Wakkanai

History:

The city was established in the 17th century as a frontier trading post to the aboriginal Ainu people who used to inhabit much of Hokkaido. It prospered through trade and as a strategic outpost in the far flung northern reaches of the empire, in the century that followed. The modern city was established in 1900, and when Japan recaptured parts of Sakhalin Island after the Russo-Japanese war of 1905, it became the main transit point to the Karafuto prefecture established there with regular steam-liner operations to Otomari (today Korsakov), a status that only increased when the Sōya railway was finally extended here in 1926. With the loss of Sakhalin in the aftermath of World War II, the town's fortunes faded; it reverted to being little more than a military post during the Cold War, home to some American troops.

While the population is still dwindling, the end of the Cold War might change Wakkanai's fortunes once more: a regular ferry route to Sakhalin was reopened in the 1990s, and trade and ties with Russia are slowly but steadily increasing.

Climate:

The average summer temperature is around 20°C (68°F), but it can get cold at night, so you may need to bring more than a summer jacket. In the depths of winter the thermometer frequently drops below zero, but the −20°C (-4°F) you see inland or across the Okhotsk bay in Russia are extreme occurrences here, as the air is heated by sea currents. The very strong winds can make it feel like Siberia, though.

Tourist information site:

The city government's official site has a good Japanese-only tourism section.

The local tourist associations has a Japanese-only guide site, covering Rishri and Rebun islands too. (Clicking on "languages" lead to the prefecture's multilingual site.)

By plane:

1 Wakkanai Airport (WKJ IATA) (10 km (6.2 mi) southeast of the city). It fields regular flights from Sapporo and Tokyo (Haneda), with additional summer-only services from Nagoya and Kansai. All flights to the airport are operated by ANA - All Nippon Airways. The airport is 20 minutes away from Wakkanai station by bus.

By train:

The JR Soya Main Line (Soya Honsen) connects Wakkanai to Asahikawa. There are two stations within the city limits: 2 Wakkanai(station code W80) and 3 Minami-Wakkanai(W79) to the south.

Wakkanai sees limited train service, with only six arrivals and seven departures per day. Of these, three round-trips are limited express services: The once-daily Soya which runs directly to and from Sapporo (5 hr 10 min, ¥10,450), and the twice-daily Sarobetsu to and from Asahikawa (3 hr 45 min, ¥8,300, change to either a Lilac or Kamui limited express service at Asahikawa for Sapporo). There are no extra charges for these trains with the Japan Rail Pass and / or Hokkaido Rail Pass.

By bus:

Several buses operated by Soya Bus run between Wakkanai and Sapporo daily: the journey takes around 6 hours and costs ¥6000, advance ticket purchase or reservation is (at least in theory) necessary, ☏ +81 011 241-0241 (Sapporo) or ☏ +81 0162 22-3114 (Wakkanai) to make your reservation. One of the departures is a red-eye service, which might be a useful way to save some money if you're one of those who can sleep anywhere. There is also a single daily round trip to Asahikawa. While this is a cheap and convenient option in summer, during the winter suspension or delays are commonplace, and snowstorms frequently close the highway altogether.

By boat:

The ferry terminal, directly east of the train station, hosts frequent (in summer) connections to the National Park islands of Rebun and Rishiri; there are also a few shops and restaurants and a tourist information desk in the building.

All ferries out of Wakkanai are operated by the Heartland Ferry Company.