When visiting Shiretoko National Park (知床), you’ll need to stay in Utoro (ウトロ) at the entrance of Shiretoko National Park. We had stayed here many years ago on a summer drive through Shiretoko National Park. At that time we went to Kamuiwakkayu Falls (カムイワッカ湯の滝), its a hike where you wade through a stream and climb small waterfalls. As you hike upstream, the water gradually gets warmer. At the top, you bath in a natural hot springs basin at the base of a waterfall (Japanese style). The top portion is now closed, probably for preservation reasons.

In Utoro we stayed at the Shiretoko Grand Hotel Kita-Kobushi (知床グランドホテル北こぶし). From our room in Utoro, we could see the drift ice fill the harbor – however by the next morning the drift ice had drifted back out.

Open air tub in our room…very nice.

Hotel employees saying goodbye to their guests.

We took a walk around Utoro. We came across some scuba divers in dry suits looking for sea angels.

The snow is very dry and light – would be awesome for powder skiing. (Niseko Ski Resort in Hokkaido has some of the best powder)