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Abashiri    Tofutsu Lake     Shari/Shiretoko

Places to Eat near Tofutsu Lake

• Teishaba (停車場)
  Mainly Western-style, in Kitahama train station, an old wooden building
  Op: 11:00~20:00 ex Tuesday  Cl: Tuesday
  Ad: JR Kitahama station
  Price: Drinks ¥400~¥500; Meals ¥600~¥1,100
  Web: In Japanese, has photos, etc.
  Other: Smoking permitted (never bothered me here, booth seats by the window probably best); no credit cards; kids okay
  Access: On route 244 on left side just after the long, smooth stretch of road from Mokoto heading toward Tofutsu Lake. Map
  Comments: Beautiful view to the Sea of Okhotsk just meters away. Retro ambiance resembling wooden interior of a train of the old days. About 10 minutes walk to Swan Park, so you could take a train, get off here, have lunch/coffee, walk to the lake, and then even walk along the lake for 7 km to Koshimizu Wild Flower Park and Hama-koshimizu, and take the train again from Gensei-kaen (open May~October) or Hama-koshimizu station. Check train schedules!

• Mugiwara Boushi (麦わら帽子)
  Curries (Japanese-style), pastas, salads, set meals, etc.
  Op: 11:00~19:30 (last order) ex Thursday  Cl: Thursday
  Ad: Kitahama 16-12, Abashiri
  Price: around ¥1,000
  Web: n/a
  Other: Smoking permitted; no credit cards; kids okay
  Access: On route 244 past JR Kitahama station and the Seico-mart convenience store, on the left, as you head toward the lake. Map
  Comments: Popular among locals, pleasant retro atmosphere, good food, been in business a long time. Just a few minutes walk from Swan Park.

• Taroyama (太郎山)
  Chinese noodles (ramen), onigiri rice balls, soft ice cream, etc.
  Op: 11:00~19:00 ex Wednesday Cl: Wednesday
  Ad: Hama-koshimizu 474, Koshimizu
  Price: ¥650~¥1,050
  Web: n/a
  Other: Smoking permitted (here, too, booth seats by the window probably best); no credit cards; kids okay
  Access: In the same area as Hama-koshimizu train station and the Michi-no-Eki next to the station, on route 244. Map
  Comments: I love to come here, especially on a cold day, after spending time looking at birds at Heiwa Bridge which is about 1 km from here. On the way, drop in at the pottery gallery of Hokujigama Kiln if you like, a dark red building across the road from the lake, about 300 m from 244. Another spot to look at birds, by the way, is that white pyramidical structure on the top of a nearby hill (you can't miss it). You can easily walk there from the parking lot.

• Ekibasha (ラーメンきっさ「えきばしゃ」)
  Chinese noodles (ramen), coffee, etc.
  Op: 11:00~19:30 (last order), open Sundays, other days irregular (info from Tabelog)
  Cl: Irregular; Tel: 0152-67-2152
  Price: Less than ¥1,000
  Web: In Japanese
  Other: No info on smoking; no credit cards; kids okay
  Access: About 5 km east of Hama-koshimizu, 9 km west of Shari. Inside JR Yamubetsu station, an old wooden building. Map
  Comments: Local reputation is good. I have been there once and thought it was good, too. Had the popular "Tsuu (Two) Ramen" with two main ingredients, Welsh onions (negi) and pork, ¥900. My main reason for mentioning Ekibasha is that it is along the back roads between Hama-koshimizu and Shari (see map). There are spots where you might want to stop and see birds, and if you happen to get hungry and Ekibasha is open then, you'll be in luck.