Shiretoko National Park, located on the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido, is one of Japan’s most beautiful and unspoilt national parks. No roads lead further than about three-quarters of the way up the peninsula, and the northern tip can only be viewed from boats or reached on multi-day trekking tours. Home to a variety of wildlife, including brown bears, deer and foxes, in winter, the peninsula’s coast along the Sea of Okhotsk becomes one of the northern hemisphere’s southernmost regions to see drift ice. It is also a UNESCO World Heritage site due to the irreplaceable value of the peninsula’s ecosystem and biodiversity.
Another larger National Park, Daisetsuzan, preserves a densely forested, mountainous area of virtually unspoilt wilderness, which equals more than ten times the size of Osaka City. It is a paradise for hikers, outdoor lovers, deer and brown bears.