One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Koshimizu小清水町
Wildflowers between the sea and a swan lagoon
Okhotsk region · Abashiri, Monbetsu and Shiretoko in northeastern Hokkaido.
Koshimizu's coastal flower garden blooms wild between the Okhotsk Sea and a swan-filled lagoon — best crossed by the little seasonal train stop.
Koshimizu runs from the Okhotsk coast east of Abashiri up into the hills toward Mt. Mokoto, and its best-known place is the narrow strip in between: the Koshimizu Wildflower Garden, a wild coastal meadow squeezed between the sea and Lake Tofutsu, with a tiny seasonal railway halt in the middle of it. Behind the coast the town is potato and wheat farmland, and its upper edge looks down on Lake Kussharo. A stop that fits into any Abashiri-to-Shiretoko day.
- Region
- Okhotsk (オホーツク)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~340 km · 5.2 h summer / 6.2 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~357 km · 5.5 h summer / 6.5 h winter
- Best season in Okhotsk
- Winter for a chance of drift ice (never guaranteed); the green season for lakes and Shiretoko. Check access for your dates.
Koshimizu at a glance
Drive estimates: straight-line × 1.35, at 65 km/h (summer) / 55 km/h (winter). How we calculate
What to see in Koshimizu
Koshimizu Wildflower Garden
小清水原生花園
A coastal meadow on the sand between the sea and Lake Tofutsu, where wild roses, day lilies and dozens of other species flower from June into August. The Senmo Line's Gensei-kaen halt opens only in the flower months.
Lake Tofutsu
濤沸湖
A long brackish lagoon and Ramsar wetland shared with Abashiri. In winter hundreds of whooper swans gather at the open water near the road, and horses graze the shore in summer.
Mt. Mokoto highland
藻琴山ハイランド
The road up Mt. Mokoto from the town side ends at a rest house high above Lake Kussharo, a less-visited counterpart to Bihoro Pass. From there the summit is a short, easy climb.
Michi-no-Eki Hanayaka Koshimizu
道の駅はなやか小清水
The roadside station at Hama-Koshimizu, built onto the Senmo Line station of the same name, so trains and Route 244 traffic share one stop. Local potatoes and dairy on sale.
Getting to Koshimizu
Memanbetsu Airport is about 45 minutes by car. The JR Senmo Line follows the coast with stops at Hama-Koshimizu and, in the flower season, the Gensei-kaen halt. Route 244 runs along the shore from Abashiri to Shari, and Route 391 climbs from the town centre toward Mt. Mokoto and Lake Kussharo.
Okhotsk region: Memanbetsu Airport is the gateway for Abashiri and the Shari side; Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport serves Monbetsu. From either airport, the last leg to your pier, hotel or Utoro is a separate bus, taxi or car journey, so check it for your dates.
When to visit Koshimizu
Mid-June to July for the flower garden at its fullest, with the seasonal halt open. Winter, especially January and February, for the swans on Lake Tofutsu, which sit against the frozen sea and drift ice beyond. Late July turns the inland wheat gold.
What to eat in Koshimizu
Potatoes are the main crop and the town processes them into starch; wheat, sugar beet and beans fill the rest of the fields. Dairy from the hills goes into milk and ice cream sold along Route 244, and the coast brings in scallops and salmon.
Koshimizu in context: the Okhotsk region
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The Okhotsk region covers 18 municipalities in northeastern Hokkaido, including Abashiri, Kitami, Monbetsu and Shari. In winter, sightseeing boats leave Abashiri and Monbetsu. Drift ice can reach this coast, but when, where and how much varies from year to year, and weather and sea conditions decide each departure.