Top Things to do in Tomakomai
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Top 10 Things to do in Tomakomai, Japan
Discover the best top things to do in Tomakomai, Japan including Mount Tarumae, Lake Utonai, Tomakomai City Science Center, Sea Station Plat Seaport Market, Mol Ferry Sunflower, Michinoeki Utonaiko, Nishiki Onuma Park, Lake Utonai Sanctuary, Lake Utonai Wildlife Conservation Center, Tomakomai City Midorigaoka Park Observation Deck.
Restaurants in Tomakomai
1. Mount Tarumae
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 46 reviews
Reviewed By Doug C - Brisbane, Australia
We visited on a weekday afternoon and there were few other walkers. The usual bear warnings apply in this area. The climb to the crater is initially in thick vegetation but opens up and provides splendid views of the surrounding landscape and the volcano itself. The track requires a good degree of fitness and sturdy footwear (track is stony in parts). We used a hire car to get to Mt Tarumae.
N.B. Mt Tarumae is an active volcano and the road into the car park is unmade.
2. Lake Utonai
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 97 reviews
Reviewed By pointoprove - Sydney, Australia
Visited this last week..the lake is no big deal although if you have small kids they could feed the swans...The wild life centre or bird sanctuary is very good and a nice walk...
3. Tomakomai City Science Center
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 27 reviews
Reviewed By Simone R - Melbourne, Australia
We only went into the MIR museum, which is free. I think you might have to pay for the rest of the science museum. It's so amazing to see the MIR twin up close, especially the small areas they had to work and live in. There is a pamphlet available in English, and English labelling of certain parts to help you get a better understanding of everything. It was the highlight of our visit to Tomakomai.
4. Sea Station Plat Seaport Market
Overall Ratings
4 based on 68 reviews
A fresh fish shop, greengrocery, 21 stores including the restaurant are markets linking the eaves. It is next to business, Tomakomai fishing port and the wholesale market from 7:00 a.m. and offers fresh fishery products and farm products. In addition, the restaurant where a lot of dishes using ホッキ shellfish made specially in Tomakomai gather is popular. It is the market which it does well as a citizen's kitchen, and a lot of tourists visit as a tourist attraction of the Tomakomai only meal.
Reviewed By DYA717 - Honolulu
Sea Station Plat Seaport Market – About a 30 minute walk from Tomakomai train station. The market is situated in two long buildings housing fresh seafood dealers, restaurants and other shops selling groceries and other items. The restaurants offer special sets of fresh shellfish meals at really good prices.
5. Mol Ferry Sunflower
Overall Ratings
4 based on 28 reviews
Reviewed By liukuei - Hong Kong
There’s no reviews written in English concerning this service. I read a somewhat negative report on CNNGo. My report is more positive than the CNN report.
My family and I (wife, children aged 8 and 10) took the 1845 ferry from Hokkaido (Tomakomai) to Ibaraki (Oarai) in March 2013 after a ski trip in Niseko. We stayed in a standard room. The sea was calm along the way and we found it to be a comfortable and pleasantly memorable experience. We may or may not do it again because it took 2 days to get to Tokyo instead of the usual 1 day. My children loved it however.
Getting there and away.
The simplest way, even coming from Niseko, is to go back to the airport and catch the shuttle bus that departs Chitose Airport at 1720. It’s very smooth, the bus drops you off at the ferry well on time.
On the Tokyo side of the trip, there is again a shuttle bus right there. However, we had to wait 40 min for it. Once we got to Mito station (most people get off the bus there and it looks like a station), we took a Joban train local which takes an eternity to travel. We should have splurged and done one of two things: buy green car tickets (if on the local train) or not take the local train and instead get on a shinkansen.
The boat
The boat is big. They have greeters when you board who usher you politely and efficiently to your room. The interior looks like you’re back in the 60s, even though the boat was built in 1998.
The rooms
We had a standard room. It was clean and spacious. Still tight, because it’s a japanese boat, but more comfortable than the rooms on the Tokyo-Sapporo Hokutosei sleeper train.
Food
We brought our own, bought at the airport. We didn’t look forward to all-you-can-eat buffets on a relatively cheap ferry. The buffet did not look appetizing but we didn't look closely.
Drinks
Lots of booze for sale on board.
Onsen
Surprisingly clean. But I was silly and stayed a whole 12min in the sauna because there’s a clock on the wall that counts up to 12min. I wasn’t feeling too good after that. I don't advise staying 12min just because the clock counts 12min.
Announcements
They’re too frequent and in Japanese only. But they don’t announce anything that you don’t know. Mostly: “time for breakfast...breakfast will end soon... breakfast ended,” and so on. So you can just turn off the volume. There's a volume button near the door.
Truck drivers
There are many on the boat. The CNNGo review made a big fuss about them. We didn’t ourselves see much of them. They’re segregated from the other passengers. And they seemed to be polite and most civilized.
All in all
A positive experience. But it's a long way to reach Tokyo. Make sure to get a nice train to Tokyo from Mito station. It ruins the trip to be standing the whole way on the Joban local train.
6. Michinoeki Utonaiko
7. Nishiki Onuma Park
Overall Ratings
4 based on 17 reviews
8. Lake Utonai Sanctuary
Overall Ratings
4 based on 24 reviews
Reviewed By JUMPINGMissbunny - Tokyo, Japan
季節の野鳥や草花を楽しみながら散策できる遊歩道があって、晴れた日にのんびり歩くには最高。少し歩くと「野生鳥獣保護センター」というのがあって、こちらは近代的な建物で、同じく鳥たちや周辺の自然が学べます。すべて無料なのがうれしい。空港からも主要道路からもほど近い場所にこんな自然豊かな場所があるなんて。
9. Lake Utonai Wildlife Conservation Center
Overall Ratings
3.5 based on 25 reviews
Reviewed By キャプテンぽんた - Japan
入り口の”環境省”の文字が何だか堅いイメージだし、運転で頭がかなり疲れていたので入ろか止めよか迷っていると、中からスタッフが、「ハーイ、いらっしゃい！面白いクイズもやってます！正解するとプレゼントありますよ！」と言うのでその気になって中へ。
な、なんと先入観を覆す頭に優しい施設でしょ～！
難しい文献ではなく、写真や絵などの展示物、大型スクリーンの映像などによって、自然環境や自然保護の大切さを楽しみながら学べます。
湖や湿原の鳥獣観察コーナーには、湖の方へ向けて望遠鏡が何台も並んでいます。
さっそく覗いてみましたが、この時季は鳥が少ないということで、全く確認できません(>_<)。
で、バードウオッチングの代わりに企画されているのが、センターの自然散策路のうちの500mを巡ってクイズに答えるゲームです。
いざ出発時に、苦手なナニが出ないかと尋ねると湿地なので結構出没すると聞いてギブアップしてしまいプレゼントをGetし損ねました(T_T)；；。
10. Tomakomai City Midorigaoka Park Observation Deck
Overall Ratings
4 based on 12 reviews
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