Kushiro (釧路市) is the fourth largest city in Hokkaido and the largest city in Eastern Hokkaido. Despite its population and size, it is still quite rural, with a sparse public transportation system. It is home to Japan's largest marshland and is a year-round home to endangered Japanese cranes, making it a popular stop for birdwatchers.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Like most parts of Japan, the Kushiro area is volcanically active and it is especially prone to small tremors from off-shore earthquakes. In 2005 the town of Akan and the town of Onbetsu was merged into Kushiro. Old Onbetsu town area has become the enclave. Kushiro is the birthplace of Akira Ifukube, the classical and film composer best known for his work in the Godzilla film series. Super Fantastic Kushiro/Lake Akan is the city's official multilingual guide site.
Kushiro Bus (Japanese-only) operates local buses around the city but are difficult to navigate with Japanese-only route maps and schedules. Akan Bus (Japanese-only) operates buses further out of the city, to Tsurui, Shibecha, Akan, and Mashu. Local taxis are rather cheap and are the easiest form of travel within the city proper. Rental cars are available at the airport.
1 Kushiro City Museum, ☏ +81 154-41-5809. 09:30 - 17:00. The museum is on a hill overlooking Lake Harutori and its architecture is said to represent a Japanese crane spreading its wings. The museum has many excellent exhibits representing the natural history of the area and there are both Japanese and English explanations. One can garner a greater appreciation of the area by spending just an hour in this excellent museum.. Adult 480¥, high schooler 250¥, elementry~middle schooler 110¥. 2 Fisherman's Wharf MOO and EGG, Nishikicho, 2 Chome−４. 10:00-19:00. Kushiro Fisherman's Wharf MOO is a worthwhile stop with its bustling marketplace located on the waterfront, close to Nusamai Bridge.
As a port city, Kushiro's seafood is top notch. On the wharf by the MOO, you can grill your own seafood outside over charcoal grills (robatayaki) from early spring until late fall, when it closes for the winter season. For conveyor belt sushi (kaitenzushi), there are two Hokkaido local chains Matsuriya (まつりや) and Nagoyakatei (なごやか亭). Matsuriya's portions are generally larger. Menus at both places are Japanese-only, but photo-filled. You can also of course grab plates off of the belt.
Suehiro-cho in the downtown area is the nightlife center of Kushiro, with many Japanese-style bars (izakaya), restaurants, karaoke boxes and snack bars (bars where female hostesses entertain guests) condensed in a few blocks. Most bars have a cover charge of ¥500 and one alcoholic drink generally costs the same. A notable local drink is Tantakatan (鍛高譚), a shochu made with shiso leaves grown in the Shiranuka area (40 minutes west of Kushiro).
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Kushiro typically sees ~24°C daytime highs and 13 rainy days.
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