Akesato Ito Dairy Farm is home to Attoko Farm Animals Park, which has a horse pasture where you can meet horses. Horses have been in Nemuro through thick and thin, playing an important role in its history of development and agriculture. This pasture started about 20 years ago to spread the word about the relationship between such livestock and people. Currently they have five horses on the pasture, including one thoroughbred and four ponies. You can feed them carrots for 100 yen per cup.
Itineraries
Horses
Seeing, capturing and meeting horses: a trip packed with horse activities
Horses used to be an indispensable part of people’s lives. Nemuro was no exception. Horses played a role in the development of Nemuro: they were used as a mode of transportation, for carrying things, in agriculture, and even in the fishing industry. In Nemuro, where there is little snowfall and the environment was conducive to keeping horses, there were many places actively involved in horse breeding, including selective breeding and horse rearing. Thanks to that history, even today there are many different places where you can meet horses. Let’s go and meet some horses and explore Nemuro’s history and nature.
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Wild birds
Attoko Farm Animals Park
Information
Attoko Farm Animals Park
101-21 Akesato, Nemuro City
Park opening period: year-round
Park opening hours: 10:00 am to 5:00 pm
Entrance fee: free
*It may not be possible to tour the facility if there’s snow on the ground.
Attoko Livestock Market Site
In 1920, the demand for horses increased due to the development of inland areas such as Shibetsu and Nakashibetsu, and a livestock market was opened in Attoko. Today, the Attoko Livestock Market Site is also home to Attoko Junior High School and Attoko Hall. Next to the Attoko Hall, a Stone Monument for Distinguished Contribution to the Livestock Industry, a Statue of the Bato Kannon (Horse-headed Kannon) Bodhisattva and a Stone Monument of Kurotsukeru Symbol have been reconstructed. The presence of these monuments reminds us of the importance of horses in this region.
In the Showa period (1926-1989), the demand for military horses increased, and horses purchased at the Attoko Livestock Market were bred at a military base and transported from Attoko Station. Earthen mounds that serve as evidence of the base’s existence still remain in Attoko. These two-tiered earthen walls served as both a defense against the enemy and as an enclosure for the horses.
Here you can get a sense for the history of the people and horses in Nemuro.
Northern Natural Flower Garden
The Northern Natural Flower Garden is located in the northeastern part of the Nemuro Peninsula, alongside National Route 35, which runs from the city center to Cape Nosappu. Facing the Sea of Okhotsk, the park has been selected as one of Nemuro’s Ten Scenic Spots. The park boasts an area of roughly 75 hectares, and from early summer to autumn, it’s filled with about 100 different kinds of flowers, including a purple carpet of bristle-pointed irises, pure white cottongrass and orange Ezo-Kanzos.
In the summer, grazing ponies help out with weed control. If you’re lucky, you can capture a shot of the ponies among the wild flowers. This hidden gem is a great spot for photography enthusiasts. The park is also lined with boardwalks, making it easy to take a relaxing stroll.
There’s a 2 km path that lets you take a leisurely walk through the vast park, enjoying the horses and wild flowers. They also have a free parking lot, making it very convenient for people traveling by car.
Information
Northern Natural Flower Garden
Toyosato, Nemuro City
Park opening period: year-round
Park opening hours: all day
Entrance fee: free
Hamamatsu Path
(Photo provider: Nemuro Tourism Association)
In Nemuro City, there are dedicated pedestrian paths called Footpaths where visitors can walk along pastures, forests and coastlines to experience and learn about the scenery, nature and culture that Nemuro has to offer. Hamamatsu Path is one of them. Starting from Ochiishi Station on the JR Nemuro Main Line, this 8 km path takes visitors around capes, grasslands, forests and coastlines. Along the way, there are horse pastures and spots where you can look across the ocean and see Yururi Island, renowned as an uninhabited island where only horses live.
In the past, every fisherman living in this area had a horse. Horses were an indispensable part of the fishermen’s lives, as they were used to carry the kombu they harvested and to help pull up the fishing boats.
As you experience the magnificent nature of Nemuro, where the sea and grasslands stretch on forever, take a moment to reflect on the relationship between the fishermen and the horses that has been nurtured since ancient times.
Ochiishi Nature Cruise
(Photo provider: Nemuro Tourism Association)
Nemuro is surrounded by rich nature and attracts a variety of wild birds. There are many spots where you can observe wild birds, but the Ochiishi Nature Cruise is the best way to get a close-up look at seabirds flying over Nemuro’s waters. The two-and-a-half-hour tour takes visitors aboard a fishing boat operated by local fishermen. Many people take advantage of this cruise to enjoy bird watching.
The Ochiishi Nature Cruise also goes around the waters off Yururi Island, an uninhabited island where only horses live. Fishermen used to live and fish on this island with the help of horses. Eventually, the people left the island, but the horses remained and became wild. Currently, there are five horses living on the island.
Due to nature conservation, no one is allowed to land on Yururi Island without permission. The Ochiishi Nature Cruise is the closest that you can get to this phantom island. You can sometimes spot the horses when they come close to the ridge line. As you take the cruise, envision the magical sight of horses living peacefully on an island without people.
Information
Ochiishi Nature Cruise
Phone: 0153-27-2772
Cruise fare: Adults: 8,000 yen, Children: 5,000 yen (age 10 and over, must be accompanied by a guardian)
Period: January to February and June to September
Capacity: 11 people
*Reservations must be made at least three days in advance.
*Minimum five participants.
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