江差から追分ソーランラインを北へ約13km。珍しい地質の断崖と奇岩が連なる乙部は檜山海岸随一のハイライト。環境省「日本の快水浴場百選」に北海道で唯一選ばれている元和台海浜公園はこの町の自慢である。
OTOBE About 13km north from Esashi on the coastal Oiwake Soran Line (Route 229), Otobe is popular in summer for its beach and that has attractive geographical features and scenic beaches.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Location 13km north of Esashi, 70km northwest of Hakodate
Population 3500
Highlights Gennadai Kaihin Park (summer), Takise Coast
Tourist Information www.town.otobe.lg.jp
01 BEACH
Gennadai Kaihin Park
元和台海浜公園 / Genna / 9am-4.30pm late Jul-late Aug / ¥100
Hokkaido’s most safest and pleasant ocean beach, Gennadai boasts clear water and well-equipped facilities. If you are not swimming, the nearby observation deck offers fantastic ocean views. It is a 5-minute walk from Genna (元和) bus stop.
About 200m north of Genna bus stop, you will find the Michi-no-eki Route 229 Gennadai (道の駅ルート229元和台: 8.30am-6pm Apr-Nov, 9am-4pm Nov-Mar) and the old wooden fisherman’s house Takojima-no-ie (蛸島の家: 9am-5pm mid Jul-late Aug; Free). From the Otobe-so-mae (おとべ荘前) bus stop in front of the michi-no-eki, you can catch a bus again.
02 ONSEN
Otobe Onsen Korinso
乙部温泉光林荘 / Tel 0139-62-3347 / 527-2 Tateura / www.kourinsou.com
Filled with local woods, the modern ryokan Korin-so has Japanese- and Western-style rooms with 100% natural onsen for guests. You can use a private bathroom and adjoining public onsen Ikoi-no-yu (いこいの湯: day bathing 11am-9pm Tue-Sun / ¥400). The Korin-so organises several local tours (free to ¥1000) for guests, such as hiking and park golf (ask for staff).
03 SCENIC COAST
Kuguri-iwa and Takise Coast
くぐり岩と滝瀬海岸(シラフラ) / 341 Takise
Down the road from nearby Takise (滝瀬) bus stop on Route 229, you will find Kuguri-iwa (くぐり岩) hole in the rock on your right. It was drilled for herring fishing in the Edo period. You can go through the hole and walk to the town center along the shallow shoreline.
On the other hand, you can walk south from Kuguri-iwa to the white cliffed Takise Coast (滝瀬海岸: also called Shirafura シラフラ: meaning white sloping land) at low tide in about 15 minutes. The entrance has a small car park.
04 SCENIC VIEWPOINT
Miyanomori Park
宮の森公園 / Moto-machi / 24hrs
On a clear day, you can overlooking the scenic coastline and the fishing port from this hillside park behind the town center.
OTOBE MAP
SUGGESTED ITINERARY
Exploring Otobe’s Scenic Coast
DURATION 2 HOURS | TIMING MAY – OCT
START: Takise bus stop
↓ 5min walk
03 Shirafura Viewpoint
↓ 10min walk
03 Kuguri-iwa
↓ 15min walk
04 Miyanomori Park
↓ 5min walk
Otobe Hachiman Jinja
↓ 20min walk
FINISH: 02 Otobe Onsen Korinso
GETTING THERE
Hakodate Bus Hiyama-Kaigan Line (檜山海岸線) runs from Esashi to Otobe continue to Kumaishi (1hr). Hakodate Bus also does two daily runs between JR Yakumo Station (八雲駅前) and Esashi via Kumaishi and Otobe (1.5hrs).
