Notsuke Peninsula Guide: What to Do & Where to Stay

I’ve driven a lot of roads in Hokkaido, but the drive down Notsuke Peninsula felt completely different.

If you’re planning a road trip through Eastern Hokkaido and want somewhere truly off the beaten path, this is it.

Notsuke Peninsula doesn’t show up on most Hokkaido itineraries. Even many Japanese travelers haven’t been there, which is exactly why I want to tell you about it.

It feels like reaching the edge of the map.

In fact, the peninsula is sinking 1.5 cm every year and could disappear entirely within 100 years. Despite that, rare wildlife and plants are thriving here, which makes it feel even more special.

In this guide, I’ll show you exactly what to do, when to visit, how to get there, and where to stay on Notsuke Peninsula (the only accommodation right on the peninsula).

This post is sponsored by NOTSUKE BASE. All opinions are my own.

Table of Contents

What Is Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido?

A Steller's sea eagle perched on a concrete breakwater block with its large bright yellow beak and striking black and white plumage, set against a vivid blue sea backdrop — one of the rare birds that visits the area around Notsuke Peninsula in winter. — Photo: Visit Notsuke Peninsula

Notsuke Peninsula is located in Eastern Hokkaido, and it’s a remote paradise for wildlife.

It’s Japan’s largest sand spit stretching 26 km out into the Sea of Okhotsk, formed over centuries by sediment carried in by ocean currents. This narrow strip of land is home to over 500 Ezo deer and 220+ bird species.

(My dad, who often drives out here on weekends, says he spots a pack of deer 100% of the time.)

There are no resorts or fancy tourist photo spots here. Just one visitor center at the end of the road. The peninsula has traditionally been used by local fishermen. I saw their small huts dotted along the coastline when I was driving there.

Why Visit Notsuke Peninsula?

A traveler in a red hooded jacket and orange backpack walking alone along the flat dirt path of the Todowara trail, surrounded by dry golden reed grass with the open grey bay ahead, showing what the trail looks like in early April on Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido. — Me on the Todowara Trail in April 2026

I’d had many people recommend visiting Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido to me over the years. But I didn’t really understand why until I went myself.

It’s the only place in Hokkaido where I’ve felt completely alone. Not in a scary way, but more like deeply immersed in nature. It felt almost lonely in the best possible sense.

And knowing that this landscape is slowly sinking, that it could be gone within 100 years, makes it feel even more worth seeing now.

The Best Times to Visit Notsuke Peninsula

A young Ezo deer standing among lush green summer vegetation and yellow wildflowers on Notsuke Peninsula, ears perked up, looking directly at the camera — one of the 500+ deer that roam the peninsula year-round. — Photo: Visit Notsuke Peninsula

I visited in early April, which is the least vibrant time of the year in Hokkaido. The snow was melting and nothing was green yet. But I still enjoyed the wide open landscapes and quietness. I had the entire Todowara trail to myself (and two herds of deer).

So don’t skip Notsuke Peninsula just because you’re visiting off-season. But if you want to see what each season offers best, here’s a quick guide:

April: You’ll see the beautiful, snow-capped Shiretoko mountain range from the peninsula. It’s also a great time to enjoy the nature quietly with very few visitors around.
June to early July: Wildflowers bloom across the peninsula. You’ll find them along the walking trails and roadsides.
Late January to early March: The bay freezes over to the horizon — what we call “the Ice Horizon”. You might also spot some Steller’s sea eagles.
October: Swans and other migratory birds begin to arrive. Golden pampas grass covers the peninsula. Beautiful sunset views.

How to Get to Notsuke Peninsula

Notsuke Peninsula on the eastern coast of Hokkaido. It can easily fit into any Eastern Hokkaido road trip. Here’s how long it takes to drive from other destinations:

From	Drive time
Nakashibetsu	30 min
Rausu (Shiretoko)	1 hour
Tesikaga / Lake Kussharo area	1 hour
Utoro (Shiretoko)	1.5 hours
Nemuro	1.5 hours
Akan	2 hours

You can make a day trip from one of these destinations, or I actually recommend staying on the peninsula for a full experience (I’ll tell you where to stay in a bit).

If you’re coming from Shiretoko like I did, you’ll wind through a mountain pass, open up onto wide rural roads through farmland, and pass through the small port town of Shibetsu before reaching the peninsula.

Unfortunately public transport is not a practical option here, so you’ll need a car.

Notsuke Peninsula Itinerary (half-day)

Map showing Notsuke Peninsula as a thin curved strip of land extending from Shibetsu town into Notsuke Bay, with 5 blue location pins marking the key stops along Route 244 from the base of the peninsula to Todowara at the tip. — 📍 Click to get my Google Maps

Notsuke Peninsula is not a big destination and can be easily covered in a few hours. The classic way is to drive down the peninsula with a couple of stops along the way, park at the Nature Center, and trek the Todowara trail.

Get my Google Maps here with all the places pinned!

1. Daini Shibetsu Observation Parking Lot

View from Notsuke Peninsula in April looking across dark choppy waves to the full snow-capped Shiretoko mountain range filling the horizon under a bright blue sky, one of the best reasons to visit in spring.

If the weather is nice, make a quick stop here. You can see Mount Rausu on the Shiretoko Peninsula and Kunashiri Island in the distance.

(Stay about 10 mins. Google Maps here)

2. Nanawara

4 Ezo deer walking in a line along the water's edge in front of a stand of pale, bare dead trees at Nanawara on Notsuke Peninsula on a calm summer day, their reflections showing in the still blue water. — Photo: Visit Notsuke Peninsula

I almost missed this one. It’s a small parking lot on the side of the road and easy to drive past if you don’t know it’s there.

A few minutes further down the road, this is one of the iconic views on the peninsula. You’ll spot dead oak trees standing in the field, completely bare.

The area is off-limits for entry, so you view it from a small parking area at a distance. The contrast between the white, dead trees in front and the living green trees behind is oddly beautiful.

I spotted many birds here and wished I’d brought binoculars. Learn from my mistake and pack a pair!

(5 min drive from the observation parking lot. Stay about 10 mins. Google Maps here)

3. Notsuke Peninsula Nature Center

Interior of the Notsuke Peninsula Nature Center with a large 3D terrain model of the peninsula on a central table, wildlife posters and illustrated panels covering the wooden walls, and a fox silhouette cutout near the entrance.

Stop here before you do the trail! You can pick up a map, learn about the local birds, wildlife, and the geology of the peninsula.

There’s a restaurant on site, and their signature dish is a burger topped with a large scallop grown right here in Bekkai town. I really wanted to try it but the restaurant was closed the day I visited…

But at the souvenir shop, I found two things I’d go back for!

Betsukai milk

Hand holding up a small triangular carton of Bekkai milk at the souvenir shop inside the Notsuke Peninsula Nature Center, with more cartons and local products visible on the refrigerator shelves behind.

I grew up drinking Hokkaido milk from all kinds of brands, and this one is one of the best I’ve had. It’s light, with a rich and subtly sweet flavor that I really loved. (This milk will come with the burger at the restaurant. Hope you’ll get to try it!)

Shibetsu Yokan

A traditional Japanese sweet made in Shibetsu town, just next to the peninsula. Regular yokan is made with azuki red beans and sugar, but this one uses kidney beans and local beet sugar, with no preservatives.

It’s been made by a beloved local shop for over 100 years. I like the clean, mild sweetness and it’s not heavy at all. I ate two of them after the Todowara trail and they were exactly what I needed.

(5 min drive from Nanawara. Stay 20-30 mins. Google Maps here)

4. Todowara Trail

Weathered wooden sign reading Todowara in Japanese characters, mounted on a post surrounded by bare, twisted dead branches, with the grey open wetland and the boardwalk stretching out behind it.

This was my highlight of the day. If you have time, I highly recommend taking this trail.

The trail is 1.3 km one way, starting from the Nature Center. It’s an easy, flat walk with mostly a small path through open fields, and a narrow elevated wooden boardwalk above the wetlands at the end. The round trip takes about 1-1.5 hours.

Narrow wooden boardwalk elevated above flat, wet mudflats at Todowara, stretching straight toward the grey horizon with dead tree stumps visible in the distance — the final section of the 1.3 km Todowara trail on Notsuke Peninsula.

I spotted Ezo deer grazing near the trail almost immediately, and they were completely unbothered by me. There was no one else on the trail, so I was able to enjoy watching them up close for a while.

3 Ezo deer standing in the shallow muddy tidal flats near the water's edge on an overcast April morning near Todowara, with dry golden reeds in the foreground and the grey bay stretching behind them.

At the end of the boardwalk, you’ll reach Todowara. It’s a cluster of dead Sakhalin fir trees that are eroded by rising seawater, standing in open wetland. There used to be more of them, but they’re disappearing year by year due to seawater erosion. We don’t know for how long this view will remain.

Bleached, dead Sakhalin fir trees standing in open wetland at Todowara on Notsuke Peninsula in Hokkaido, surrounded by patches of green vegetation and driftwood, slowly being eroded by rising seawater year by year. — Photo: Visit Notsuke Peninsula

The landscape here changes with every season, which is why people come back more than once. I’d love to go back again in summer next time!

Optional: Boat cruise from Odaito Port

A white cruise boat with passengers in orange life vests departing Odaito Port on a calm sunny day, with a small lighthouse on the pier behind — the Bekkai Tourist Cruise that runs May to October for views of Todowara and spotted seals in Notsuke Bay. — Photo: Visit Notsuke Peninsula

Between May and October, you can join a cruise tour to approach Todowara from the water. The boat runs from Odaito Port, and on the way you might spot spotted seals in Notsuke Bay. You can find the tour details on Bekkai Tourist Cruise’s website here (Japanese only).

Are there bears on Notsuke Peninsula?

Good news: bears are rarely spotted on the peninsula itself, so you can walk the trails with peace of mind.

There have been occasional sightings near a campsite a little further south, but as long as you’re traveling by car and sticking to the main road, you should be fine.

Winter Special: The Ice Horizon Walk

5 visitors in colorful winter jackets walking in single file along the Todowara boardwalk above a completely snow-covered frozen bay under a bright blue sunny sky, showing the guided Ice Horizon Walk tour that runs from late January to mid-March on Notsuke Peninsula. — Photo: Visit Notsuke Peninsula

If you’re visiting Notsuke Peninsula in winter, there’s a unique experience you don’t want to miss.

From late January to mid-March, the inner bay of the peninsula freezes over completely and creates the Ice Horizon, a vast, flat plain of snow-covered ice stretching as far as you can see.

The Ice Horizon Walk is a guided snowshoe tour departing from the Notsuke Peninsula Nature Center. Tours start from 1 hour and cost 2,500 JPY per person, and a guide is mandatory for your safety.

You can sign up for a tour at the nature center.

I haven’t done this one myself yet, but it’s been on my list for a while!

Where to Stay: NOTSUKE BASE

Aerial drone view of the narrow Notsuke Peninsula road in summer, with the Sea of Okhotsk on one side and a lagoon on the other, small fishermen's huts dotted along the coastline, and green wetland grass stretching to the horizon. — The house on the right side of the road is NOTSUKE BASE.

I arrived at Notsuke Peninsula from Shiretoko in the evening, so I stayed overnight at my friend’s private rental home, NOTSUKE BASE, so I could explore the peninsula the next morning.

Honestly, this is the best place to stay if you want to fully experience the Notsuke Peninsula, because it’s the only accommodation on the peninsula itself.

And you get the entire house to yourself.

Bright living and dining area at NOTSUKE BASE with a wooden table, 4 chairs, a small sofa, and a large window framing a wide view of the golden wetlands outside, where deer and birds often appear without ever needing to step outside.

I loved waking up to birdsongs the next morning and having my coffee by this big window in the living room.

From here, you might spot birds and deer right outside. You don’t even have to go out to get close to the wildlife! I’d really love to see the view here in summer.

The surroundings are very quiet with no lights at night, so you can enjoy stargazing as well.

Akinori, the owner and friend of mine runs another guesthouse in Odaito about 10 minutes away. You have total privacy, but help is close if you need it.

👀 Check the availability now

What’s in the house?

A bedroom with the nature view
A Japanese tatami room

The house is spacious and super comfortable. It has 3 bedrooms, sleeps up to 7 people. Perfect for a group stay with family or friends.

The 2 bedrooms have 2 western-style beds each, and the Japanese room has 2 futon mattresses on the tatami floor.

I had such a good night sleep here because it was so quiet outside. No car passing by, just nature.

The kitchen is fully equipped with fridge, freezer, stove, microwave, rice cooker and more. The nearest supermarket and restaurants are in Shibetsu town, just a 5-minute drive from NOTSUKE BASE.

There is a bathtub and 2 separate toilets, so it’s convenient for everyone even if you’re staying as a large group.

🛌 Book NOTSUKE BASE now

Who should visit Notsuke Peninsula?

Notsuke Peninsula is one of the most remote and wild corners of Hokkaido. If you’re looking for flashy, photogenic landmarks, it’s probably not for you.

But if you love getting off the beaten path and watching wildlife in wide open landscapes without the crowds, then Notsuke Peninsula is 100% worth making time for.

If you want to learn more about the peninsula before you go, check out Visit Notsuke Peninsula, a dedicated resource run by Akinori, the owner of NOTSUKE BASE and ODAITO NEST.

Happy trip planning!