JR Nemuro Line’s last section, often called the JR Hanasaki Line (花咲線), affording scenic views of the peaceful waterside and rustic dairy farms. Traveling this 135km route is a perfect for birdwatching, wildlife cruising, footpath hiking and dining on fresh seafood. Nemuro makes a fulfilling day trip from Kushiro.
THE ROUTE
DISTANCE: 135.4km
ORDINARY FARE: ¥2860 (Valid for 2-day)
TRAINS
RAPID
▶︎ HANASAKI ● NOSAPPU Kushiro – Nemuro
DURATION 2hrs 10min // MAJOR STOPS Kushiro ● Higashi-Kushiro ● Akkeshi ● Chanai ● Hamanaka ● All stations Attoko – Nemuro
LOCAL (Series)
▶︎ DC 40 Kushiro – Akkeshi
▶︎ DC 54 Kushiro – Nemuro
STATIONS & STOPOVERS
LEGEND ⬇︎︎ Route Info // ☆ Attractions // ♨︎ Onsen // ☞ Transfer
KUSHIRO TO AKKESHI
⬇︎︎ 0km
Kushiro 釧路
Kushiro is Eastern Hokkaido’s largest port town and one of Japan’s premier fishing bases facing the Pacific Ocean. Summer is often cool and grey, but a foggy night on the river bank is fantastic. A wide variety of tasty seafood and sushi fascinates many travelers.
☞ JR Nemuro Line (for Sapporo) ● JR Senmo Line (for Abashiri) ● Tsurui (1hr 6min) ● Akan-ko (2hrs) ● Rausu (3hrs 40min)
☆ Nusamai-bashi (1km) Hokkaido’s most well-known bridge across Kushiro-gawa.
☆ Kushiro Fisherman’s Wharf MOO (1km) Striking shopping complex designed by Mozuna Kiko.
☆ Harutori-ko (2.8km) A 36-hectare brackish lake.
◎ POP Kushiro-shi 165,000
⬇︎︎ 2.9km
Higashi-Kushiro 東釧路
☞ JR Senmo Line (for Abashiri)
⬇︎︎ 4.1km Musa 武佐
⬇︎︎ 8.6km
Beppo 別保
◎ POP Kushiro-cho 19,000
⬇︎︎ The line passes through the deep forest among the hills. Look out for wild deer (ezo-shika).
⬇︎︎ 23.3km Kami-Oboro 上尾幌
⬇︎︎ 32.5km Oboro 尾幌
⬇︎︎ 41.7km Monshizu 門静
⬇︎︎ From Monshizu there are sweeping views of the Akkeshi Bay on the right.
⬇︎︎ 46.6km
Akkeshi 厚岸
Akkeshi is actually the oldest port in Eastern Hokkaido, the Matsumae clan established a trading post in the 1600s. The town is set on a pleasant gulf coast leading to the brackish lake Akkeshi-ko, best-known for both its tasty kaki (oyster) and asari (clam).
☆ Akkeshi Conchiglie (0.3km) Hilltop roadside station overlooking the Akkeshi Bay.
☆ Akkeshi-ohashi (1.5km) The town’s iconic bridge over the bay.
☆ Kokutai-ji (3.8km) Eastern Hokkaido’s oldest temple established in 1804 by the Edo shogunate.
☆ Akkeshi Waterfowl Observation Center (5.7km)
◎ POP Akkeshi-cho 9000
AKKESHI TO NEMURO
⬇︎︎ Soon after Akkeshi, the train follows the beautiful shoreline of the brackish lake Akkeshi-ko continue to the Bekanbeushi-gawa river on the wetland.
⬇︎︎ 57.2km Itoizawa 糸魚沢
⬇︎︎ 73.8km
Chanai 茶内
About 10km south of JR Chanai Station, the foggy town center of Kiritappu (Hamanaka) sits on the tied island with two scenic capes. The poetic natural landscapes and fishing villages fascinate travelers. Kiritappu Shitsugen is full of wildflowers from June to July.
☞ ♨︎ Kiritappu Onsen Yuyu (30min)
☆ Kiritappu Wetland Center (6.3km) Overlooking the 3168-hectare coastal wetland.
☆ Azechi-no-misaki (13.5km) There is a picturesque view over the Biwase Bay.
☆ Kiritappu-misaki (16km) At the eastern end of Kiritappu’s tied island.
◎ POP Hamanaka-cho 5600
⬇︎︎ 83.9km Anebetsu 姉別
⬇︎︎ 90.5km
Attoko 厚床
On the western edge of Nemuro, Attoko is a starting point of the circumference footpath passes through the forest and pleasant pastures. From the train station, buses run to Nakashibetsu and Furen-ko.
☞ Nakashibetsu (1hr 20min) via Betsukai (43min)
☆ Attoko Path A 5km walk between the train station and Akesato-Ito Farm past the grassy hills.
⬇︎︎ 106.1km Bettoga 別当賀
⬇︎︎ A few kilometers after Bettoga, the train runs on the grassy coastal hills.
⬇︎︎ 116.4km
Ochiishi 落石
Ochiishi has two scenic footpaths: head east to Hamamatsu Coast and head west to the flat cape Ochiishi-misaki.
☆ Hamamatsu Path From the train station this 8km footpath loop through the coastal hills.
☆ Ochiishi-misaki (6km) At the southern tip of Nemuro is this scenic cape looking over the ocean.
⬇︎︎ 120.4km Konbumori 昆布盛
⬇︎︎ 125.2km Nishi-Wada 西和田
⬇︎︎ 133.9km
Higashi-Nemuro 東根室
One stop before the terminus, Higashi-Nemuro is Japan’s easternmost train station with two monuments.
☆ Meiji Park (1.4km) Has three red brick silos dating from 1932.
⬇︎︎ 135.4km
Nemuro 根室
Japan’s most eastern mainland city, Nemuro is in the closest position to the 1150km-long Chishima Islands that stretches from Eastern Hokkaido to Kamchatka. Nature-rich, the 60km-long Nemuro Peninsula is a perfect place for birdwatching, wildlife cruising, footpath hiking and dining on fresh seafood.
☞ Nosappu-misaki (44min) Mainland Japan’s easternmost point.
☆ Nemuro History and Nature Museum (5km) Once use as a naval communications corps.
☆ Shunkunitai (12km) A 8km-long scenic sandbank separates the Nemuro Bay and Furen-ko.
◎ POP Nemuro-shi 24,000
Home › Transport › Hokkaido Train Trips › Kushiro to Nemuro on the JR Hanasaki Line
