【北海道車中泊旅 ep.3】日本最北端へ！ホタテの白い道と幻の魚チョウザメ丼を食べる自作バスの旅

【北海道車中泊旅 ep.3】日本最北端へ！ホタテの白い道と幻の魚チョウザメ丼を食べる自作バスの旅

Morning at Kabutonuma Campground Okay, breakfast is ready. Let’s dig in. This is the Atka mackerel left over from yesterday. I decided to make a fried Atka mackerel sandwich. It’s a shame I don’t have any vegetables, though. Just mayonnaise and fried fish. Plus a fried egg on English bread. And some fruit yogurt. And coffee. I used a ton of electricity making this, but I still have 72% battery left for now. The sun has come out a bit, so it’s actually switching over to charging. Charging at 1.18 amps. And the 12V system still has 82% left. I still have the lights on over here, and the dashcam is recording while parked. What else uses a lot of 12V power? These lights being left on. If I turn this off, will it drop? Like that. Ah! My stomach just growled. Let’s eat! Shall we eat? Okay, bon appétit. Departure. So… Will the rain stop on Wednesday? Or Thursday? Thursday, huh? If I can go tomorrow, I will. If the weather’s bad, it’ll have to be Thursday. Okay, so I’ve left Kabutonuma Auto Campground. The weather isn’t great, so I’m debating which way to head. It was a nice campsite. I was surprised by the water pressure at the tap. It comes out like *whoosh*. So you can wash dishes as much as you want, and use water freely. Well, it is a campsite. And it’s cheap. If you stay 3 nights, it’s about 1,000 yen per night. How much was one night? 1,570 yen. For a standard non-electric site. A free site would be 1,040 yen. Showers are extra. For free sites, showers are charged separately. For auto sites, showers are included. For two people, it’s 1,440 yen, so it’s not much different. It gets cheaper if you stay multiple nights. That’s right. By the way, cottages are 16,500 yen. Oh, that’s still cheap. Apparently there are three 4-person cottages. I saw three of them. The RV site is 2,620 yen. RV sites have individual water and electricity, right? And there are sites with just electricity. We don’t need electricity though. It says RV sites are reservation only. Places with just water are… Ah, here it is again. The bumps in the road always surprise me. You’d think the national highway goes straight, but we actually go right. Follow the road for 5 kilometers. This is the White Road. It’s bright. Okay, we’ve arrived at the famous “White Road” that you all know. A single white path stretching straight through the green grass toward the northern sea. The beautiful contrast became a hot topic, making this a popular photo spot. The path, about 3km long, is paved with crushed scallop shells, a specialty of Wakkanai. It feels soft and fluffy to walk on, making the stroll even more enjoyable. On clear days, you can see Mt. Rishiri and the silhouette of Sakhalin in the distance, offering magnificent scenery unique to Hokkaido. The White Road is entering the forest. We’re back on the paved road. I guess no one comes here. Pushing through the grass… Mamiya-san’s bronze statue is covered in grass. Right next to the exit of the White Road, inside Soya History Park, there is a statue built as a tribute to Mamiya Rinzo. Inside this park, starting with Soya Itsukushima Shrine and Soya Gokokuji Temple, there are historic sites and cultural assets scattered about, including a coffee bean-shaped monument for the Tsugaru Domain soldiers. And… and I can’t really read the characters here. This is… quite difficult. I wonder what it says. Let’s ask Google Sensei later. And right where you come out to the coastline, 3km south of Cape Soya in the Kiyohama district, is the site of Mamiya Rinzo’s departure to Sakhalin. In his “Totatsu Kiko,” it’s vaguely recorded just as “Soya,” but based on the discovery of Rinzo’s tombstone and Ainu folklore about Rinzo, it is believed to be the current Kiyohama district. On April 13, 1808, Rinzo (then 29), under orders from the Shogunate, departed for the first Sakhalin expedition with Matsuda Denjuro, a Matsumae magistrate official. At this time, it is said that Rinzo erected a tombstone he brought from his hometown on the beach to demonstrate his resolve for the expedition. On July 13th of the same year, he departed alone on an Ainu boat for the second Sakhalin expedition, wintered on the island, traveled north in May of the following year, surveyed up to Nani-o at the northern tip, and confirmed that Sakhalin was an island. This expedition map was later introduced by Siebold, and the gap between northern Sakhalin and the continent was named the Mamiya Strait. Next, we’ve come here. Many of you have probably been here and know it well, but this is the northernmost point of Japan. There are deer even in a place like this. It’s becoming like Nara. And this is the famous Monument of the Northernmost Point of Japan. And next to it is, once again, a bronze statue of Mamiya Rinzo. It’s packed with people here. The crowd never ends, so there’s no point in waiting. I’ll head to the next spot. Alright, departing for the next location. Okay, turned right at the road. Which means we’re heading back towards Wakkanai city. The railway used to come inside here, right? The North Breakwater Dome is a large breakwater located at Wakkanai Port in Wakkanai City, Hokkaido. It is designated as a Civil Engineering Heritage Site and a Hokkaido Heritage Site. To serve as both a breakwater for Wakkanai Port and a transfer walkway from the pier to the station, it was constructed over 5 years starting in 1931. It was named for its unique dome-shaped appearance as a breakwater. After construction, the JNR tracks were extended from Wakkanai Station to just before the dome, and Wakkanai Pier Station was opened as a temporary station within the yard. It is said that passengers walked through the dome to board the connecting ships waiting at the pier. That was the breakwater tour. Let’s go to the next spot. You used to be able to go to Russia from here, but now with the war, you can’t. Since the rain and wind are expected to get stronger in Wakkanai tonight, I’ve moved a bit south. On the way, I stopped at the ruins of the Sarufutsu Telephone Repeater Station. August 1945. Just when Japan accepted the Potsdam Declaration and the long war was supposed to be over, battle was still continuing in the northern land of Karafuto (Sakhalin). In the west coast town of Maoka, which was in chaos due to the Soviet invasion, there were women who remained at their workplace while residents desperately evacuated. They were the nine operators of the Maoka Post Office. Trembling at the approaching sounds of bombardment, they did not leave their switchboards. Because the telephone lines were the only lifeline to convey evacuation status and connect people’s lives. When Soviet soldiers became visible outside the window, they made their decision. Escape was no longer possible. They attempted their final communication. Their voices… traveled through the submarine cable crawling along the bottom of the cold strait to Hokkaido. The place where that cable landed was here, Sarufutsu Village, at the northern tip of Hokkaido. Via the Sarufutsu repeater station, the mainland and Karafuto were connected by a single line. However, that line was not merely communication equipment. It was a precious lifeline of thoughts for hometowns and concern for family safety. With those words as the last, communication to Sarufutsu ceased. It was a group suicide by potassium cyanide. Their final voices that crossed the northern sea and echoed through Sarufutsu… continue to quietly speak to us today about the preciousness of peace and the tragedy of war. To avoid the wind tonight, we decided to sleep in the car. We went a bit inland from Hamatonbetsu to a place called Kutcharo Lake Campground, but the wind at the lakeside is too strong, so we’re heading back into town. I think I’ll go to the Roadside Station “North Okhotsk Hamatonbetsu”. Okay, we’ve arrived at Roadside Station North Okhotsk Hamatonbetsu. It’s pretty exposed and the wind is harsh here too. Let’s go check the shadow of the building. It seems everyone thinks the same. Only the area in the shadow of this building is pretty full. Well, can’t be helped. I’ll go to the hot spring first and check back later. We’ve come to Hamatonbetsu Onsen. It’s the hot spring right behind the Kutcharo Lake Auto Campground we gave up on earlier due to the wind. Ah, the parking lot is full. Let’s go back to the lower parking lot. Okay then, I’m going for a bath. I finished my bath and came back to the Roadside Station, but there were even more cars than before—double the amount. Since we had no choice, we came to the Amenity Park parking lot. I’ll put these out here. One by one. They said these are the boiled ones. They said just eat them as is. Quite different. Served. Anyway, cheers. Good work. Want a scallop? Yes. I’ll have a scallop. From Sarufutsu. Though the guy in Mashike said Mashike ones are better. The brother in Mashike said so. It’s insanely delicious. Delicious. Amazing. The texture of the fibers. The Mashike guy insisted Mashike’s were tastier, but for us, Hokkaido scallops are just on another level. This is octopus from Oma. The wind is shaking the car. Surume (Dried squid). It’s not surume, though. This… This is the fried chicken and Katsudon from Hot Chef, recommended by a fellow traveler. It’s quite spicy and good. It said “Spicy Fried Chicken,” so the spices are kicking in. That night, I happened to step outside and the northern sky was bright red. Since the ocean is right there in that direction, I think it’s an aurora. Solar activity is very high this year, so it wouldn’t be strange to see an aurora from Hokkaido. I want to believe it’s an aurora. I woke up wanting espresso this morning, so I’m making some now. Okay, espresso is ready. Over here, I’m boiling water for drip coffee. And I’ll grind the beans too. Time for a wake-up cup. I’ll have the espresso. Ah, that’s good. Strong. Espresso is great. When I went to Cuba, I used to go to an espresso stand every morning. We’ve departed Hamatonbetsu Amenity Park. Yesterday the wind was crazy and the Roadside Station was full, so we took a nap at this place called Hamatonbetsu Amenity Park. It was a nice park with a decent-sized parking lot. Last night, the northern sky turned red. I think it was an aurora, but I didn’t see any info on X about it, so I’m not certain. If it was an aurora, I saw something special. Okay, we took a break at the Otoineppu Roadside Station. It’s not finished yet, so only the toilets are open. They’re building a huge building in the back. Is this a facility related to the Roadside Station? It looks like a home center building, though. I look forward to seeing what it becomes. Don’t know if I’ll come again, though. Alright, let’s head to the next destination. Destination in 500 meters. There’s a Bianchi lying there. Why in the middle of these mountains? It’s a mystery. Do we go up here? It’s muddy. It’s definitely muddy. Muddy. Ah! It’s the river! A river? A boat? By boat? The Teshio River. It’s totally backlit again. “Written by Governor Takahashi Harumi”… do we need that? Just “Hokkaido Naming Site” would have been fine. In the past, this vast land in the north of Japan was called “Ezochi.” Harsh nature and a unique culture living there. There was one man who loved it all and walked this land with his own feet. The explorer of the Bakumatsu period, Matsuura Takeshiro. He surveyed Ezochi six times in his life and left detailed maps. The place where he encountered a fateful word one day is here in present-day Otoineppu Village, where the great Teshio River flows. In 1857, Takeshiro was taught the meaning of a word by an Ainu elder, Aetoshi, at this spot. That word was “Kai.” The elder said, “‘Kai’ means one who is born in this land.” Takeshiro was deeply impressed. This land is not merely an undeveloped frontier. “Kai,” or proud people, are living here. Meiji Year 2. When asked by the new government for ideas for a new name, Takeshiro remembered those words. He wrote in his proposal: “Kitakaido” (North Kai Road). The country in the north where the Ainu people, “Kai,” live. He intentionally used the kanji “Kai” (add/this) to express respect for the indigenous people. Later, the character for “Sea” was applied for ease of writing, becoming the current “Hokkaido,” but the sound of that name certainly carries Takeshiro’s sentiments. Overlooking the Teshio River, in this place, the “Hokkaido Naming Site” monument stands quietly. The name “Hokkaido” that we use so casually. Its roots lie in the warm dialogue between the passion of one explorer and the words of the Ainu people who lived in this land. Along with the eternal flow, that story is still passed down in the northern land. They said admission is free. Huh. Yes, sturgeon. We’ve come to the Sturgeon Hall. Sturgeon, the parent of the world’s top three delicacy, caviar. Often thought of as a fish from distant foreign lands, they once existed in Japanese rivers too. The Teshio River flowing here in Bifuka Town was one of them. Until around the Meiji era, huge sturgeons swam up the river to spawn. To bring back the figure that once became a phantom to this town… Bifuka Town’s challenge began with a certain international exchange. The trigger was a “fry exchange” conducted during fishery negotiations with the former Soviet Union in 1963. Japanese Ayu eggs and Soviet sturgeon fry. This small exchange eventually led to full-scale aquaculture in Bifuka Town. In 1983, as a rearing test in a snowy cold region, 300 sturgeons were released into Mikazuki Lake in Bifuka Town. If conditions are right, the fry have amazing vitality, growing 2.5 times in weight in one month. The town has spent a long time researching and developing it as a specialty product. The crystal of that passion is the Sturgeon Hall standing in the forest park. Inside the stylish building that looks like a church, you can view these “living fossils” for free. In the hall, Ito (Stringfish) and Cherry Salmon, masters of the Teshio River, swim together, and you can observe the aquaculture process up close. The romance of the ancient fish that once bustled in the Teshio River. Please come to Bifuka Town and meet the figures swimming through eternal time. Sturgeon feed is 100 yen. Shall we try? The bite is weak. They aren’t coming at all. Let’s try the small ones. It’s floating here, but piling up at the bottom. They aren’t eating it. They’re eating at the bottom. They don’t come up. They don’t come up? Not coming at all. How about those medium-sized ones? Oh, they gathered here. These guys really came to eat. Whoa, they’re swarming. Sturgeons have funny faces. The auto campground is so huge. A grassy plaza as far as the eye can see. The Sturgeon Hall we stopped at was actually inside the campground. Bifuka Island Campground. Getting out of the car, I was first surprised by its overwhelming vastness. The well-maintained green lawn spreading along the banks of the Teshio River. And the white birch forest surrounding it is truly beautiful. Heading to the next spot. It’s getting to be a good time; lunch in 6 minutes. This is it. We can park here. Let’s back in. Okay, arrived. We’ve come to Restaurant Hisanoya. They have normal things like croquette bowls and pork cutlet bowls, but Hisanoya’s original, limited quantity Sturgeon Set Meal and Sturgeon Bowl… We have to eat this. Food is here. This is the bowl topped with fried sturgeon. Is this sturgeon miso soup? No, this isn’t related to sturgeon. He said it’s grilled in sauce. Said it’s dipped in sauce. Sashimi, fried, potato salad, miso soup, rice. Okay, let’s eat. Starting with the miso soup. Been a while since I had miso soup. It’s fish stock. Alright, I’m digging into this bowl. Sturgeon. It’s a white fish. Is this the taste of the sauce? Something… Ah, is there vinegar in it? It seems there’s vinegar in the sauce. It’s a bit refreshing and tasty. No fishy smell. It’s not a shark, so it’s not shark-like. Right, it’s not a shark. Sashimi. Sashimi. Okay, I’ll have the sashimi. Sashimi shows the taste best. Hamachi (Yellowtail)? Delicious white fish, light taste. Okay, can I try the fried one? Can I squeeze the lemon? Since it’s fried, I’ll have it with lemon and tartar sauce. Yeah, delicious. I got a phone call. Finished eating. The sturgeon sashimi was firm and crunchy, like yellowtail… like even firmer yellowtail. It was quite delicious. These are limited in quantity, so I recommend coming early for lunch. We ate the Sturgeon Set Meal and Sturgeon Bowl at the dining spot Hisanoya. Sturgeon was very delicious. Very firm texture. It’s something you have to eat if you come to Bifuka. Should we go back the way we came? 54 kilometers ahead. 54km… Hokkaido’s distances are bugged. Kagaminuma Seaside Park. Matsuura Takeshiro was here too. Sarobetsu Wilderness Parking Park. It’s this kind of place. Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park. And behind us… it’s a bit cloudy, but we can see Mt. Rishiri. And along the road, windmills continue as far as the eye can see. Right near there is the 45th Parallel North monument. This line is the 45 degrees North latitude line. This is exactly halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. There’s no explanation written. Is it on the back? There’s no explanation written at all. Campground entrance. Hokkaido Prefectural Soya Fureai Park Auto Campground. Visitor Center. This is reception. You can use cards and electronic money. We finished check-in, came to the campsite, and are preparing dinner. Tonight’s menu looks like this. First, pouring wine into the glass. Argentina, Mendoza. Cabernet Sauvignon. A dry red wine. Well then, first off, cheers. Shall we? Tonight is Genghis Khan (Lamb BBQ). It’s ready. Let’s eat. Itadakimasu. The marinated ones are tasty too. Genghis Khan is delicious! Second time having Genghis Khan since coming to Hokkaido. Delicious. Delicious. Genghis Khan is the best. The sauce marinade is sweet and tasty. It’s tasty, isn’t it. Red wine and Genghis Khan. It was the best. Thank you for watching this travel video until the end. By the way, this camper van I’m driving… Actually, two years ago, it was just a normal used bus. I converted it from scratch by myself. On my other DIY channel, starting from painting the whole bus, installing the bed, kitchen, floor heating, and air conditioner, and even challenging myself with aluminum welding for the first time to build the ultimate electrical system, I turned it into a camper capable of traveling through trial and error as an amateur. I’ve published the entire record as videos. If you’re even a little curious about how this bus works, please check out the DIY channel from the link in the description. I’m sure it will make the travels look even more fun. See you in the next video. Please subscribe to the channel as well.

北海道旅エピソード3！今回はついに日本最北端「宗谷岬」を目指します。
ホタテの貝殻が敷き詰められた絶景「白い道」や、稚内のシンボル「北防波堤ドーム」を巡りながら、北海道の歴史に触れる旅へ。

かつて樺太と日本を繋いでいた猿払の通信施設跡、そして松浦武四郎が「北海道」という地名を考案した天塩川の聖地。美しい景色の裏にある歴史の物語を辿ります。

そしてグルメも満載！猿払の極厚ホタテ、美深町では「幻の魚・チョウザメ」の丼ぶりを堪能。
夜は自作キャンピングカーで地元の食材を使った料理とワインを楽しみます。
北の空が赤く染まったあの夜、あれは本当にオーロラだったのか…？
盛りだくさんの北国旅、ぜひ最後までご覧ください！

**【目次 / タイムライン】**
00:00 兜沼キャンプ場の朝食（ホッケサンド）
06:27 絶景！白い道と利尻富士
08:14 間宮林蔵と宗谷歴史公園
10:11 日本最北端の地・宗谷岬に到着
12:32 土木遺産・北防波堤ドーム
13:49 猿払電話中継所跡～9人の乙女の悲劇～
16:00 道の駅北オホーツクはまとんべつ＆温泉
18:18 車中泊の宴（猿払産ホタテ＆大間のタコ）
20:46 北の空が赤い？オーロラ疑惑
22:22 朝のエスプレッソと出発
24:45 音威子府の道の駅（建設中？）
26:45 北海道命名の地（天塩川と松浦武四郎）
28:46 チョウザメ館でエサやり体験
33:05 レストラン久の家で「チョウザメ丼」実食
39:14 北緯45度のモニュメント
40:09 道立宗谷ふれあい公園でジンギスカン＆赤ワイン

**【このバスについて：Gyoro Channel】**
この旅で使用しているキャンピングカーは、普通の中古バスを私がDIYで改造したものです！
全塗装から内装、電気システムまで、全て手作りの製作過程はこちらのチャンネルで公開しています。
ぜひチェックしてみてください！
▼Gyoro Channel (DIYチャンネル)
https://www.youtube.com/@gyorochannel

**【今回訪れた場所・お店】**
📍 **兜沼公園キャンプ場 (豊富町)**
静かな湖畔のキャンプ場。
https://www.town.toyotomi.hokkaido.jp/tourism/kabutonumakouen/

📍 **白い道 (稚内市)**
ホタテの貝殻を敷き詰めた約3kmの道。
https://www.city.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp/kanko/midokoro/spot/shiroimichi.html

📍 **宗谷岬・宗谷歴史公園 (稚内市)**
日本最北端の地。間宮林蔵の立像があります。
https://www.city.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp/kanko/midokoro/spot/soyamisaki.html

📍 **北防波堤ドーム (稚内市)**
北海道遺産に選定されている美しい防波堤。
https://www.city.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp/kanko/midokoro/spot/domu.html

📍 **猿払電話中継所跡 (猿払村)**
樺太との通信を繋いでいた歴史的な場所。
https://sarufutsu-kankou.jp/spot/ (猿払村観光協会)

📍 **浜頓別温泉ウイング / 道の駅 北オホーツクはまとんべつ**
美肌の湯として知られる温泉と道の駅。
https://kitaohotsuku.com/

📍 **北海道命名の地 (音威子府村)**
松浦武四郎が「北加伊道」を考案した場所。天塩川歴史資料館近く。
https://www.vill.otoineppu.hokkaido.jp/kankou/spot/shiseki/meimeinochi.html

📍 **美深チョウザメ館 / 美深アイランド (美深町)**
キャンプ場内にあるチョウザメの小さな水族館。
https://www.bifukaisland.com/

📍 **レストラン 久の家 (美深町)**
名物「チョウザメ丼」「チョウザメ定食」が食べられます。
https://tabelog.com/hokkaido/A0103/A010304/1026578/ (食べログ)

📍 **北海道立宗谷ふれあい公園オートキャンプ場 (稚内市)**
広大で設備の整った高規格キャンプ場。
https://soya-fureai.com/

**【ハッシュタグ】**
#北海道旅行 #キャンピングカー #車中泊 #バンライフ #DIYキャンピングカー #日本最北端 #宗谷岬 #白い道 #チョウザメ #北海道グルメ #松浦武四郎 #Gyorochannel