The coastal town of Urahoro in eastern Tokachi flourishes with various industries like fisheries and farming. It is also the home of a famous shrine and a charcoal maker with a long history. Experience the charms of Urahoro Town in this one-day tour with a visit to a fishing port and a Shinto shrine. You will also visit a local charcoal kiln and try out various tasks related to charcoal making. Finally, you can enjoy a barbecue lunch cooked over charcoal, then refresh yourself with a bath in a local hot spring.

The tour begins at the Atsunai Port in the coast of Urahoro Town. Under the guidance of local fishermen, you can go onboard an actual fishing boat and try out various tasks related to fishing. It’s an eye-opening experience of the fishing industry, one of the most important industries in Hokkaido. You can also get some fresh seafood to enjoy at the barbecue dinner later in the day.

Next, you will pay a visit to the Urahoro Shrine, a Shinto shrine for marriage, fertility, and safe travels. The shrine priest will tell you all about the shrine while teaching you proper shrine etiquette and customs. You can also try an “omikuji” fortune slip and experience a traditional Japanese tea ceremony with matcha and Japanese sweets.

To help prepare your lunch, you can try “mochi-tsuki” or rice pounding to make sticky rice cakes called mochi. You can enjoy the mochi fresh with sweet red bean paste, roasted over charcoal, or as an “ozoni” traditional soup with vegetables.

After enjoying Japanese culture and food at the shrine, you will visit the charcoal kiln of Urahoro Charcoal. Urahoro Charcoal is currently owned by Madoka Seko, who took over the company in 2021 after the only charcoal burner in Urahoro Town retired. She aims to preserve the town’s long tradition of charcoal making, while also building on it by trying out various novel initiatives.

At the charcoal kiln, you will experience the actual work done by charcoal burners. The work you can try will depend on the timing of your visit. Some of the tasks you can do include chopping the oak logs, loading the wood into the charcoal kiln, taking the charcoal out of the kiln, and sawing and packaging the finished charcoal.

The quality of the charcoal produced by Urahoro Charcoal is evident when it is used to grill food. After the work experience, you can re-energize yourself with a sumptuous barbecue dinner of chanchanyaki (salmon and vegetables in miso sauce) and other fresh local seafood and vegetables.

The hard work of a charcoal burner often leaves you covered in black soot and sweat. Before finishing the tour, you can wash up and refresh yourself at Urahoro Rushin Onsen, a secluded hot spring situated in the mountains of Urahoro Town.

Note: All images are for illustration purposes only. Your actual experience may vary.

Schedule

9:30	Meetup at Atsunai Port
9:35	Fishing boat tour and fisherman task experience
11:00	Urahoro Shrine visit and Japanese culture experience
12:00	Mochi-tsuki rice pounding and Japanese food lunch
13:30	Shopping and rest at Urahoro Roadside Station
14:00	Charcoal work experience at Urahoro Charcoal
15:30	Barbecue dinner
17:30	Hot spring bath at Urahoro Rushin Onsen
18:30	Tour finish