For the Japanese, Hokkaido represents freedom. The wide open spaces. The roads that seem to go on for eternity. Cows grazing across the countryside. Birds in abundance always filling the skies with chatter. Brilliant flowers of every hue. It's the complete and total antithesis of the city life that most Japanese have come to accept. Even the harsh winters are turned into times of celebration with the snow & ice festival in Sapporo. In many ways, Hokkaido is Japan's Alaska, the place that represents the ends of the earth, a place where one can lose himself, a sanctuary that represents escaping the daily stresses of society while offering a chance to recharge one's batteries. A friend and I spent a week and a half driving around the island and visiting its many national parks. Twenty rolls of film were shot in half as many days, proving that there is no shortage of interesting things to photograph even on Japan's least densely populated island.
Multitudes of flowers blanket the island from spring to autumn.
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It takes precious little time to come to the realization that this island looks like no other place in Japan.
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Dramatic seascapes follow the driver of coastal roads on the island's southeast.
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Volcano-studded Shiretoko peninsula represents the end of the road, literally.
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Deer are so common in this part of Japan that seeing them on the sides of the roads becomes nearly routine.
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Shiretoko National Park covers the farflung northeastern peninsula of Hokkaido and includes great tracts of land inaccessible to cars. Sightseeing boats are the only way to experience this remote wilderness.
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One of the many beautiful lakes in Akan National Park.
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A glimpse into Hell from Akan National Park; foul odors & gasses pumped from the center of the earth sprout & stain this unfortunate mountain. While trying to pinpoint the nature of the fetid stench, one worried viewer could only exclaim, "It smells like... something is wrong."
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Even in summer frequent cold fronts roll across the island, reminding the visitor that nature always rules this part of the earth. Yet even the darkest days often yielded spectacular scenery, such as this haunting glimpse from inside Daisetsuzan National Park during a very brief respite from the rain that day.
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At the very northern end of the island in Wakkanai is the mesmerizing Gateway to Snow & Ice,
a memorial to the former Japanese settlements on Sakhalin Island (now part of Russia),
visible on the horizon from this hilltop.
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An hour ferry ride off the west coast of Hokkaido brings us to Yagishiri Island,
with
neighboring Teuri Island visible in the distance
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Yagishiri and Teuri form a quasi national park
noted for stunning coastal vistas
and lively colonies of rare sea birds.
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Teuri Island's most famous spot, a regular feature of Hokkaido tourist publications.
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The birds obviously don't pay much respect to the giant statues erected in their honor,
perhaps a parting reminder that nature will always have the final say here.
