Hotel Rishiri ★★★

"The hotel for the second day of our 3-night, 4-day trip to Sapporo is Hotel Rishiri, located on Rishiri Island. After flying for about an hour from Sapporo Okadama Airport to Rishiri Airport, we take a shuttle bus that we booked in advance by phone and travel another 11 kilometers to reach the hotel. Since we are taking a 3:00 PM flight, we check into the hotel around 4:15 PM. Dinner can be chosen from 6:00 PM, 6:30 PM, or 7:00 PM, so we select 6:30 PM. We go to Rishiri-cho Yakuba, which is a 7-minute walk away, to pick up a manhole card. Secoma is open from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM, and since it is located between the hotel and Yakuba, we stop by there on the way back to buy some late-night snacks. We return to the room around 5:30 PM, turn on the heating, and warm up the room. While the temperature in Seoul reportedly soared to 32 degrees that day, the night here in Rishiri hit 3 degrees, making it feel no different from winter. After resting in my room, I joined the dinner at 6:30 PM. It was served as a set meal resembling a Kaiseki multi-course meal. Although tempura was omitted, cheese cream croquettes filled the void. Steak and Rishiri's specialty, fresh sea urchin (uni), were provided in an amount equivalent to scooping out a single chestnut. It was enough to make me think that if this were made into sushi, it would yield about one set (two pieces). It brings back memories from my visit to Rishiri 13 years ago. I paid either 800 or 1,000 yen to get off at a place resembling a "Haenyeo's House" (female diver's house) on a bus tour, where they cut the uni on the spot with scissors, placed it in a basket, and I scooped it up with a spoon while watching the antics of the sea otter friends. Since then, I have encountered Rishiri uni a couple more times when visiting Michelin-starred sushi restaurants in Hokkaido, but this is the first time I have seen such a large quantity of sea urchin roe. The fresh sea urchin alone is reason enough to stay here. After enjoying a delicious dinner, I visited a sunset spot that was just a 10-minute walk away. Although I couldn't see the sunset as it was obscured by clouds, it was a moment sufficient to appreciate the beauty of Rishiri's red twilight. Afterwards, I enjoyed the hot springs, which close at 11 PM. It features an open-air bath where you can face the sea and hear the sound of the waves. Returning to my room, I quietly enjoyed the night in Rishiri with the "Sekoma 1,000 Yen Happiness." It was quiet and serene. I fell asleep before I knew it and woke up at 5 AM. The morning bath, while gazing at the sea, soothed my fatigue. I attended breakfast at 7 AM. The spread was lighter compared to dinner. However, the Rishiri-grown Taco Curry was superb. The texture of the octopus meat was exquisite. With Kamaboko, Mentai, and Chidoriyaki included, the breakfast was certainly not lacking. After enjoying a delicious breakfast, I checked out at 7:45 AM. I booked the 8:55 ferry to Wakkanai and requested the shuttle service during check-in. About 8 guests depart from the hotel to the ferry terminal at 8:00. The journey takes about 15 minutes. Since the hotel offers a shuttle service, even someone traveling on foot was able to rest well. Thank you."

Nakahara Ryokan ★★

"Very good. Staff is very helpful and the room is clean. Everything is perfect!"

ENISHI OCEAN ★★