Cape Soya

Most people come here for one photo: the triangular monument at the edge of the sea, its point said to be shaped after one ray of the North Star, with a large N in the middle. Cape Soya sits at 45 degrees 31 minutes 22 seconds north, the end of the line for Hokkaido's main island and the northernmost place in Japan you can simply drive to. Across the Soya Strait, about 43 km away, the southern tip of Sakhalin shows on clear days as a low gray line. Beside the monument stands a statue of Mamiya Rinzo, the explorer who crossed to Sakhalin, looking out over the water, and the hill behind has more memorials, including one to the French navigator La Perouse. The visit itself is short; half an hour covers the monument, the statue and a look at the sea. Getting here is the real commitment. Soya Bus takes about 50 minutes from Wakkanai Station, costs 1,600 yen each way and runs very few times a day, so check the return bus before you leave. By car it is about 40 minutes from the station or 25 minutes from Wakkanai Airport, with 72 free parking spaces. A few shops and small restaurants line the road, including one selling scallop ramen.