Utoro

We will be passing by Shari on our way to Kushiro and would like to know if it is worthwhile detouring to Utoro for a one night stay to visit the five lakes. Are there any other recommended places not to be missed in Utoro?

I have been to Utoro in fall not in the winter. Utoro is the gateway to the Shiretoko National Park in Shiretoko Peninsula. The park was inscribed by UNESCO as a World Heritage in 2005. Some of attractions in the park are Kamuiwakka Falls, Shiretoko Five Lakes ( quite a walk deep into the woods ), Shiretoko Pass (closed in the winter) and the boat cruise along the west coast of the peninsula ( may not be in operation in the winter ?). One of the greatest attractions during our visit was watching countless nos of salmons swimming upstream in the rivers. There were so near in the shadow water that we could really touch them with our hands. The fall foliage is another good reason to visit. There are plenty of wild animals in the park like the brown bears, dears (you can really see them roaming around in some places),eagles and a very rare owl only found in this part of Japan. Utoro, the town itself, has very little to offer. It is a fishing town/port.Most of the resort hotels in Utoro have the natural onsen. I guess Shiretoko is as charming as in the winter.

Apparently, there are a few guided tours in the winter. The brochure I collected from the hotel mentioned a few, one of them is a bird watching tour in the early morning and other two are guided walking tour in the woods. The website is http://www.shiretoko.info.