宗谷岬

Being the Japan Most Northern part, winter is harsh for tourist. The temperature -3.7deg C but the strong sea breeze make it painful to take picture. During the early winter, one has to bash through at least 1m (3ft) deep of snow to walk to the point for a picture. The round trip bus ticket is available at the bus counter in JR Wakkanai station itself. 2500yen. The bus driver is very careful and skillful driving on snow compress ice road. 40min journey. There is a room like bus shelter for tourist to hide in while waiting for the arrival of the bus. Despite the cold, this is a nice experience.

The cape was around an hour by bus from Wakkanai Station. The bus fare was so expensive. (Around JPY2,500 round trip?)Although the cape was fabulous. I could not see Sakhalin due to a snowy weather. Temperature was -3C during this time, but the wind was so strong that real feel temp must be more lower.The statue of Rinzo Mamiya was fascinating. He is an explorer of Sakhalin Island during Edo period.If you go into the souvenir shop with blue paint, you can purchase the "Reaching Certificate of northernmost point in Japan" in JPY100.

Unfortunately, we were there on a cloudy day, so we couldn't see Russia. I take people's word that you can. There were a bazillion tour groups there all taking the requisite group photos, so we would have had to wait for hours before we could get the monument to ourselves. We jumped at the chance between two groups, and were told in no uncertain terms to get out of the picture!!! Maybe not going at the height of tourist season is the solution.It is the northernmost point of undisputed Japan, so I can now say "been there, done that". Go up the hill across the street and see the monuments to everything, have some noodles at the restaurant up there, and you've done Soya Misaki.

Cape Soya is a must to visit when you come to Wakkanai city, approx 40-45min drive from the city centre. You can enjoy scenic drive to the destination. When a sunny day, you can see Sakhalin island afar. Souvenir shops are available and you may purchase certificate with a slight charge.

If you've come all the way to Wakkanai, it'd be a shame to miss the actual northernmost point of the northernmost city in Japan. On a clear day you can see the Russian island of Sakhalin through it's arch. On New Year's Eve, there's a midnight fireworks show to ring in the new year, and then everyone gathers on the top of the hill to watch the year's first sunrise (the first in Japan). There's also a statue of Mamiya Rinzo, one of the first Japanese explorers of Sakhalin (formerly the Japanese territory of Karafuto).Nearby is a modest gift shop that also contains a small ice flow "museum", where you can step into a -40 degree celsius room and touch real drift ice scooped out of the ocean. In winter, sometimes you can see the real thing.On the hill up behind Soya Misaki is a famous scallop ramen shop Mamiya-do, a restaurant where you can eat Soya black beef, and a memorial to Korean Air Lines Flight 007, a plane shot down by the Soviets during the Cold War.Be advised-- Local buses don't run often, so it's easy to get stuck. A tour bus is probably the easiest way to get there and back without worry.

This is the northernmost point of Japan. That's it. If you want to say you have been there stop and take your photo. You can see ice floes in the winter. There are many souvenir shops and mediocre restaurants around here.

Best know for Cape Soya, the most northern tip of Japan.This place I read somewhere is best for it's lovely sunset view. Thus armed with my tripod and camera, I set out in search for the end.From Asahikawa JR station, it took 4 hours via Ltd express Soya to reach JR Wakkanai station, covered by my JR Japan pass.I stayed in Dormy Inn Wakkanai. Cost 8500¥ for a twin room. Got a 2 way bus ticket at the Bus terminal office which was located inside the JR Wakkanai station facing the main road. The 50 minutes journey cost 2430¥ two way.  Ask for a bus schedule from the ticketing counter as It is infrequent, so plan your return trip in advance to avoid being stranded at cape soya.I took the 4:20pm bus there. I reckoned by the time I reached there at 5:10pm, I'll still have plenty of time to explore the place before the sunset at 7:00pm. I have never seen a sunset and I was really looking forward to this trip.Sea view from the bus during the last leg of the journey was fantastic, surreal. The weather was not the best, it was misty. Thus creating a almost dreamlike feel of the ocean, with birds resting on the surface of the ocean, motionless.Barely 15 minutes upon reaching, the dreary weather became even worst. It rained. I had to seek shelter in the bus stop. Now I had to make a bitter choice. To wait out the rain and take the last bus back which comes in at 9:06pm or to take the next bus at 5:46pm and miss the sunset.Finally, common sense won over and it was with heavy heart that I board the 5:46pm bus back.However I did not leave this place empty handed. Five minutes after I left this place, the sky cleared. Yes, it cleared (imagine my anguish) and from the bus, I got a beautiful view of the setting sun.I am sure I will come back again, for the sunset I saw but failed to capture on my viewfinder. For the majestic view of a straight line of birds in flight chasing after shoal of fishes in the water creating silvery ripples in the distance. For the sight of a lone bird standing in the water, waiting.

It's a bit far, but worth the bus ride (about 2,430 roundtrip). Be sure not to miss the last bus, or else there's no other way back than to walk the almost 25 kilometers back to Wakkanai! Also I recommend bringing a windbreaker as it can get very windy.

稚内から宗谷岬行きのバスで訪問。乗客はほとんど宗谷岬を目指す観光客ばかり。バスは宗谷岬で折り返しのため、数時間滞在する意思がなければ20分程度で折り返さざるを得ないのが残念。

旭川から車で北上して宗谷岬を目指しました。名寄を過ぎたあたりから少しずつ建物もなくなり、最北端に向かっているんだなと実感。大晦日の夜に出発し元旦の朝方に到着したのですが、既に20～30人ぐらいの方々が明るくなる空を眺めながら岬にいらっしゃいました。近くには神社もあったので初詣がてら寄ってきました。なかなか道中時間はかかりますが、最果てまできたという達成感は味わうことが出来ます。

最北端の石碑で記念写真を撮って、とにかく寒いし早く帰ろうと思ったら、なんか動物が、、、キタキツネが歩いてました。とくに人間を警戒したりしないんですねぇ。行く前に友達から「最北端のバス停の写真を撮ってきな」とアドバイス受けましたが、バス停には宗谷岬と書いてあるだけで、ＪＲの駅のように最北端とは書いてなかったです。

7月でも寒かったです。要防寒具です。キタキツネがすぐ近くで見れました。小さな食堂で焼き貝を食べましたが甘く味付られていて体調がさらに悪くなりました。食べ物には気を付けましょう。特筆すべきはトイレです。きれいで暖房便座！思わず外観の写真を撮りました。最北端の公共トイレです。

一月の寒いときに行ったのだから当たり前ですが、とにかく寒い、外国人がいました。日本最北端の碑が建っています。なかなか格好いいです。行く途中と帰る途中に動物、なんとペンギンを見ました。

日本の最北端まで来たという達成感が味わえます。ここは天気が良ければ、樺太まで見えるそうです。岬には「日本最北端の地」や「間宮林蔵が書く地を測量したときの像」などいろいろなモニュメントがあります。駐車場の近くにあるガソリンスタンドでは「最北端給油証明書」をくれます。旭川から約5時間半のドライブでした。

とりあえずの日本最北端です。天気の良い日は樺太が遠望できます。最北端の碑と間宮林蔵の碑だけしか無いように思いますがそれはそれで良いのかもしれません。で、駐車場脇の土産物屋さんで「最北端到達証明書」なるものを販売しています。確か百円だったと思いますが良い記念になります。（年月日及び時間が印字されます）道を挟んで坂を上ると「海軍望楼」が残っています。日露間がきな臭くなった頃に間宮海峡を監視する目的で建てられたそうです。お時間があればですが高台から最北端の碑を見下ろせますからひとと違った写真が撮影できるのでお勧めします。