[Winter in Abashiri Complete Guide] Drift Ice, Activities, and Exquisite Gourmet Cuisine Only Possible in Abashiri’s Hokkaido Winter

Memanbetsu Airport has flights from Tokyo and Sapporo.
It’s about 1 hour 45 minutes from Haneda Airport to Memanbetsu Airport, and about 50 minutes from New Chitose Airport or Sapporo Okadama Airport to Memanbetsu Airport.
From Memanbetsu Airport, it’s roughly a 30-minute ride to central Abashiri by the Airport Liner bus.

If you want to enjoy the scenery from the window at a leisurely pace, rail travel is also recommended.
Using the limited express train, it’s about 5 hours 30 minutes from JR Sapporo Station and about 3 hours 50 minutes from JR Asahikawa Station to JR Abashiri Station.

The trip from Sapporo Station to Abashiri Station via express bus takes about 6 hours.

When speaking of winter in Abashiri, nothing is as iconic as the grand scene of the Sea of Okhotsk filled with drift ice.
Ice up to about 50 centimeters thick blankets the sea, and at times ice chunks as large as a sports field drift by.

You can directly sense the sound and impact of ice being crushed by boarding the Aurora, a sightseeting icebreaker that plows powerfully through the drift ice.
If you’re lucky, you might spot seals lounging on the ice or steller’s sea eagles searching for prey.

Take a ride on the Ryuhyo Monogatari Train, a sightseeing train wrapped in designs evoking Abashiri’s natural beauty, traveling between Abashiri Station and Shiretoko-Shari Station.
As you sway gently along, you can gaze at the Sea of Okhotsk, completely covered in drift ice.

The Ryuhyo Monogatari Train offers both unreserved and reserved seats. The table-equipped box seats on the sea-facing side require a reserved-seat ticket.
For unreserved seats, a regular train ticket is enough; for reserved seats, you need both a train ticket and a reserved-seat ticket. Reserved-seat tickets can be purchased at Abashiri Station, major JR stations nationwide, or through the online reservation service “Eki-net.”

After waving goodbye to those who came to see you off on the platform, the train departs.
As the train gently rocks, you’ll catch sight of the Sea of Okhotsk outside the window.

The contrast of the bright blue sea, the pale sky, and the white drift ice is so beautiful that it soothes the spirit.
Because the drift ice is carried by the currents, its size and density vary not just by season but also by location.
As the train moves on, the once-sparse drift ice grows steadily thicker.

This ice forms about 1000 kilometers away in the Amur River basin of Russia and very slowly makes its way south, freezing the low-salinity seawater as it drifts.
When departing from Abashiri Station, the Ryuhyo Monogatari Train stops for 10 minutes at Kitahama Station; when departing from Shiretoko-Shari Station, it stops for 20 minutes at Hamakoshimizu Station.
From both stations, you can see the Sea of Okhotsk from the platform or a nearby observation point.
Be careful not to become so engrossed in the view that the train leaves without you.

Get off at Kitahama Station and watch the Ryuhyo Monogatari Train depart.
Kitahama Station is famous as the station closest to the Sea of Okhotsk. Right beyond the tracks lies the beach, and when the drift ice comes ashore, you sometimes can’t even tell where land ends and sea begins.

On clear days, you can see the Shiretoko Mountain Range, a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site, from Kitahama Station.
Overlooking the white Sea of Okhotsk and the Shiretoko Mountains, it is a must-see winter spot in Abashiri.

The restaurant Teishaba, attached to Kitahama Station, serves signature hamburg steaks and Okhotsk ramen loaded with seafood.
Enjoying a meal there while gazing at the Sea of Okhotsk makes for a pleasant break.

Kitahama Station is also noteworthy for its striking station house interior.
Used tickets and business cards are plastered all over the walls and even on the ceiling.
It’s said this custom dates back to the Japanese National Railways era, starting when travelers who visited Kitahama Station left their tickets as a souvenir.
If you want to post your business card or similar memento, bring pushpins or tape.

After taking in the station house and platform views, head to the observatory next to Kitahama Station.
From that higher vantage point, what looked like a pure white snowy field from below reveals itself as thousands of individual ice pieces stretching out to the horizon.

A fat bike is a bicycle with tires about 10 centimeters thick, allowing stable riding on snow or sand.
The Abashiri Tourist Association runs fat bike tours, offering a Cape Notoro Course from the Michi-no-Eki station to Cape Notoro and a Coastline Course that follows the seaside.

After a lesson on how to ride from your guide, you set off on a fat bike tour.
The exhilaration of experiencing Abashiri’s great outdoors with your whole body is beyond imagination. Surrounded by beautiful scenery and crisp air, you can’t help but take a deep breath.

You feel the cold Hokkaido wind, pause to admire breathtaking sights, and move at your own pace—few activities let you savor Abashiri’s winter so freely.

Because the wind in Abashiri is very cold, be sure to protect yourself with gloves, a scarf, and earmuffs.

Cape Notoro juts out into the Sea of Okhotsk and is the earliest spot in Abashiri to see drift ice.
With the Sea of Okhotsk before your eyes, you can also view Lake Notoro and the Tokoro coastline to the west, as well as the Shiretoko Mountains to the east, making it a spectacular lookout.

There’s nothing but the lighthouse at Cape Notoro, so it’s incredibly open and offers an unobstructed view.
On windy days, the cold might pierce right through you, but the breathtaking scene makes you forget the chill.

As it’s the earliest place in Abashiri to see drift ice, the density seems even higher than at Kitahama Station.
In February, the ice appears snowy white, but by March, it becomes slightly compressed and shifts to a bluish tint.
Learning how the drift ice changes color with the season can make you want to visit time and again.

At twilight, the sunset over Lake Notoro bathes the sky and sea in orange, creating an unforgettable spectacle.

If you’re traveling to Abashiri in winter, be sure to enjoy snow-country activities.
Lake Abashiri offers an easy smelt fishing experience with no need to bring your own gear.
You can rent everything—fishing rods, bait, and chairs—so there’s no problem if you have nothing with you.

After signing in, staff members drill holes in the ice for each person. All you have to do is drop your baited line into one of the holes, move the rod lightly up and down, and reel in if you feel a small tug.

With an annual smelt haul of 200–300 tons, Lake Abashiri is among the top producers in Hokkaido, so even first-timers can enjoy fishing without special techniques.

If you’re worried about the cold or if it’s very windy, renting a tent is recommended.
The key to enjoying smelt fishing is keeping warm, so if you have any doubts about the cold, rent a tent to stay fully prepared.

While I was fishing, a steller’s sea eagle, a protected species, soared lazily overhead.
Looking toward the nearby hills, I suddenly locked eyes with two Yezo Deer.
Encountering wildlife so naturally and experiencing Hokkaido’s richness is something unique to Lake Abashiri.

You can also have your catch cooked as tempura, which is a big plus.
Fresh smelt straight from Lake Abashiri has very little odor, and once coated in batter and fried crisp, it’s especially delicious.

Its bones are soft, and the fluffy texture is so surprising that people often exclaim, “This is nothing like the smelt I’ve had before!”
Be sure to try these freshly caught, freshly fried smelt raised in the nutrient-rich Lake Abashiri.

For decades since its launch in 1939, the “Kanimeshi” from Moriya Shoten inside Abashiri Station has been a beloved ekiben (station box lunch).
It’s topped with generous helpings of local crab meat simmered in local soy sauce, enough to make your mouth water just thinking about it.
Once you open the still-warm box, the delicate aroma of crab and kelp rises gently.

Looking out over Abashiri’s sea while enjoying a luxurious dish of crab caught right there is about as Hokkaido as it gets.
The seasoning is mild, enhancing the natural flavor of the crab.
The rice, steamed with crab essence, also carries a subtle crab fragrance that makes it all the more satisfying.

Some seats on the Ryuhyo Monogatari Train have tables where you can eat, so you can savor the still-warm kanimeshi as the refined scent of crab and kelp envelops you.

When you’re in Hokkaido, a major dairy producer, you can’t leave without trying top-tier gelato.
At the Abashiri gelateria Rimo, the owner-chef, who won an international gelato competition, uses 100% fresh Abashiri milk to craft a product of uncompromising quality.

Their No. 1 bestseller, “Pistachio,” is roasted the same day to maximize its aroma.
As soon as you taste it, an incredibly rich, fragrant flavor spreads, making you fall in love in just one bite. The Hokkaido-exclusive flavor “Ibara” fuses roasted crab shells from Abashiri’s golden king crabs with deeply roasted pistachios, creating a one-of-a-kind experience.
First, you sense the mild sweetness of milk and the nutty warmth of pistachios; as it melts, the crab’s mellow flavor wafts through your nose.

Developed based on “food pairing theory,” Rimo’s gelato combines ingredients that share aromatic traits.
For Ibara, they use vodka infused with the scents of crab, pistachio, and pepper, which share a common thread.
When roasting pistachios, they adjust to match the crab’s roast level, achieving a perfectly harmonious flavor.

Rimo’s gelato changes taste and aroma at each stage: the moment it enters your mouth, as it begins to melt, and after it has fully melted.
It’s a sublime experience that feels like a journey in itself. Don’t miss the chance to try this extraordinary gelato.

After reveling in the snowy landscape, raise a toast at Jokisen, an old-style izakaya frequented by locals.
A bright red lantern hangs at the entrance, and when you step inside, the warm master welcomes you with a hearty “Irasshai!”

The master’s unique procurement routes ensure top-notch freshness for the seafood.
In particular, the sashimi is amazing: plump scallops, sweet Botan shrimp, and fatty whitefish that melt in your mouth.
The more you chew, the more flavors spread, filled with the essence of the sea.

A must-order specialty is the “Okhotsk Mori.”
It’s a lavish platter piled high with seasonal seafood from the Sea of Okhotsk, such as sea urchin, scallops, octopus, and surf clams. Every bite bursts with freshness, delivering waves of happiness.

The master and staff are friendly, making you feel right at home, almost like a regular.
They also stock many local Hokkaido sake varieties, so don’t hesitate to ask the master for recommendations.
Reflecting on the sights you’ve seen and the people you’ve met in Abashiri while savoring Okhotsk’s bounty is a moment of sheer bliss.

Moyoro Nabe is a local hotpot dish bursting with the rich flavors of the Sea of Okhotsk.
It features salmon, scallops, and other seafood in abundance, with a seasoning based on Okhotsk salt.
You can enjoy Abashiri’s Moyoro Nabe by reserving in advance at a restaurant that serves it, or staying at an accommodation plan that includes it.