Day Trips from SapporoSarobetsu Wetland Center: A Boardwalk Through Japan's Largest Raised Bog
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- A 1-km boardwalk into the Sarobetsu Wetland, Japan's largest raised bog
- Green in summer, red and gold in autumn; the boardwalk and toilets are open 24 hours
- Center 9:00–17:00 from May to October (no closing days); 10:00–16:00 and closed Mondays from November to April
- Free parking; about 4.5 hours from Sapporo
The Sarobetsu Wetland, in Toyotomi in northern Hokkaido, is the largest raised bog in Japan, and the Sarobetsu Wetland Center is the way into it: a 1-kilometer boardwalk loops out from the center into the bog (30–40 minutes; there is also an 800 m inner loop).
The boardwalk
Along the boardwalk you see the plants and wildlife of the wetland up close. I went in summer, when it was green all the way to the horizon; in autumn it turns red and gold.
Inside the center
The exhibits explain how the wetland formed, the plants and animals that live in it, and how people here have lived with it, including the history of peat cutting and the work to protect it. Ten thousand years ago this was a lake open to the sea; plants built up layers of peat over more than 6,000 years and turned it into a bog. It is now part of a national park.
From the wetland you can also see the Otonrui wind turbines in the distance.
Hours and parking
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Center | 9:00–17:00 from May to October, no closing days; 10:00–16:00 from November to April, closed on Mondays (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday) and over New Year |
| Boardwalk and toilets | Open 24 hours |
| Notes | No pets on the boardwalk; wheelchairs can be borrowed free |
| Admission | Free |
| Parking | Free |
See the official site (in Japanese) for details.
How to get there
From Sapporo: about four and a half hours including breaks. Take the Do-o Expressway toward Asahikawa, keep left for Rumoi at Fukagawa JCT, leave at Rumoi IC and follow the coast road north (Route 232, the Ororon Line). Just before Roadside Station Teshio, turn left onto Prefectural Road 106, the coast road to Wakkanai. Fill up first: after the Seicomart at Teshio there are no shops or gas stations for over 60 km. Pass the Otonrui wind farm, and about 13 km later turn right onto Prefectural Road 444; the center is on the right.
From New Chitose Airport: add about half an hour; at Sapporo JCT keep right for Asahikawa.
Near the Sarobetsu Wetland Center
Back on the coast, the Yukuru viewpoint has the closest view of Rishiri Island on the Ororon Line.
Sapporo to Wakkanai by Car: The Ororon Line Coast Road to Cape SoyaDriving from Sapporo to Wakkanai up the Ororon Line, the Sea of Japan coast road, from a Sapporo local who did it: the stops, the closest view of Rishiri Island, sunset at Cape Noshappu, and Cape Soya and the White Road the next morning.
Yukuru Viewpoint: The Closest Look at Rishiri Island from the Coast RoadA local's guide to the Yukuru viewpoint in Wakkanai: the point on the Ororon Line closest to Rishiri Island, with the sea and Rishiri and Rebun on one side and the wetland on the other; parking for about five cars.
FAQ about the Sarobetsu Wetland Center
Q1. What is the Sarobetsu Wetland?
The largest raised bog in Japan, in northern Hokkaido, now part of a national park.
Q2. Is it free?
Yes, the center, the boardwalk and the parking are free.
Q3. When is it open?
9:00 to 17:00 from May to October; 10:00 to 16:00 and closed on Mondays from November to April. The boardwalk is open at all hours.