(前半)2025年夏 夫婦自転車旅 函館-大沼-豊浦-苫小牧-新ひだか町
July 2025. This time, we traveled from Hakodate to Obihiro. There’s a lot of traffic on the way to Tomakomai. From there, the coastline just stretches out. The mystical fog of Cape Erimo. Got Fever, Rain, Bear, “I didn’t think there would be bears.” Many things happened, but… The beauty of the Tokachi region Soothed my mind Soothed my fatigue in the Tokachi Mall Hot Springs Recovered my energy with delicious beef yakiniku I split this bicycle trip into two parts video. First up, here’s the first part, the journey to Shinhidaka Town! July 20, 2025 Hakodate Airport Exit the airport and turn left. There’s a bike rack like this We are going to start assembling it now. Finished! We haven’t even run a meter yet, but I’m already eating ramen at the airport. Salt ramen was amazing! Now, let’s leave the airport and proceed about 500 meters. We’ve sent our luggage to Kuroneko Yamato We’ll pick up our luggage there and attach it to the bike. So, the bike case we brought, We’ll send them back to the last hotel. Yunokawa Onsen That Jet plane is practicing go-arounds all day, and I think they have done it about 20 times now. Is that the A350? It’s going back and forth. Hakodate, Hakodate, this is a big city. It’s starting to smell a bit like Hokkaido. Me: It smells like Hokkaido.
Wife: Yeah. I can see the city of Hakodate over there. And my wife is refilling something. Wow! Amazing view You can see the Hokkaido Shinkansen. The right side is, Hakodate Hokuto ST,. Heading straight then, Shinkansen will enter a tunnel and head towards Aomori. And the city of Hakodate is right behind us. It looks beautiful. Is this all we’ve only proceeded so far? Shall we go? “lightning” is new word for me I knew only “thunder” Oh, thank goodness! There’s a sidewalk. It’d be scary without one. Wow! Isn’t that awesome? This So this is how parcels are delivered. Onuma This is reward. Beautiful Oh, there’s a swamp over here too. See? Arrived at Seicomart I wonder if they have a “hot chef” (They cook in the store). I wonder if they have a hot chef? I don’t usually drink coke, but when I do, “No diet coke please!”. Delicious! we’ve already bought dinner and breakfast Let’s head back to the hotel. Arrived 7:00 PM Day 1: Arrived at Onuma Prince Hotel. 2025/07/21 Day 2 Well, today’s the second day. Monday, July 21st I made schedul like this Today, yes. we planned to woke up at 4 AM. and be leaving at 6 AM. It’s 7:19 AM, Plan is plan. When left Hakodate Airport yesterday, It was about 40 kilometers from Hakodate Airport to Lake Onuma, but it’s quite a ride. There’s an uphill section, and after about 400 meters so I was exhausted. So woke up at 6 AM today. (Today) the elevation is 820 meters, so It’s going to be pretty tough, but we’ll try my best. Let’s go! We will be taking the busy main road to Tomakomai(Right side). I heard there are a lot of tunnels if you go from the left side. There’s a lot of uphill in the mountains. We’ve entered the “Mori”! Mori Town If we keep going down this road, we’ll reach the sea. 253km to Sapporo. Oh! It’s raining! It’s starting to rain. Well, let’s keep going! Due to heavy traffic, we’re driving on the bumpy shoulder of the road. Road side is bumpy like this… I feel like I just dropped something! Oh, I dropped my light. light has dropped. I knew south part of Hokkaido would be like this, but… I knew it, but… The route over the mountains is a bit tough, too. Okay! Only when there’s no car. Let’s not use bumpy road shoulder. Oh, here comes another Van. The lithium-ion battery light I just dropped… It fell with a lot of force. hoping it won’t cause fire. Well, if it were to catch fire here, I’d have no choice but to get off my bike, park it on the side of the road, and wait until it goes out. Actually, I wonder if it’s gonna be rain. The shoulder of the road is getting narrower. “Bokujo(Farm)-mae” bus stop name remind me I am in the country side. Heading for the next rest stop, Yakumo. I’m so grateful for this overtaking!! Whoa! The ocean is just outside the tunnel. So nice! the ocean is here. Great! This is it. This is it! Trucks just came whizzing by sometimes,and it was a bit tough at times. But roads like this are truly a treat. Is this the most spectacular view of the day? Well, it’s not exactly a spectacular view, but it’s still nice. There’s a train rail on the other side. Connects Sapporo and Hakodate. Aren’t there more 7-Elevens than Seicomarts(Local one) around here? Yes there are Wife: It’s crowded! Hokuto Express bound for Sapporo So, I’m at the 7-Eleven right now, looking for the next park, about 16 kilometers away. I’m thinking of going somewhere with a restroom. They’re selling melons for 990 yen!
I want to buy this. “Yamakoshi = (mean Over the Mountain)!” That sounds like a hilly name. We not making much progress, it’s because of a headwind. That’s a bit tough, a headwind. Wife: “Be careful, brown bears are around.” Oh! That’s true. At that time, I never imagined that just a week later I would see two brown bears for the first time in my life. We’re getting closer to town. The thing I’m most looking forward to right now is the katsudon at Seicomart. Hot Chef’s katsudon! This is truly irresistibl, riding for Katsudon now. I want to eat it! Katsudon, katsudon, katsudon! I want katsudon. We’ve arrived in town. There should be a Seico Mart if we go a little further. The clerk at the drugstore here was very friendly, and we’re chatting about many sorts of things. It seems like there’s been a bear around here recently. Well, she said to be careful. The park by the sea where we gonna have lunch seems to be OK, but across the road It seems like the promenade in the park on the left is currently closed to pedestrians. We are carrying bear spray with us. There it is! Katsudon! (Pork cutlet bowl). This one. “I’ll have Katsudon.” Well well. Where’s the park? It’s pretty spacious. The katsudon, And melon juice. (My wife) ordered katsu curry. Okay, time to enjoy katsudon I’ve been looking forward to. 590 yen. That’s very reasonable! I wonder how many calories are in this? 976 kcal, almost 1000 kcal. 600 yen. So I’m taking calories bomb Okay, let’s go. It looks like a bear has been spotted in this park. In a town like this? There’s already a residential area behind there. (Yurap River) Yurap River. Sounds like Europe. A brief moment of silence. It’s so straight, I guess some drivers nearly fall asleep. There was a sign saying, “Sleep Accidents Frequently Occur.” We are now at Oshamanbe. We’ve run 61km so far. A truck is coming from behind. I’m looking forward to staying at Shiosai Onsen tonight, since it has its own hot spring. After finishing my run today, I’ll soak in the hot springs to soothe my back pain. Will warm my back slowly When I go into a hot spring, I feel much better. This is probably They might be building the tracks for the Hokkaido Shinkansen (Bullet Train), which will extend to Sapporo. Wow, yakisoba with thick sauce. If I hadn’t had the katsudon, I would have definitely given in to the temptation of crab rice here. They’re famous for their crab rice. I see. But this season, it’s Hanasaki crab. snow crab are only in winter, no? This place has closed down. It’s a Showa-era restaurant. The former bustle is now a thing of the past. Haha! The advertisement for the Date gas station is 60 kilometers away, and the next gas station is 60 kilometers away. Amazing! This is only in Hokkaido. Taking a break at a 7-Eleven. We’ve now traveled 76 kilometers. Taking a break inside the 7-Eleven with a coffee. This is Oshamanbe Station. They’re building a Shinkansen next to it. There’s a lot of traffic, but it’s nice to have such a wide shoulder. Finally, I’m finally on a nice Hokkaido road. I wonder if that’s the Hakodate Main Line Railway all the way to the left? JR Sapporo to Hakodate *’＝}? d＜Bwoooooooon!! You couldn’t hear me! So loud! You are going fast! 85km done. 30km remaining. The uphill section begins here. Until now, I used to be the one who watch from the train, but today it’s the other way around! Let’s keep moving! Wife: “Enjoy!!” The last 30km had a lot of ups and downs. She is enjoying…. Ok, the rear lights of her look better. “I can’t keep up!” Wife: “I’ll pull you.” “Pulling? how? no wind. (laughs)” I’m starting to sweat. “Now,1-1, 1st gear.” (Lightest gear) Wife: “2-2, 2nd gear.” Me: “2nd gear?!” It’s so hard,but It feels good as well. It’s painful but good.
Which? Is there a tunnel ahead? Watch out. Waiting for the traffic to clear. Okay, let’s go! Oh, there’s a sidewalk! It was too narrow for a bike with panniers. Maybe it was for evacuation. Wife: “No way! No way!” Me: “No way?”
Wife: “Nooo.” Wife: “Are you okay?” If I fell off the narrow sidewalk and a car was following me, I’d be dead, so I got off onto the road. The wind pressure and sound in the tunnel are overwhelming. Thank you!! Whew! I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t scared. That would be a big lie. I wonder if my tire is flat.
Let me take a look at the tire behind me. When I got off the sidewalk, it made a loud bang. Oh, looks fine. Me: “Do you want some? Salt candy or something?”
Wife: “No, uh, give it to me, I’ll take it.” Me: “Can I have a mango too?” “It’s melting because of the heat. It’s not solid at all.” “300 meters left, uphill.” Here, yeah, OK. Okay, let’s go! 300m of climbing left Downhill! What is waiting after downhill? Wife: “So what?”
Me: “Uphill” Oshamanbe Town This road’s great! Don’t be fooled by the sound. Stay calm. What’s going on? My ears hurt!
(The volume has been turned down for your viewing.) Whoa! It’s more thanloud, it’s that my ears hurt! The sound pressure was so intense I thought my eardrums might burst. To those who has custom muffler for your self satisfaction, please be considerate of pedestrians and cyclists in the tunnel. Eardrums really hurt. It was really loud. Yeah, my ears hurt. If there’s a downhill slope, There would be an uphill slope, If there’s an uphill slope, There would be a downhill slope, We’ve just run 108 kilometers so far. Only 7 kilometers left until the finish line. Let’s keep watching out. I think We’ve done with the mountain. Taking a break before the final climb. I thought I was almost done.
Well, let’skeep moving. We’ve made 110 kilometers so far. Well, would I recommend the southern Hokkaido area from Hakodate to Tomakomai or Sapporo? Hmm… Well, I’d never done this route before, so I decided to come this time. There’s a lot of traffic, and the roads are a bit narrow. Hmm… There would be no choice if you start from Hakodate. by arriving Ferry, Well, I’d probably enter from Tomakomai by Ferry. Or Entering from Sapporo or somewhere along the Ororon Line. Going to Wakkanai or eastern Hokkaido would be more fun asn scenary. Personally, I think it would be more enjoyable. Well, we have no choice this time, so let’s go. Okay! The last 100 meters (uphill) No choice 84 meters 85 meters, about 15 meters left. This is the very last one. Please. A tunnel? Well, this is the end. Go through that tunnel. Probably going down. The end. Okay! Is that the round thing? Just a little more. Wow, the gear is heavy! It’s 3-9. We’ve arrived! I love this quiet atmosphere. No more trucks. Okay, I’m done shopping at Seicomart. Toyoura. Maybe the bikes can be parded around there. Shiosai Natural Toyoura Hot Springs There’s another group here. Maybe this Riders might be from abroad. Nice. So calm. Pirika (Room name). Oh! That’s great! Oh, the ocean! Here we are! The ocean! We ran 116 kilometers today. Good job! Yes! For dinner tonight, We ordered in-room dining, a scallop set meal at the restaurant downstairs, and a ginger pork set meal, and it’s just arrived! Scallops. My wife ordered the scallop set meal. I really wanted meat. Ginger pork with rice Was miso soup always this delicious? The miso soup is delicious! Maybe everything tastes so good now. A moment of bliss in a private hot spring. 2025/07/22 Day 3 Good morning. Today is the morning of the third day. We woke up late again today, around 7:00 AM. Yes, plan is plan. What a beautiful morning, with the ocean right in front. We’ll have the convenience store food we bought yesterday here. Ready. The ocean is pretty close by, so let’s go see it first. Let’s go . 118 kilometers, about 400 meters of elevation gain. The weather forecast says it’ll be up to 34 degrees in Kitami, Hokkaido. Maybe it’ll be around 30 degrees along the coast? Ah! My butt hurts. Nice weather, smell of the ocean. “Are there any fish or shells?”
“There are lots.” “Really?”
“Shellfish.” First climb Feeling great after breakfast Today was the first time I’d ever enjoyed climbing.
This feels great. I’m getting used to it now. Chas Tunnel… sounds like foreign name . Oh, truck is coming. Sorry for the interruption. That’s a lot of wind pressure. I’m glad the truck behind me was so gentle and waited for me. Thank you. Muroran 7508 Most trucks pass you very safely. Muroran 37327 Most of them… This is Toya Station. There are a lot of things I enjoy about riding a bicycle. When I’m on the bike, I find myself thinking about various sorts of things. Lately, when I’m just living my normal life, I find myself looking at my smartphone, There’s always something I need to do, but when I’m pedaling, I just stare at the passing scenery, pondering a wide range of topics. I find myself pondering a wide range of topics. 42 kilometers to go until the industrial city of Muroran. I bought a melon here and sent it to my parents. The shoulder of the road is covered in rocks. Damn. But the view is spectacular. My pedals are starting to tick a little, so I need to stop and fix them. I’ll do that when I get down. I can finally see the word Tomakomai. I like it! Turning right here. This is great! This is great! It’s like my legs are pedaling automatically now. Sunflower Kamui(Ferry) Is it being repaired here right now? What does this mean? Why is the ferry connecting Oarai and Tomakomai in Muroran? There’s a Sunflower(Ferry). Once exit this tunnel, we’ll be in Muroran city. We’ll be on the left. Okay. Taking a break at Seicomart. Slight change of plans. I found a park with a shade, so we decided to have lunch there. I bought a cup of soba noodles like this. That’s a great idea! It’s easy to eat. Pork cutlet curry with spicy cucumber. Fried chicken, potatoes, and soba noodles. Let’s eat! Allowed to eat anything during the ride. It was a nice break. Noboribetsu Fire Station is so impressive. Gymnasium Does Noboribetsu City have money? What a magnificent building. 47km to go until Tomakomai. Noboribetsu… What’s this? Marine Park Nix. They even have a Ferris wheel. Apparently it’s an aquarium. Shiraoi Well, Garmin started telling turning point only after passing.. I wonder if restarting Garming will fix this. It’s a bit troubling. So we are heading back now. I made route with the least traffic when available. Good thing it was a deer.(Not an Bear) Wife: “There was a sign about brown bears just around the corner.” Oh, good thing there were people there. It’s so calming to be around people. The sound of the deer running in the bush scared us. It was so fast. I couldn’t see it in the bushes next to me, but I could hear the sound of a large animal running alongside us for a while. Felt like that sign with the words “Stay safe” is for us. Wow! The hole My mind was way I was a bit scared. Tomakomai is about 25 kilometers away. There’s a large ship over there, but it’s not visible in the picture. That must also be a ship entering Tomakomai Port. For tomorrow. I’ve scheduled a rest day, so even if I’m burned out today, I’ll have a full day tomorrow to slowly recover my energy. I feel a little more at ease. Shiraoi Station “27 kilometers to go?” “Yeah, that’s it.”
“That sounds good.” Hokkaido soft serve ice cream is the best. Finally, Tomakomai. We are at Tomakomai city is famous for hockey. The straight road is so long it almost feels like a mirage. What’s that? It looks like the surface of water. This straight line is pretty long. I think it’s about 10 kilometers long. With a tailwind, we’re moving along smoothly. We’re exceeding 30 km/h. Nice. Probably about 5 kilometers to the hotel. Quite urban, 3-lane road. 700 meters to the hotel. Arrived in Tomakomai. I could see the hotel in the distance. It’s convenient that there’s a Seicomart right in front of the hotel. I think I’ll just relax in the room tonight. “Nice idea. I’m tired too.” We’ll stay here for two nights. There’s even a microwave. 2025/07/23 Day 4: Rest Day Breakfast Doing laundry Inflating the tires This pump It’s easy to inflate. We will visit that observation tower. We are not riding bike today. Arrived. Let’s climb up here. Well, there are stairs here. The hotel we’re staying at is directly ahead. This way is New Chitose Airport. I can’t see the airport. I can’t see Chitose Airport. And yesterday, we came from the west over there. The smoke coming out of the chimney there is Oji Paper. Actually, since this morning. My tonsils are swollen and I’m feeling fatigued. It is fortunate that we planned today off today, but… um… I wish I will recover soon, I’m taking the day off today. This park is much bigger than I expected. It’s so large! Really large! (Yes, this is Hokkaido) This is probably a skating rink. they train here. I can’t get anywhere if I walk on this road.Looks like a runway. A huge pachinko parlor that And an even bigger Don Quijote. Mega Don Quijote. left the hotel and headed to Midorigaoka Park. Then arrived at the station. Did you know? Tomakomai Tourism Ambassador. “Tomachop” “Tomachop” from Tomakomai. The “cho” in swan The “yo” in iris The “t” in surf clam The “pu” in haskap All together, it’s “Tomato chop!” Sorry! it’s a bit difficult to Explain in Foregin Language, its naming is a bit funny and strange for me… Friend Building I wonder if this was originally a container railroad track. There’s platform 3, too. Maybe the railroad came all the way here before? Come to think of it, this is a common thing in Hokkaido. Most of people leaves their car engine running, even when there’s no one in it. They park with keep enging on and go shopping at the store. This melon… Not just one slice, but a whole one at the supermarke we bought. We bought this for 980 yen. It’s from Furano and it’s delicious! It’s super sweet. 2025/07/24 Day 5 Good morning! Today is Day 5. Today we are heading to Shizunai (Shinhidaka Town). About 80 kilometers. I’m hoping the traffic will thin out starting today. From here on out, it’s time to take it easy. I hope less traffic I’m not feeling too well. I wonder how it will go. Well, I’ll try not to push myself too hard. Okay, so, at 9 a.m. We started a little late. Had a nice breakfast though, since my throat is a bit sore I’m going to take it easy for 80 kilometers. The weather forecast has been telling about Hokkaido being hot every day, but today… Maybe it’s because I haven’t been up a hill yet. The morning air feels so good. The bike lanes are painted blue,this is good. Today is the fifth morning, and so far… This feels great, even though I’m not feeling well. Apparently it’s 24 degrees this morning, this weather will help me for recovering. The refreshing flavor of summer vacation. Sunflower(Ferry) is on the right, and New Japan Felly is on the east. East Port. We’re on the left. There are a lot of trucks. This wide lanes, the feel of the road It reminds me of Thailand. This is the Hidaka Main Line. We’re about 10 kilometers out of town now. About 10 kilometers, I guess. We are out of town. The trucks resistration sign plate has changed to Sapporo. Before, it was always loaded with trucks from Hakodate, but now it’s loaded with trucks from Muroran. This mean we have traveled This is Muroran. And Hokkaido’s rivers are wild. It really is a wild river. This road is the workplace for Truck drivers, Sorry for interruptin your work. This is Higashi Port Terminal. There will betriathlon! Wow! Deer jumping out sign. Nice straight line. There’s a headwind right now, but even so The wind is pleasant, and I feel, how should I explain it, energized for the morning. Everything feels great. I know, I’m not very good at explaining things, but
Everything feels great. This is amazing! Nippon Paper shut down its paper mill in 2020 and switched to a biomass power plant. We’re in the era of paperless technology. The ocean is coming into view. We’re heading left. That’s the Tomakomai East Terminal, where the Shin Nihonkai Ferry departs. It’s really just the middle of nowhere. That’s the Hidaka Main Line down there. It looks a bit like a marsh. A peaceful landscape unfolds before my eyes. Last year, we took the Shin Nihonkai Ferry to Tsuruga From there, at night, on a snowy night, it was a quiet and lonley place. That’s the impression of mine, I’m here again in the summer now, the scenery is completely different from it of winter. This is also nice. “Take care”
“Thank you.” Wife: “This is it!” “This is it!”
Wife: “Yes!” I wonder what kind of factory this is. It’s a thermal power plant. Haha, you’re going in there! lol The temperature and weather and the wind are all good I feel like I want to keep riding like this forever. Well, I guess I can say there aren’t any hills yet. We’ve got the whole place to ourselves. The ferry terminal we just left. Once we’d passed, there was no one there. There were deer there, though. These beach is over there , now this road and scenic is only for us. Mukawa Shiki no Yakata Let’s go to the roadside station. There’s a hot spring here, too. Shiki no Yakata Parking, restroom, hot springs, food…perfect! I’m a little tired. Let’s take a break. There’s a headwind. Wife: “Ugh, my butt hurts.” Foods are ready, but I’m not hungry yet. Got this drink Well, I bought this since it lookd good for cycling.
It contains citric acid and costs 240 yen. It’s like a sour sports drink,
and it’s perfect for cycling trips. Self-Defense Forces Did you turn on your front light? Okay. 15 more kilometers to the convenience store. This says to go straight, but the old bridge isn’t in use anymore. There’s an old bridge, though. I guess they don’t use it either. 37 more kilometers, no turns. I won’t get lost. Okay,,Bicycles are slow. Hidaka region, famous for its horses. No shadows. Hidaka Town, Midori Town In other words, there’s a town in town. Wow! Let’s have lunch! This is probably the first time in my life I’ve ever ordered a Coke at a soba restaurant. Time to fill the energy. Soba and tempura bowl set. ITADAKIMASU! It was delicious! Thank you for the meal. Full of energy! Let’s go! Let’s go! It was a delicious meal! When someone kindly overtake like this, It really touches my heart. Thank you to the Self-Defense Forces for your hard work! Hello! Like New Zealand Reminds me motorcycle travel around New Zealand There were lots of roads like this 27 kilometers left Wife: “♫Seico Mart♪” This is also a spectacular view. It’s amazing. Thank you. The weather is perfect. The ocean breeze is cool. I’m glad I came here. Probably today I’m sure I’ve taken a lot of videos of similar scenery, but I’ll edit it later. It’s so beautiful, I just can’t help it. I’ll just record it. It’s kelp. There’s railroad tracks and they’re rusty. It’s been a while since we’ve seen a traffic light. It’s been about 30 minutes. It’s a bit of a relief to be back in town. This is the second climb. The Hidaka Main Line railway bridge which is no longer in use still stands. . เก่งมาก Good job! “Long.”
“Long.” It’s so hard. Phew. Need drink,,was tough,,, Oh no, oh no. We’re up! Amazing view! Oh no, She’s gone. Poor thing, the rail tracks are cut down. Wow! Seeing people make us fee secure Finally, after riding 80 kilometers, we arrived in Shinhidaka Town. My throat hurts a little, but we made it This is Shizunai Town, where We’ll be staying tonight. Sorry, I imagined it to be a more rundown town. They have everything. Max Value, Tsuruha Drug, Seico Mart, Daiso, Aeon, McDonald’s Most of the sets are like this. Wow! A nostalgic deserted bar street It’s a bar street, huh? It should be somewhere around there. Ah, there it is, this is it. Arrived Shizunai Annex Inn Apparently, it’s inspired by horse racing tickets. Room for tonight Melon we bought in Tomakomai the day before yesterday. The sweetness permeates my body. Thank you for watching! In next episode, we will keep traveling from Shinhidaka Town to our destination, Obihiro. Please subscribe to channel. If you enjoyed the video, please give it a Thumbs up! See you next time!
2025年7月 北海道函館から帯広まで600km夫婦クロスバイクで周りました。途中で熱を出したり、人生で初めて熊を目撃したり、色々あった自転車旅行となりました。是非皆さんの旅行の参考になれば幸いです。また函館苫小牧間は交通量が多かったですが、苫小牧から先は交通量も減り、美しい海岸線や、えりも岬、また十勝地方の雄大な美しい景色に癒されました。最後は十勝モール温泉で疲れを癒し、思い出に残る旅になりました。体調を崩してしまい、とかプチ400北側が走れなかったのが心残りです。
