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| 10 Things to Do in Ozora |
Ozora (大空町) is a town in the Okhotsk Subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan. It’s fairly a young town created on March 31, 2006, through the merger of Memanbetsu Town and Higashimokoto Village. The name of the town is translated as 大 – big and 空 - sky so together it means “big sky”.
For those planning to visit the town of Ozora to check what it has to offer, here are the 10 Things to Do in Ozora:
1. Take a picture of the manhole cover of Ozora. So far, I have seen 3 unique manhole covers. The first one is found near Memambetsu Shrine and the other two are found near the Roadside Rest Area "Nonky Land Higashimokoto” (道の駅 ノンキーランドひがしもこと)
2. Take a picture of the Ozora Pokemon manhole cover. It is installed in the Memanbetsu Eki-mae Park across the street from Memanbetsu Station. The manhole cover features Vulpix riding the back of a Staraptor. 3. Visit the Memambetsu Shrine (女満別神社). It’s the main shrine of the former town of Memanbetsu. You can pay your respects and offer prayers here any time of the day. Don’t forget to avail of the shrine’s goshuin if you collect them. |
| Memanbetsu Station |
4. Check out the Memanbetsu Station (女満別駅). This unmanned station doubles as a library. Outside the station, you would see a preserved train coach and an overpass that leads to Lake Abashiri.
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| Memanbetsu Lakeside Camping Ground |
5. Pitch a tent and stay overnight at Memanbetsu Lakeside Camping Ground (女満別湖畔キャンプ場) It is at the banks of Abashiri Lake near Memanbetsu Station so it is easily accessed by train. If you are coming in by car, there is a free parking area near the campsite. There is also an onsen nearby. |
| Sansui Bihada no Yu |
6. Take a dip at Sansui Bihada no Yu (山水美肌の湯). You may choose to avail of the day trip onsen (470 yen per adult) or stay overnight for a longer bathing experience.7. Visit the Roadside Rest Area "Meruhen no Oka Memanbetsu” (道の駅 メルヘンの丘めまんべつ) and try the shiroi koibito soft cream. You can also buy produce and souvenirs harvested or made in Ozora. Sometimes, there is a monkey show in front of the station. If you collect roadside station stamps then this place is a must-visit..jpg "Roadside Rest Area \"Nonky Land Higashimokoto” (道の駅 ノンキーランドひがしもこと)") |
| Roadside Rest Area "Nonky Land Higashimokoto” |
8. Visit the Roadside Rest Area "Nonky Land Higashimokoto” (道の駅 ノンキーランドひがしもこと). You can buy some souvenirs here. This roadside station has a restaurant and a newly renovated hotel. It’s a perfect place to stay if you plan to visit the Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park in mid-May – late May. If you collect roadside station stamps then this place is a must-visit. |
| Asahigaoka Park |
9. Visit Asahigaoka Park (朝日ヶ丘公園) in mid to late August and see the sunflowers in full bloom. You can also enjoy the 360-degree panorama from Lake Abashiri to Mt. Shari and the Shiretoko mountain range from the observatory in the middle of the park..jpg "Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park (ひがしもこと芝桜公園)") |
| Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park |
10. Be amazed with the magical scenery of Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park (ひがしもこと芝桜公園) from mid to late May. See thousands of pink phlox flowers bloom and form a sea of pink. If you miss it, you may opt to pitch a tent in Higashimokotoshibazakura Park Camping Ground (ひがしもこと芝桜公園キャンプ場) which is also in the park grounds. It costs 600 yen per person.I hope my list of the 10 Things to Do in Ozora gave you an idea and inspiration to visit this lakeside town in eastern Hokkaido.
.jpg "Roadside Rest Area \"Nonky Land Higashimokoto” (道の駅 ノンキーランドひがしもこと)")
.jpg "Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park (ひがしもこと芝桜公園)")
It's another wonderful list Neil. I didn't know Higashimokoto Shibasakura Park was in Ozora. All along I thought that it was in a town called Higashimokoto.
ReplyDeleteIt is. That is until the village was merged with the town of Memanbetsu creating the current town of Ozora.
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