Lake Kutcharo in Hokkaido, Japan

 - Lake Kutcharo -

 

Lake Kutcharo [Japanese: クッチャロ湖] in Hamatombetsu.

Map around Lake Kutcharo (in Japanese)

Lake Kutcharo is in the North Okhotsk Prefectural Natural Park
[Japanese: 北オホーツク道立自然公園].

Lake Kutcharo was fully covered with snow.

It was the world of white!

Lake Kutcharo is designated by Ramsar Convention.

Hamatombetsu Lake Kutcharo Waterfowl Observatory [Japanese: クッチャロ湖水鳥観察館] was beside the lake.

The number of swan arrivals to Lake Kutcharo.

Taxidermy of Whooper Swan (Cygnus cygnus)

[Japanese: オオハクチョウ; 大白鳥]

Information of swans.

Lake Kutcharo is the good spot to see the breeding time of swans. 

Taxidermy of eagle

Taxidermies of seals

Taxidermies of many animals living around Lake Kutcharo

Taxidermies of the brown bears (Ursus arctos) [Japanese: ヒグマ]

Episode of Lake Kutcharo

Tomo&Chouchou went to Lake Kutcharo [Japanese: クッチャロ湖] and Hamatombetsu Lake Kutcharo Waterfowl Observatory [Japanese: クッチャロ湖水鳥観察館] by group tour. When we visited there, it was the world of white! It was full of snow! Lake Kutcharo was fully covered with snow. We couldn't find any lake around. Without Lake Kutcharo signs, we could not have found it. We found the diploma of Ramsar Convention. We understood that Lake Kutcharo was designated by Ramsar Convention and it was protected. We could also understand that this area, North Okhotsk Prefectural Natural Park, is the wetland, and waterfowl habitat area.

We found the Hamatombetsu Lake Kutcharo Waterfowl Observatory beside the lake. We decided to enter there. Before entering there, it was written that 400 swans had arrived. Unfortunately winter is not the season to see swans, so we could not see any swans. It seems that tundra swans (Cygnus columbianus) [Japanese: コハクチョウ; 小白鳥] stop by Lake Kutcharo in spring and autumn. Especially spring is the best season to see the swans' breeding time. Two couple swans make heart shape together. It is called "Happy ring". We can see it in spring. Inside the observatory, we found many taxidermies such as Whooper swan, eagle, seals, brown bears, sea turtle, deer, fox, peregrine falcon [Japanese: ハヤブサ], Japanese buzzard (Buteo japonicus) [Japanese: ノスリ] and so on. They were so real. Sometimes scary. Anyway we could learn that what kind of spieces live around Lake Kutcharo.

We couldn't see the lake but we could enjoy the white world at Lake Kutcharo in winter. We could have the special time at Lake Kutcharo.

 

Information

Lake Kutcharo is designated by Ramsar Convention on July 6, 1989. Ramsar Convention is the international treaty on wetland conservation. It is known as the Convention on Wetlands. Official name is the "Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat". Lake Kutcharo is the third place designated by Ramsar Convention in Japan. 

 

Hamatombetsu Lake Kutcharo Waterfowl Observatory
クッチャロ湖水鳥観察館

Location: Kutcharo Lakeside
Address: Kutcharo Kohan, Hamatombetsu-cho, Esashi-gun, Hokkaido
[Japanese: 北海道枝幸郡浜頓別町クッチャロ湖畔]
Open: 9:00 - 17:00

・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・

Travel Itinerary of Hokkaido Snow Festival tour Tomo & Chouchou joined

Travel agent：Club Tourism International Inc.
Date: Feb in 2016 (2 nights 3 days)

1st day: Arrive at Wakkanai airport　⇒　Scallop lunch at Wakkanai station which has northernmost railroad track　⇒　Snow activities such as snow rafting, snow mobile, snow tube at Soya Fureai Park (Japanese: Soya Fureai Koen, 宗谷ふれあい公園）　⇒　Visit Cape Sōya (Japanese: Sōya-Misaki, 宗谷岬), where is the northernmost point of Japan. Visit Drift Ice Hall too.　⇒　Watch Russian musical ensemble at Wakkanai Sakhalin Hall (Japanese: Wakkanai Sakhalin Kan, 稚内サハリン館)　⇒　 Stay at Hotel Meguma in Wakkanai. Enjoy Wakkanai hot spring and Soya crab dinner course.

2nd day: Visit Lake Kutcharo (Japanese: Kutcharo-ko, クッチャロ湖) in Hamatombetsu (浜頓別).　⇒　Go to Cape Drift Ice / Cape Ryuhyo (Japanese: Ryuhyo-misaki, 流氷岬) in Monbetsu (紋別). Bord on the drift ice crusher "Garinko Ⅱ".　⇒　Stay at Sounkyo Kankou Hotel (層雲峡観光ホテル). Enjoy  41th Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival at night.

3rd day: Enjoy snow sculpture and ice sculpture of 67th Sapporo Snow Festival.　⇒　Eat Sapporo Ramen (Japanese:  ラーメン, which is a Japanese noodle soup) at New Chitose Airport Terminal (Japanese: Shin Chitose Kuko, 新千歳空港)  　⇒　Fly back to go home.

・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・～・

Travel review of Hokkaido Snow Festival group tour

Tomo & Chouchou had dreamed of traveling to the snow festival in Hokkaido. Our dream came true with this tour!

There are so many snow festivals in Hokkaido. Sapporo Snow Festival is the most famous one. With this tour, we could go to two festivals "Sapporo Snow Festival" and "Sounkyo Hyobaku Festival". Normally it costs a lot to travel to Hokkaido during snow festival season. With this group tour, we could travel at a relatively reasonable price. So we were very lucky. We could also visit the northernmost point of Japan and board the drift ice crusher. Even though we couldn't see the drift ice, 2016 was not so enough cold to see the drift ice, it was enjoyable to look for the drift ice. All the foods that we ate were good. We were really satisfied with this tour.

Relating article

* Hotel Meguma in Wakkanai : northernmost hotel in Japan

* Wakkanai Secondary Port Market [Wakkanai Fukuko Ichiba]

Canela in Brazil

Canela is a town located in Rio Grande do Sul.

 

the Cathedral of Stone/ Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes
[Portuguese: Catedral of Pedra/ Catedral Nossa Senhora de Lourdes]

 

↓

 

 

the Ferradura Park/ Horseshoe Park 

[Portugues: Parque da Ferradura].

↓

- Caracol State Park -

[Parque Estadual do Caracol]

There was a waterfall called "Caracol falls 

[Portuguese: Cascata do Caracol]".

 

We found another waterfall upstream called "Corredeiras".
 

 

There are lots of tropical trees in the Caracol State Park.

We found a big tall tree!!
We hugged that tree and we got the power from the tree.

Episode of Canela

One of our Brazilian friends drove from Porto Alegre to Canela. Another one of our Brazilian friends waited for us in Canela. His family are from Canela. He brought us to the beautiful places in Canela.
There was the nature in Canela. Canela has peaceful atmosphere.
We were so nervous in the big cities like São Paulo or Rio de Janeiro because it was not so safe. On the other hand, we could be relaxed in Canela.
 

First, we went to see the Cathedral of Stone/ Cathedral of Our Lady of Lourdes [Catedral of Pedra/ Catedral Nossa Senhora de Lourdes in Portugues] which is located in the center of the town. It was a big beautiful Catholic church.

Next, we went to the Ferradura Park/ Horseshoe Park [Parque da Ferradura].
Ferradura means a horseshoe in Portugues. This Park was named as Ferradura" because the jungle shape in this park looked like a horseshoe. After we heard this story, we  saw the landscape again. It really looked like a horseshoe! :-)
When Tomo saw this landscape, Tomo was so moved. The nature made her cry.
We were overwhelmed by the greatness and power of the big nature. We felt human beings were very tiny comparing to such scale of the nature. We also felt that our worries were nothing and we even felt ashamed to worry such tiny stuff.

We also went to the Caracol State Park [Parque Estadual do Caracol].
In the Caracol State Park, there was a waterfall called Caracol falls [Cascata do Caracol]. When we went up along the river, we could see the another waterfall called Corredeiras. In Parque Estadual do Caracol, there are lots of tropical trees.
Walking in the park was enough enjoyable. While walking in the Caracol State Park, we found a big tall tree! We hugged that tree and we got the power from the tree!
 

Canela is famous for the natural parks. We think natural parks in Canela are powerful energy spots! We were healed by the power of the nature in Canela!

Relating articles

* Sightseeing city bus tour in Porto Alegre

* Sightseeing places in Porto Alegre (2)

* Gaúcho (Cowboy) & Brazilian specialty (Churrasco, Chimarrão, Cachaça)

* Downtown "Centro" in Rio de Janeiro

* São Paulo

Oze Marshland [Ozegahara] hike in Japan

Oze Marshland [Japanese: 尾瀬ヶ原] is located 

in Oze National Park [Japanese: 尾瀬国立公園].

We must walk on one-way boardwalk in Oze.

Oze National Park map at Hatomachi-toge [鳩待峠].

 

Tomo&Chouchou started hiking from Hatomachi-tōge [鳩待峠] toward Yamanohana [山ノ鼻].

↓

Yamanohana [山ノ鼻] resthouse

a lunch box called "Maitake-bento; まいたけ弁当".
（maitake is a mushroom, ram's head or sheep's head in English)

↓

After lunch, we walked to Ushikubi [牛首].

white skunk cabbages (mizubasho; 水芭蕉) in Oze. 

marsh pond [Japanese: 池塘 or 池沼]

We could see several mountains such as Mt. Shibutsu/Mt. Shifutsu [至仏山].

 

Yello flowers called Kingcups / Marsh marigolds [Japanese: リュウキンカ] were also blooming around Yamanohana.

Episode of Oze Marshland hike

Tomo&Chouchou went hiking to Oze Marshland (=Ozegahara, 尾瀬ヶ原）where was famous for white skunk cabbage (=mizubashō in Japanese).
We went there with day-hike group tour of Club Tourism International Inc..

Oze Marshland is located in Oze National Park [Japanese: 尾瀬国立公園].
Oze Marshland [Ozegahara] is very popular hiking place.
To protect the marsh, boardwalks are made for hikers. So it was easy to walk. Hiking in Oze was not difficult. However so many people come for hiking in Oze Marshland, and also we must walk on one-way boardwalk. As a result, it was crowded and it took time to hike there. Especially to go to the toilet, it was very crowded and we needed to line up a lot.
Tomo&Chouchou started hiking from Hatomachi-tōge [鳩待峠] toward Yamanohana [山ノ鼻]. There were bathroom and shops at Yamanohana.
Tomo&Chouchou decided to eat lunch at Yamanohana. Lunch box was included in our hiking tour. We received a lunch box called "Maitake-bento". Maitake-bento is the specialty of Gunma prefecture. It was very good.
After eating lunch, we walked again toward Ushikubi [牛首]. Most of hikers came with the tour hike until Yamanohana, then they go back to Hatomachi-tōge [鳩待峠]. So after Yamanohana, there were less hikers and we could hike faster. Moreover, around Yamanohana and Ushikubi, we could see full of white skunk cabbages (mizubashō; 水芭蕉), some marsh ponds [池塘, 池沼], several mountains such as Mt. Shibutsu/Mt. Shifutsu [至仏山]. It was very beautiful landscape.
Yellow flowers called Kingcups/Marsh marigolds [リュウキンカ]were also blooming. It was beautiful to see white & yellow flowers together.

Oze marshland was crowded but it was refreshing to see white skunk cabbages, marsh ponds and mountains that we could only see in Oze.
Tomo knew the name of Oze because she used to sing "Natsu-no-Omoide; 夏の思い出" at elemenary school. So Tomo wanted to visit someday. It became reality.
It was a beautiful place like a song.


information

White skunk cabbages (mizubashō) blooming time: from Late May to mid-June

Colored leaves time: from end of September

Hiking in Oze is available from mid-May to end of Oct..
(Only advanced hikers can access to Oze during winter.)


Other places in Gunma, Japan

- Mt.Motoshirane hike & Yugama in Kusatsu

- Fukuware Falls (Fukiware-no-Taki)