Day 193-195 Ringing The Bear Bell in Shiretoko National Park
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After waiting out the big typhoon to pass, I cycled into Shiretoko National Park. That area has a high density of brown bears as well as deer and the beautiful wilderness. Though brown bears are seen in other parts of Hokkaido, this was definitely a place I had to get a bear bell to make noise while cycling or walking around in order to lessen the chance of meeting a bear. Look at this charming bear on my bell. Yeah, that’s not what I ever want to encounter in my lifetime.
This is where Shiretoko is located in Hokkaido. It’s a mountainous peninsula, which is UNESCO’s World Natural Heritage Site. In the winter, the mountains turn all white, and drift ice come down to the shore, making this area a completely different place from summer time. The pictures I was shown of the winter were absolutely stunning too!
Look at the size of a brown bear’s claw. Not that I needed to increase any more fear for bears, I just needed yet another assurance that it was something I didn’t want to encounter. I doubt I can win this fight.
Once I was in Shiretoko National Park, there was a big waterfall. Then I went for a hike to Shiretoko Five Lakes. Cycling there required a bit of pedaling power up the hill, but, bicycle parking was freeee! 
You can take a long walk in the forest around the five small lakes, following a 10 minute lecture mostly on how to avoid bears and what to do if you end up seeing one. Thankfully with my bear bell and other people walking nearby, there was nothing scary after all. I enjoyed a beautiful, quiet walk through the forest.
These lakes were stunning, giving a mirror effect of everything around.
Time passed by very slowly here.
A graceful, fallen tree.
I passed by many deer on my bicycle and while I was walking around. Is it just me, the deer antlers seem to state that they belong with this beautiful forest.
Click here to see more photos from Shiretoko Five Lakes.
This post is also available in: Japanese
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6 Responses to Day 193-195 Ringing The Bear Bell in Shiretoko National Park
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Looks beautiful!
Thanks, Tony! Hokkaido is beautiful!
Oh man, I can’t believe I missed this trip…I would have loved to have followed along with the progress. Oh well. Some great photos, and thank you for taking the time to update everything! Perhaps I can follow your next trip!
Hi, Rob! Well, you haven´t missed the ones I haven´t written yet! I still have to write the latter half of the trip I skipped, so I´ll be coming back to write about them with pictures when I am settled a bit more. I´m in the middle of travels in Europe (yes, I think I´ve had enough traveling for this year). Your adventures are simply amazing!!!
Great blog. Have you finished your European trip?
We got bears at our end in the Rockie Mountains. But in Vancouver, in the north, the bears are known to occasionally come down from the mountains around Vancouver (that you see in photos of Vancouver) and rummage around in people’s backyards.
So staying in Japan to find a job?
Thanks, Jean. Yes, I’m back in Japan. Bears in Hokkaido were scary, but they were more in my head than my route, thank goodness.
I will follow my heart and go where it leads me. Right now, I am in Japan.