From the Northern Lake -Late Autumn 2022- 'An Island Floating in the Lake, What Lies There? Lake Toya Edition'

The white hull slowly approaches the pier.
That is the ship we will be boarding.

A rope is thrown, and it docks. People walk along the pier.
I love this moment of departure, this heart-pounding moment.

When I was in elementary school, I saw a ship racing across the vast ocean in an anime called 'Future Boy Conan,' and I longed for the sea. Ever since then, island trips have held a special place in my heart, even among all my travels.
Before setting off, I was looking at a map of Lake Toya and discovered a dotted line (a shipping route)! This means I have to go!

To the island, and one step further

Well, this time I will be bringing you the second day of our trip, the afternoon part, the Lake Toya trip. In the morning, we walked theouter rim trailof Mount Usu, and then in the afternoon, we moved to Lake Toya.

What are we going to do here?

Our 'Nagu-Nagu Ichimi' trip is a journey of stepping one step further. Stepping in, that is the point. That is the secret to deeply savoring a place. And it's also the secret to going to places where there are few people (lol). So, when you come to Lake Toya, what do you do?

The island, of course! (In the style of Osamu Hayashi)

Oops, before heading to the island...
We got some local bento at Secoma (Seicomart).

Now, let's set sail!!

In a flash

Nakajima floats in the middle of Lake Toya. Ships depart for Nakajima every 30 minutes. Or to be precise, sightseeing boats that tour Lake Toya depart every 30 minutes. You can get off those sightseeing boats at Nakajima along the way, and you can return on any boat you like.
In the meantime, you can freely enjoy exploring the island. Also, there is a wide variety of walking courses, from an easy 1-hour course to a thorough 4-hour course.

And, measures against getting stranded (getting lost) are also perfect. You need to submit an entry (island entry) form at the center near the pier. This way, you won't end up in a Robinson Crusoe situation.

'Nagu-Nagu, 2 people, 090-1234-xxxx, 12:50'

After filling it out, we enter the island!

'Nyuto' (entering the island) sounds like a wedding ceremony...

Oh, I think the 2-hour 'Ezo Spruce Course' is good because it's easy and you can fully enjoy the scenery, don't you think?
If there's a Sho-Chiku-Bai (Pine-Bamboo-Plum) choice, I, as a Japanese person, choose the middle Bamboo course (lol).

From here on,

we will just keep walking and walking.

Paths covered in fallen leaves and wood chips are easy to walk on. However, some paths have so many fallen leaves that you might get lost, so those unaccustomed to mountain hiking should be careful.

The resident here isn't a bear, is it?

◇◇◇

On a late autumn afternoon, the sun gradually dips, and the colorful trees paint the mountain in the warm sunlight.

I sit on a bench and gaze at the scenery.
In the silent, hushed woods, I can hear the sound of birds in the distance.

If I listen closely, I can also hear the sound of trees rustling and the wind blowing.
Having this view all to myself—no, all to the two of us.
A luxurious moment.

◇◇

Ah! I forgot to take a picture of my bento.
Eating a bento while looking at such wonderful scenery makes it the most delicious bento in the world.

At the convenience store (Seicomart), I encountered a food I had never seen before called 'Rawan-buki' from Ashoro. I grabbed it immediately. It didn't have the harsh bitterness unique to 'fuki' (butterbur), and it was delicious.

I wondered what it was, so I looked it up.

— Rawan-buki —
A specialty of the Rawan district in Ashoro Town. Even though it's butterbur, it apparently grows to a height of 2 to 3 meters!! It certainly had a thick stalk... maybe about 10 cm wide. I stared at it intently while I ate. I have to go see this for myself!

A topic for my next trip.

This is how my travel destinations are decided, like a game of word association.

The pleasant breeze gradually cools my sweat.

I'll save the beer for tonight's feast.

Let's head back to the inn.

Finally?

Having dragged this out so much that the actual season is about to turn from late autumn to early winter,
the late autumn travel diary continues!

- Next Episode Preview -

Finally!
Will I be able to get my hands on 'Shishamo nigiri'?

Tonight's meal is at 'Kaisen Ryori Mine' near Tomakomai Station.
Here, I'm betting on one last chance!

Stay tuned for the next episode, ta-da!

( To be continued... )

The morning stroll is here.