Hitting the road late at night to watch Japan’s earliest sunrise at Cape Nosappu

My alarm went off at the wee hour of 3:00 am. You might think I was groggy waking up at this time, but the excitement of what lay ahead got me jumping out of bed bright eyed and bushy tailed. I got ready while the outside world was bathed in pitch darkness and set off through the streets of Nemuro, which were still peaceful and sleepy.

It takes roughly 40 minutes to get to Cape Nosappu from central Nemuro City by car. I drove along a coastal road. As the time for sunrise grew closer, the sky started to grow light, revealing a solid cloud cover. This made me worry that I might not be able to see a nice sunrise as I continued on my journey to the cape.

I arrived at Cape Nosappu at 4:27 am. Already there were some people gathered there. Through the gaps in the clouds, I could see a gradation of color from blue to orange spreading out towards the horizon. Silhouetted against that backdrop was the all-white Cape Nosappu Lighthouse and the dark figures of common gulls flying in the sky. Taking a deep breath, I breathed in the crisp early morning air and the saltiness of the sea breeze. Today, the sunrise was forecast for 4:41 am. As time passed, the orange colors in the sky slowly grew deeper and more dazzling. I was hoping that the clouds would clear as I stood there, listening to the waves lapping on the shore.

The moment I had been waiting for had arrived. Although the sky above me had cleared up, the clouds lay thick in the distance, obscuring the first sign of the sun peeking over the horizon. Regardless, I kept waiting and at 4:47 am, I finally got to see the morning sun rising over the clouds. A small, white, dazzling sphere of light appeared amid deep orange hues. Parts of the clouds were lit up and dyed a light orange color. Without thinking, I let out an “ohhh” in admiration of the amazing sight before me and stood there for a while to take it all in.

I’ve seen the sunrise at Cape Nosappu in photos many times. But nothing compares to experiencing it in real life—I’m going to treasure this memory for a long time.

Enjoying Yakitori Bento for breakfast and exploring the meaning behind this Nemuro specialty

Waking up and getting out earlier than usual is a surefire way to build up a healthy appetite. The best place to get breakfast at such an early hour is Taie, Nemuro’s local convenience store. Out of the four Taie convenience stores in Nemuro City, the Nishihama Store is open 24 hours, making it the perfect place to fill your stomach after watching the sunrise.

Taie is famous for their Yakitori Bento. It’s a simple bento (take-out meal), consisting of rice topped with nori and pork skewers seasoned with sauce, but its main feature is the way it is served. After receiving your order, the staff will grill each pork skewer in store and serve you a freshly made Yakitori Bento. The Yakitori Bento actually originated at Hasegawa Store, a local convenience store in Hakodate. Why is this specialty from faraway Hakodate also eaten in Nemuro? It all started with a desire by the management at the Taie convenience store to enrich the lives of the people of Nemuro.

▶A large grill is set up in the middle of the Nishihama Store

▶Each skewer, with alternating pieces of pork and leek, is carefully grilled. The store is filled with the savory smell of grilled pork skewers.

Taie was founded in 1931, starting out as a small grocery store. The convenience store that we find today was started by the company’s third-generation president, Toru Taie. At the time, Nemuro had no convenience stores, so he wanted to create one to add some more convenience to the locals’ lives. That’s when he heard about the Hasegawa Store, Hakodate’s local convenience store. He immediately visited and toured the store and ended up speaking with the founder, Fumio Hasegawa, well into the night, to learn about management. Hasegawa told him, “If you really want to start your own convenience store, you might as well come here to learn.” So, Taie went to the Hasegawa Store to learn the tricks of the trade. After studying hard about management and the Yakitori Bento for three months, he returned to Nemuro and opened the Taie Food Store as a mini supermarket in 1988. At the same time, he received permission from the Hasegawa Store to sell the Yakitori Bento at Taie.

This gesture of goodwill is how Taie’s Yakitori Bento came to be. The way freshly made Yakitori Bentos are grilled right in front of the customers in the store is something else learned from the Hasegawa Store. Although these days you can find convenience stores with kitchens in all parts of Hokkaido, at the time this was a ground-breaking development for Nemuro. Taie’s Yakitori Bento became a favorite among locals because it allowed them to easily get their hands on a hot, delicious meal whenever they liked. From there, it grew in popularity as one of Nemuro’s specialties. These days, Taie has four stores: Chishima Main Store, Akebono Store, Nishihama Store and City Office Store. Three of these—all except the City Office Store—offer the freshly made Yakitori Bento.

▶Pictured: The Yakitori Bento in a small size with the typical sauce flavor (520 yen). Salt, salt sauce, and spicy flavors are also available.

Taie is a convenience store that was born out of the owner’s consideration for the lives of the people of Nemuro. That passion shows through in their made-to-order Yakitori Bento.

The kind of morning that can only be spent in Nemuro

I watched the earliest sunrise in Japan and enjoyed a freshly made bento. It was the kind of morning that can only be had in Nemuro.

When I’m traveling, I usually enjoy sleeping in, but I’d like to wake up early again just to see that sunrise. Next time, I’m sure the sky will have a different color, the clouds a different shape and the sea a different scent. I’ll definitely want to follow the same pattern and fill up on a Yakitori Bento after getting my fill of the beautiful sunrise. I’ve found a great way to spend the morning in Nemuro.