng on Lake Saroma(which is the Largest frozen lake in Japan）．
　A lOO KM cross country skiing course，bloom ball，and ice skating are also planned to add to yor winter spots experiences．
DRIFT ICE(Ryu-hyo)
　Drift Ice，after　all，represents the winter in Okhotsk and the sea of Okhotsk． The ground is covered with sparkling snow and ice．This ice fomed near the mouth of the Amur is carried by current and wind and then rolls onto the coast．In the first stage it is just like sherebet ice cream，then it gradually grows into a hard mass during its long journey．Drift ice varies in its shape due to the effects of wind and tide．The final forms are strange and magnificent presentations of art made by the hand of nature．
　To experience this gift given by nature Ryuhyo tours are offered by Ice breaking boat in Mombetsu and Abashiri・
　 In Mombetsu the GARINKO−GO breaks through the ice surface with 4 huge drills and runs from the beginning of February． In Abashiri the AURORA−GO is a similar ship that takes passengers from the middle of January．


(AURORA-GO:Abashiri-City)


(GARINKO-GO:Monbetsu-City)

AMUSEMENT IN WINTER
DRIFT ICE FESTIVAL
　The Drift Ice 〈inAbashiri， Mombetsu）
　The most exciting events in winter in Okhotsk are the Drift Ice festivals in Abashiri and Mombetsu or the Winter festivalsin many other cities． At night the ice sculptures are illuminated by cocktail lights and are beautifully contrasted against the night sky at the beginning of February．　		　Thousands of people visit Mombetsu and Abashiri for a glimpse of the ice culptures．


 		SHIRETOKO FANTASIA
　In the northern night sky you see vivid lightning like an aurora created with lasers on the drift ice stage． The Shirtoko Fanasia is held on the ice in February every year．


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