Fodor's Expert Review Iruka Hotel
Utoro Nishi 5, Shiretoko, Hokkaido, 099-4354, Japan
Owned by a diver–wildlife photographer (iruka means dolphin), this well-kept guesthouse sits by the water in Utoro. Vast fish dinners are served in the bright, modern dining room and on the wooden deck overlooking the Okhotsk Sea. Yamamoto-san speaks some English and is qualified to take guests diving under the ice floes in winter. From the small tatami rooms at dusk, keep an eye out for local foxes that curl up on the hoods of the still-warm cars in the parking lot. As you arrive into town from Abashiri, take the first left after coming out of the tunnel, and the bright-yellow hotel will be the last building on the right (with the dolphin on it) before the road curves to the left. They also have a separate two-bedroom house for rent (June to October only) on the mountain side of town.
PROS
- personal welcome
- great food
- nature-spotting advice
CONS
- slow to respond to email reservation inquiries
- small rooms
- not much to do nearby
HOTEL INFO
HOTEL DETAILS
Rate Includes: No Meals