Day Trips from SapporoYuhigaoka Viewpoint on Rishiri Island: A 10-Minute Climb Above the Ferry Port
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- 5 to 10 minutes up paved steps from a parking lot for five or six cars; 20 minutes in all
- From the top: Cape Peshi, Oshidomari and Mt. Rishiri, and on the other side the sea and Fujino Park
- Fujino Park, 5 minutes by car, looks at Mt. Rishiri across a meadow; day lilies late June to mid-July
- Both take about an hour together; both are open May to October
From the top of Yuhigaoka Viewpoint you see the whole port town of Oshidomari, with Cape Peshi beside the harbor and Mt. Rishiri rising behind it. It is a grassy hill in Oshidomari, the town on the north side of Rishiri Island where the ferry comes in, and the steps from the parking lot take only 5 to 10 minutes. I climbed it in June 2026, together with Fujino Park, a meadow five minutes away by car.
How long does it take to climb Yuhigaoka Viewpoint?
The steps start right in front of the parking lot, and I reached the top in 5 to 10 minutes at a normal adult pace. The path is paved and easy to walk, and not very steep. With time to look at the view and walk back down, I left 20 minutes after I parked.
You can climb from May to October, until the snow comes. The island's tourism site warns that the path is narrow and steep and dangerous in bad weather (Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026). Yuhigaoka means sunset hill, and the same site describes it as a place to watch the sunset; I went in the daytime.
Parking at Yuhigaoka Viewpoint
The parking lot holds about five or six cars. In the photo below, the open space in front is the parking lot, and the top of the hill behind it is the viewpoint.
The view from the top
From the top you can see all the way around. Facing the town, Cape Peshi stands beside the harbor with Oshidomari around it, and Mt. Rishiri is to the right.
Turn the other way and the sea and the meadow of Fujino Park spread out below. The small island in the sea is Ponmoshiri Island.
Cape Peshi, the rocky hill you see beside the harbor, is the one place on Rishiri I'd most recommend. It takes about 23 minutes to climb from its trailhead.
Cape Peshi on Rishiri Island: A 23-Minute Climb to the Best View of the Harbor and Mt. RishiriClimbing Cape Peshi on Rishiri Island: how long it takes, the gentle and steep routes, where to park, and the view of Oshidomari harbor and Mt. Rishiri from the top, from a Sapporo local.
Fujino Park: Mt. Rishiri across a meadow
Fujino Park is the meadow you see from the top of Yuhigaoka. I spent 30 minutes there first, then drove five minutes to Yuhigaoka and climbed it.
A path runs from the parking lot toward the sea up to a viewing platform on higher ground. The park is open May to October and closed November to April (Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026). The parking lot had room for two or three tour buses and three or four cars.
The view from Fujino Park
From the platform, a green meadow spreads out at the foot of Mt. Rishiri. Turn around and you see the sea and Ponmoshiri Island, and further along, the hill of Yuhigaoka and the town of Oshidomari.
Day lilies at Fujino Park
Fujino Park is known for its fields of ezo-kanzo, a yellow day lily, which bloom from late June to mid-July (Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026). On June 25, when I went, only a few showed in my photos, and the meadow wasn't yet covered in flowers.
Yuhigaoka Viewpoint or Fujino Park?
You see Mt. Rishiri from both, but what's in front of it is different. Yuhigaoka is in the town, so the town spreads out below you; at Fujino Park it is a green meadow.
If you want the view from a little higher up, choose Yuhigaoka. If you want the sea close by or a wide green view, choose Fujino Park. They are five minutes apart, so it is easy to do both.
FAQ about Yuhigaoka Viewpoint
Q1. How long does it take to see Yuhigaoka Viewpoint and Fujino Park?
About an hour. I spent 30 minutes at Fujino Park, drove five minutes, and spent 20 minutes at Yuhigaoka.
Q2. When do the day lilies bloom at Fujino Park?
Late June to mid-July (Rishiri Plus, as of November 2026).
Q3. Can you climb Yuhigaoka Viewpoint in winter?
No. It is open from May to October, until the snow comes.
More on Rishiri Island
Fujino Park and Yuhigaoka were on my second day, a loop of the whole island, just before I climbed Cape Peshi. Here is the whole two-night drive with times and costs.
Rishiri Island Itinerary: 2 or 3 Days Around Mt. Rishiri by Rental CarA Sapporo local's Rishiri Island itinerary by rental car, with real times: flights from Sapporo, picking up the car at the airport, Himenuma Pond, Cape Peshi, sea urchin season and prices, where to stay, costs, and a shorter 1-night version.