program - Shiretoko Rausu-cho Tourist Association

In Shiretoko Rausu, there are many ways to enjoy nature!

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Searching for the Famous Rausu Green Sea Urchin! (Late May to early July)

Gather the famous sea urchins that even local people aren't allowed to touch!
Normally, only a limited few fishermen have permission to gather sea urchins, but under the supervision of the Fisherman's Cooperative Association, you can have the very rare experience of searching for these highly valued sea urchins with your own hands when the tide is out!

Once you have filled your bucket with these highly-sought after specialities, you can eat them however you like!
You can crack them open and eat them with a spoon right there on the beach! Or perhaps you would prefer to take them back to your accomodation and ask the chef to cook you up a local sea urchin speciality. You could even send some to a friend in a nearby town! Visit the World Natural Heritage Site of Rausu to have an entirely unique sand-playing experience.

Future Events:

Location

On the seashore near Sashirui Misaki, Kaigan-cho, Rausu-cho

Limited to

20 people

Participation Fee

¥10,000 per adult participant (¥5,000 for aged 11 and younger, family discounts also available)
*Fees include accident insurance, sea urchin tour guide, 1 bucket full of urchins (approximately 30), glasses, and other equipment

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Applications are already available!! Shiretoko Rausu Tourism Regeneration Program

Winter Eco Tourism - Alaskan Pollack Professional
Hooked Pollack Fishing MEthod
Fishing Boat
(Participants)
Fishing Boat (Fishermen)
Enjoying "Dai Hotpot" aboard the boat

In the olden days, net fishing for Alaskan pollack represented the golden age of the fishing industry. As the sun began to rise over Kunashiri Island, cries of "cast off!" would resound as the "super" fishermen would head out in pursuit of their catch. The "Dai hotpot" that the fishermen would eat aboard their boats also became famous for its superb flavour.
This unique tour, in which you can learn the full flow of the fishing industry, from catching, to procesing, has limited numbers.

Date Held

Participation Fee

Adults ¥10,500 (¥5,250 for children aged 15 and younger)
Family discount (3~5 members), ¥17,000 per family.
*Fees include accident insurance, boat fees, guide fees, Dai Hotpot gift set, and equipment rental

Learning Production, Transportation, and Processing! Schedule

■6:00-6:25 Mini lecture from an ex-super fisherman.

■6:30-8:00 Vessel launch as the sun rises!!
Eat "Dai Hotpot" on board the boat as you travel to observe pollack fishing. Take in the perfect view of the sunrise above Kunashiri Island. The sunrise in the World Natural Heritage Site is truly a sight we want all visitors to see. And Rausu is the only place in the world that brings you this close to Kunashiri Island (only 25km away at the closest point). Watch the professional pollack fishermen land their catch from the safety of your sightseeing boat. Only super-fishermen are permitted to board pollack boats, so you are quite safe! The pollack fishing boat and your sightseeing boat remain in constant contact, so you can see how the fishermen work. In fact, the skipper of your boat is an ex-super fisherman too! The super-fishermen also eat the famous Rausu Dai Hotpot on their boat! You would think that surrounded by so much superb quality seafood, the fishermen would become fickle, but they never tire of the Dai Hotpot flavour. Watch how the fishermen make the hotpot. They simply chop the freshly-caught fish directly into the pot, then simply add miso bean paste for flavour. A simple, manly way of cooking! *All food for participants is prepared by authorized restaurant chefs.

■8:00-8:40 8:00-8:40 Disembark from the boat, and visit the pollack auctions!
Normally, the general public is prohibited from seeing the auctions. Yet on this tour, you receive special permission to watch the auctions accompanied by your guide. This is a rare opportunity to observe the sharp, split-second judgment of the brokers as they bid against eachother in this unique, tense atmosphere.

■9:00-10:00 Learn about hygeine management and food processing!
Hands-on pollack processing experience! A professional staff member will give you a lecture on how to tell the difference between male and female, how to use the knife correctly, and how to the pollack roe (the main ingredient in Tarako) is obtained! You can also observe how the produce is packaged, and find out more of the details of how pollack is fished. You need to use the knife very carefully in order not to damage the valuable product, yet you cannot be too timid or the knife will not cut!

■Receive a Rausu Dai Hotpot Set Present!
You will receive a set that contains the pollack that you prepared yourself, Rausu Konbu, Rausu deep sea water, and pollack Tarako soy sauce marinade. And after a few days, you will also be sent an original commemorative World Natural Heritage Site - Shiretoko Rausu-cho sticker! The boiled pollack that you make with your Rausu Konbu will be a unique flavour that you cannot experience anywhere else, and this experience will change your view of fishing forever!

What is the Shiretoko Rausu Tourism Regeneration Program?

In 2005, the town became a World Natural Heritage Site, in other words a "world treasure" to be protected for future generations. The deciding factor was not the scenery and landscape of Shiretoko, it was the precious ecosystem created between the ocean and land. In the aim of local development, which has been continually declining since the initial "Shiretoko boom", the main purpose of this program is to study the true meaning of "world treasure" with local guides for the activation of Shiretoko Rausu. Shiretoko Rausu-cho Tourist Association also concluded an agreement with Sapporo International University, and are mutually cooperating towards the goal of regenerating tourism in Shiretoko Rausu.

What else is there to do at this time of year?

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