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Shaped like an arched prawn, the Notsuke Peninsula is a shoestring peninsula that stretches approximately 28 km from the mouth of the Shibetsu River.
This sandbar is made of soil and sand discharged from the river and deposited by ocean currents. Although the peninsula used to be covered with mixed forests of fir and Ezo spruce, only blighted trees remain standing, because of soil erosion by seawater. These are referred to as “todowara,” while in the center of the peninsula there are water oak mixed with blighted trees in what are called “narawara” where living and dead trees remain standing together. On the peninsula, you can drive up to Ryujinzaki Lighthouse, which is at the easternmost tip. From there you can walk or rent a bicycle.
Notsuke Bay, the inner bay of the Notsuke Peninsula, is also referred to as Otaito. The three-cornered sails of trawlers (utasebune) fishing for Hokkaido shrimp (Pandalus kessleri) can be seen from June to early July as well as from mid October to early November. Sightseeing boats connect Otaito and Todowara from late April to mid October. Also see: about Betsukai Town (Betsukai-cho)
Contact Info:
Notsuke Peninsula and Bay Notsuke, Betsukai Town (Betsukai-cho), Notsuke District (Notsuke-gun), Hokkaido Prefecture 086-0200, Japan Tel: 0153-75-2111, 0153-79-5500 Fax: 0153-75-0371
Website: http://betsukai-kanko.jp/maps/nostuke.php
Notsuke Peninsula Nature Center 63 Notsuke, Betsukai, Notsuke District, Hokkaido Prefecture 086-1645, Japan Tel: 0153-82-1270 Fax: 0153-82-1296
Website: http://www.aurens.or.jp/~todowara/
Betsukai Sightseeing Boat/ Betsukai-cho Tourism Development Corporation Ltd. 232 Odaitominatocho, Betsukai, Notsuke District, Hokkaido Prefecture 086-1643, Japan TEL: 0153-86-2533 FAX: 0153-86-2009
Website: http://www.aurens.or.jp/~kankousen/index.html
