Shiretoko, hiking through Japan part 1, 知床登山

We begin our thru-hiking journey across Japan in one of the wildest and most remote regions of the country: Shiretoko National Park (知床国立公園) in northern Hokkaido (北海道). Starting in Rausu (羅臼), we follow the road to Aidomari (相泊), where the road ends and the wilderness begins. From there, we make our way towards Shiretoko Cape, climbing along dramatic coastal cliffs where the tides determine when and how we can pass. This is truly wild country. We camp in dense bear habitat and encounter an incredible variety of wildlife along the way, including brown bears, deer, foxes and Steller sea lions. Wildlife is not just something we hope to see here. It becomes part of the experience of hiking through Shiretoko. After reaching the cape, we turn back and make our way over Rausu Pass. Thick fog rolls in as we cross the mountains, making the journey even more challenging. From there, we continue towards Utoro and Shari. The first part of our journey is already proving to be far more challenging and wild than we imagined. After a long and demanding start, we finally reach Shari, ready for a lot of food and a well-earned rest. From here, our thru-hike across Japan continues south. We are hiking more than 4,000 km on foot, from the northern tip of Hokkaido through Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu, continuing south towards Okinawa and the wider Ryukyu Islands. Along the way, we document Japan’s landscapes, nature, wildlife, people and culture. 📍 Route: Rausu (羅臼) → Aidomari (相泊) → Shiretoko Cape (知床岬) → Rausu Pass (知床峠) → Utoro (ウトロ) → Shari (斜里町) 🥾 Thru-hiking Japan 🎥 Together into the Wild Instagram: @roellisawild Website: togetherintothewild.com