Yuumoushin.com (勇猛心)

The marsh (and canoe tour) is a must see spot in Kushiro. I also suggest going to Fisherman’s Wharf, and giving robatayaki (炉辺焼き) a try Robatayaki isn’t something specific to Kushiro, but for me it’s one of the very best ways to enjoy Japanese food.

Robatayaki’s origin leads back to Miyagi Prefecture, city of Sendai. Sendai is the largest city in the Tohoku (northeast) region of Japan, founded in 1,600 by the daimyo Date Masamune. Robatayaki is the original traditional Japanese barbecue cooked in front of customers and served direct, similar to the style of sushi.

I’ve been to a beef robatayaki restaurant before and it was great, but the fish in Kushiro (Hokkaido in general, actually) was superb. The spot Keiko and I went to near the wharf was nice, and the service was really good (the place we went to is Renga).

I recently returned from a trip to Hokkaido (Obihiro, Akanko, and Kushiro). While in Kushiro we took a canoe ride on the river that cuts right through the Kushiro Marsh. To say it was amazing would be an understatment. Below is a shot of our canoe (lower right) taken by the group we chartered to do our tour.

Kushiro Marsh

If you’re planning a trip to Hokkaido and want to check out the river tour, I highly recommend Marsh River.