Trip from Kushiro 釧路 to Kitami 北見 via Ikeda 池田, Ashoro 足寄, Rikubetsu 陸別
[Photo Credit : The header images have been taken from Tetsudō Hobidas photographed by ① 加藤潤様 (2020.01.25) ② 大森裕様 (2022.02.18) both between Atsunai 厚内 & Ombetsu 音別 of JR Nemuro Main Line 根室本線]
Preface
I made a brief tour in Hokkaidō in early June 2024, using JR Nemuro Line (#根室本線) between Kushiro (釧路) and Ikeda (池田) to visit several stations Otanoshike (大楽毛), Shoro (庶路), Ombetsu (音別), Atsunai (厚内) and Urahoro (浦幌), then taking buses from Ikeda to Kitami via Ashoro (足寄) and Rikubetsu (陸別) effectively following the route of discontinued railway called JNR Chihoku Line (#池北線).
I'm afraid I won't take JR Nemuro Line beyond Kushiro toward Nemuro, the landscape of which is otherworldly different and so fascinating that I travelled this particular route called Hanasaki Line (#花咲線) several times...
This photo posted in X(Twitter) effectively tells my image of Hanasaki Line:
https://twitter.com/SokoKhazar/status/1764222459388326330
In this article I won't write much, but just show photos I took.
In addition, I will post two or three separate articles on
Pashikuru Pond (馬主来沼)
Atsunai Station (厚内駅)
Ashoro Museum of Paleontology (足寄動物化石博物館) --- if possible
Some remarks
There are several signaling stations between Kushiro and Ikeda. Some of them were stations until a few years ago, but have been discontinued due to lack of passengers such as Furuse (古瀬), Shakubetsu (尺別), Chokubetsu (直別) and Kami-Atsunai (上厚内). All of them were open for passengers when I travelled from Takikawa (滝川) to Kushiro in August 2014. I wish to post a separate article to compare before and afters.
JR Hokkaidō has not only reduced the number of stations but also the number of routes, citing the impact of reduced passenger volume and the difficulty of recovering from natural disasters, but another factor that must not be forgotten is JR Hokkaidō's fragile management structure.
Itinerary
Itinerary of this tour is the following:
<Day-1: 2024/06/05 (Wed.)>
HND/KUH NH4771 (Air Do)
Kushiro Airport (たんちょう釧路空港) → Otanoshike Station (大楽毛駅) : Akan Bus
Otanoshike → Ombetsu : 2524D (JR Nemuro Main Line)
Ombetsu Station (音別駅) → Shoro Station (庶路駅) : Kushiro Bus
Shoro → Kushiro : 2523D (JR Nemuro Main Line)
Kushiro → Atsunai : 2526D (JR Nemuro Main Line)
Atsunai → Urahoro : 2528D (JR Nemuro Main Line)
<Day-2: 2024/06/06 (Thu.)>
Urahoro → Ikeda : 2522D (JR Nemuro Main Line)
Ikeda Station → Ashoro Museum of Paleontology (足寄動物化石博物館) : Tokachi Bus
Ashoro Station (足寄駅) → Rikubetsu Station (陸別駅) : Tokachi Bus
Rikubetsu Station (陸別駅) → Kitami Station (北見駅) : Hokkaidō Kitami Bus
<Day-3: 2024/06/07 (Fri.)>
Kitami Station (北見駅)→ Asahikawa Station (旭川駅) : Akan Bus
Asahikawa Station (旭川駅) → Asahikawa Airport (旭川空港) : Furano Bus
AKJ/HND NH4778 (Air Do)
Maps
Photos
(I should have stayed in Urahoro longer…)
Rikubetsu has been called the coldest town in Japan, but Horokanai Village (幌加内村) is also known for recording the lowest temperature in Japan.
Closing
I have been to Hokkaido more than 40 times and always feel the economy is in decline.
I understand that when jobs disappear, the number of residents declines and it becomes impossible to maintain public transportation, and that abandoned villages exist in every country in the world.
However, in the case of Hokkaido, it is hard to believe that any policy has been adopted to overcome this situation.
Recently, there have been a number of utterly questionable people who are somehow leaders of local governments, and I do not believe that the future is bright.
P.S.
At Rikubetsu, I found a small monument, and I saw another monument in Kitami next day. Both of them were taken from the same steam locomotive 79667:
And I found a photo of the locomotive when it was in service:
https://rail.hobidas.com/photo/archives/2011/12/79667.html
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