Shiretoko National Park

The Ainu, Hokkaido's Indigenous people, lived from the peninsula's rich seas, rivers and forests for centuries, and many local place names come from their language. Later settlement was limited by the rugged terrain and harsh winters, which helped keep much of the peninsula wild.

Shiretoko was inscribed as a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site in 2005. UNESCO highlights it as an outstanding example of interaction between marine and land ecosystems: seasonal sea ice forms here at the lowest latitude in the northern hemisphere, nutrients released as it melts fuel plankton blooms, and salmon swimming upstream to spawn carry that richness inland to bears, fish owls and the forest itself.

Fishing for salmon, trout, kelp and other seafood is the backbone of life in Utoro and Rausu, and local menus reflect the catch. Living alongside brown bears is part of everyday reality here, and residents, guides and park staff work hard to keep both people and bears safe through visitor rules and education. Ainu heritage is recognised in place names and in the deep respect for nature that shapes how the peninsula is managed.