Tomakomai: Discover Nature and Culture

Three distinct themes can help guide your travel planning in Tomakomai: wildlife watching at Lake Utonai, an easy hike at Tarumae Garo, and culture and natural history at the city museum. The lake, gorge, and museum each offer a different focus. If you’re looking for a hotel in Tomakomai, you can start by deciding which of these aspects matters most for your trip.

Nature at Lake Utonai

Lake Utonai is a 275-hectare freshwater lake surrounded by natural lowland and wetlands. The area comprising Lake Utonai and its surroundings covers about 510 hectares and is designated as a special zone within a nationally designated wildlife protection area. The figures refer to different areas: 275 hectares refers to the lake, while about 510 hectares refers to the lake and its surroundings. This distinction helps clarify the size of the body of water and the extent of the designated special zone.

Birdwatching, nature walks, and observing nature are possible at Lake Utonai in every season. You can focus on watching birds, plan a walk, or combine the two.

Getting your bearings and enjoying the view

The Lake Utonai roadside station is located on National Route 36, near New Chitose Airport and the Tomakomai ferry terminal. Its viewing area has a rooftop terrace where you can enjoy a panoramic view of Lake Utonai. Its location on the road and proximity to both transport hubs make it easy to factor the roadside station into your journey. If you plan to visit, check the latest operating conditions in advance.

Tarumae Garo: a gorge and an easy hike

In western Tomakomai, the Tarumae River has carved steep cliffs. Moss-covered walls rise above gently flowing water; the river, rock, and moss shape the gorge’s landscape. The hike at Tarumae Garo is pleasant and easy.

Activity is a clear way to choose between these nature experiences: at Lake Utonai, birdwatching, walks, and observing nature are possible in every season; Tarumae Garo offers an easy hike through a landscape carved by the river. Tarumae Garo is accessible by car from the main road between Tomakomai and Shiraoi. Road conditions and access information may change, so check both before setting out.

Culture and natural history at the city museum

At the Tomakomai City Museum, you can see a large Ainu dugout canoe (Chip/Itaomachipu) up close. It is designated as an Important Cultural Property of Hokkaido. The permanent exhibition explains the eruption history of Tarumae through a large geological cross-section model, real pumice, and an oak with a double root system that formed as a result of the 1739 eruption. The museum thus highlights two distinct subjects: a designated Ainu cultural property and Tarumae’s volcanic history.

If you’re interested in the city museum, you can choose between seeing a specific cultural property and exploring a permanent exhibition on the history of eruptions. The exhibition covers this history through a range of objects: a geological model, real pumice, and the oak associated with the 1739 eruption.

Discover more destinations: Teshikaga, Hidaka, Shibetsu, Ashibetsu, Urakawa, Soyamisaki, Eniwa, Abuta District

For the main travel overview: Hokkaido.