TravelTips24 : Japan : Hokkaido : Eastern Circuit

Eastern Circuit

The Eastern Circuit (道東 Dōtō) covers the eastern half of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

Regions

The Eastern Circuit is composed of the following four subprefectures:

Cities

  • Abashiri - fishing town famous for drift ice and infamous for its prison
  • Bihoro - gateway to the Akan National Park
  • Kitami - the onion capital of Japan
  • Kushiro - the largest city in the Circuit with 200,000 people
  • Obihiro - the main city in the Tokachi Plain, a large agricultural area
  • Nemuro - at the easternmost tip of Hokkaido

Other destinations

Culture and History

The most sparsely populated region in all Japan, this vast area is nearly 40,000 sq.km. in size. While the easternmost part is largely flat, rural and filled with endless cow pastures, much of the circuit is ringed with mountains.

Travel to Eastern Circuit & Visa Requirements

Kushiro and Memanbetsu (near Abashiri) have regional airports.

Tours & Getting around Eastern Circuit

Here, if anywhere in Japan, a rental car will come in handy. Train coverage is severely lacking (many lines have been terminated due to a lack of customers) and buses are infrequent, inconvenient and expensive.

Eastern Circuit attractions and sightseeing

Eastern Circuit city tours

Eastern Circuit Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Eastern Circuit nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Get out

Destinations in Eastern Circuit:

Abashiri / Akan National Park / Bihoro / Daisetsuzan National Park / Shiretoko National Park /

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This page was last edited at 04:38, on 23 July 2007 by Wikitravel user Kleinzach. Based on work by Jani Patokallio and Niels Elgaard Larsen, Wikitravel user(s) Jonboy and Nzpcmad and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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