Why this ride
A mountain pass from Utoro, Hokkaido to Rausu, Hokkaido, via Shiretoko Pass. Key character: wild peninsula; sea views; volcanic peaks. Surface: paved.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Shiretoko Pass Road
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 33 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 25 min
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Scenic road chapters
Shiretoko Pass Road
Expect company on a summer weekend. Early is better than fast. For 8 km this is Shiretoko Pass Road, a road with a name of its own and a reason for it.
Rider note
Check the pass is open before you commit to it.
Chapter facts
- Length
- 8 km
- Named road
- Shiretoko Pass Road
- Pass
- Shiretoko Pass
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Shiretoko Pass Road point 1
Utoro is a small fishing town on the western shore of the Shiretoko peninsula, which pokes out into the Sea of Okhotsk like a thumb at the north-eastern tip of Hokkaido. The name Shiretoko comes from an Ainu phrase meaning the place where the earth ends, and it feels like it. The peninsula is covered in dense forest and rugged volcanic mountains, with almost no roads, and it holds one of the densest populations of brown bears in the world. UNESCO added it to its natural World Heritage list in 2005, for the way the cold sea and the land are tied together by salmon, bears, sea eagles and drifting ice.
Read the complete Shiretoko Pass Road point 1 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Shiretoko Pass Road point 1 sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Shiretoko Pass Road point 2.
2. Shiretoko Pass Road point 2
The Shiretoko Pass, at around 740 metres, is the high point of the road across the peninsula and one of the great viewpoints in Hokkaido. From the car park at the top, the land falls away on the Okhotsk side to a wide sea of dark water, and ahead, across the Nemuro Strait, lies the long low outline of Kunashir Island, which is held by Russia but claimed by Japan. Behind you, the volcanic spine of the peninsula, with Mount Rausu rising above 1,600 metres, crowds the horizon. On a clear day, the view is among the finest in the north of Japan.
Read the complete Shiretoko Pass Road point 2 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Shiretoko Pass Road point 2 comes up 9 km in. Next is Shiretoko Pass Road point 3.
3. Shiretoko Pass Road point 3
Rausu faces the other way. It is a fishing town on the eastern coast of the Shiretoko peninsula, looking out across the narrow Nemuro Strait to Kunashir, which on a clear day seems close enough to touch. The town's life revolves around the sea. Boats go out for salmon, pollock and kelp, which is dried on the beach in summer and sold across Japan, and in winter the harbour is filled with drift ice that arrives from the Sea of Okhotsk. It is a small place of low houses, warehouses and a modest main street, but it has fuel, a few shops and several places to eat.
Read the complete Shiretoko Pass Road point 3 write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
33 km in you reach Shiretoko Pass Road point 3.
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Shiretoko Peninsula and Pass ยท 118 km