I thought it was a bit risky, but it turned out to be amazing! The dish came with plenty of sea urchin, it was a Western-style meal, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The miso soup was totally like miso soup, but that's part of the charm (laughs). Breakfast was also delicious. The service was great, they even provided transportation and helped with luggage to the ferry terminal. Thank you very much!

After enjoying sea urchin in Rishiri Island, we moved to Rebun Island and toured the island by rental car. We opted for a 6-hour pack and visited the Skoton Cape (northernmost point) and Sumi Sea Cape (Sky Cape) before returning the rental car. The pension we stayed at was kind enough to provide us with a ride. Upon arrival, we had dinner which included: - Three types of appetizers: all delicious, but the balance with the plates could be improved. - Salad: Sashimi served in a salad style, fresh and tasty. - Fried dishes: Uni croquette and fish fry, both were average. - Uni rice: Not as much as in Rishiri Island, but the sea urchin in Rebun Island was also delicious. They also offered to drive us to the port the next day, making it a convenient place to stay.

It was a very customer-oriented pension. The meals come with sea urchin. The portions are quite large. The seafood salad was huge, I added sea urchin and made it into a seafood bowl. Drinks are self-service with unlimited refills of tea, coffee, cocoa, and water. The room was simple. There was no air conditioning in the room, only a heater. In the middle of summer, my husband, who is sensitive to heat, was surprised to find only a fan. But since cool air comes in through the window, maybe it wasn't necessary.

When I came to Rebun Island, I stayed at this place with a name that seems like you can eat seasonal sea urchin. The inn says they offer course meals, but as you can see in the picture, it's not Western cuisine, but Japanese home cooking.

The Ezo hairy crab from Rebun and the sea cucumber from Rebun are both recommended.

I stayed for one night and two days on Rebun Island with two meals included. I had dinner and breakfast at the dining area on the first floor. Dinner was a course meal featuring seasonal ingredients, and I was very satisfied with the variety of dishes. The food cooked in the adjacent kitchen was delicious, and I enjoyed experiencing the seasonal flavors. Breakfast was also filling and satisfying! I am grateful to the very friendly owner and their family.

I arrived at Rebun Island on a romantic journey by taking the Heartland Ferry. On this day, I departed from Wakkanai Port at 6:55 a.m. and arrived at Rishiri Island's Oshidomari Port at 8:35 a.m. After touring Rishiri Island, I boarded the ferry again from Oshidomari Port at 3:50 p.m. and arrived at Kafuka Port on Rebun Island at 4:35 p.m. There were fewer than 10 passengers on board. This is my third visit to Rebun Island, after more than 20 years. However, it is my first time visiting in the middle of winter. The owner of the pension where I would be staying, called U-Nee, was waiting for me at the ferry terminal with a board with my name on it. He kindly drove me to the pension located on a hill in his van. The three-story building was a beautiful shade of blue. His wife greeted me at the entrance. My room was a twin room with a bathroom on the second floor, priced at 7,560 yen per night including two meals. It was a reasonable price for a business plan stay. Many hotels in Hokkaido are closed for winter until March, so I was grateful to be accommodated so early in the new year. I must admit, I may have been the only fool to visit a remote island for sightseeing in such a season (laughs). The room was equipped with a kerosene fan heater, TV, refrigerator, and I could relax comfortably. At 6 p.m., I went down to the dining area on the first floor for dinner. It was a spacious room that could accommodate around 40 people. Next to the entrance, there were handmade dolls and decorations made by the owner's 96-year-old mother on display. Soft background music was playing inside. When I sat down, some dishes were already set up, including boiled octopus, sashimi of local shellfish and red flatfish, simmered red flatfish, chicken, radish side dish, octopus, squid, and tobikko salad, homemade gratin, salad, and a tangerine. It was quite a luxurious lineup for a business plan! The owner's wife asked me if I wanted to try some fresh sea cucumber she received from a fisherman acquaintance, and I gladly accepted. I also ordered a bottle of beer. The translucent boiled octopus warmed me up. The octopus turned white and shrunk when heated. Although it seemed to be frozen, it was delicious, with a concentrated flavor. The other dishes had a homely taste, and I enjoyed them with a hot sake that I ordered. The freshly caught sea cucumber was quite tough, but it was a perfect accompaniment to the alcohol. The owner's wife kept me company and made the meal even more enjoyable. It was a delightful experience. The U-Nee pension has been run by the owner's wife alone since 1990. The retired husband now helps with transportation and shopping. They also provide a shuttle service to the nearby Usuyuki Onsen hot spring, with discount coupons available. I had second helpings of the delicious rice served in a traditional wooden tub without hesitation. The next morning's breakfast consisted of grilled silver cod, grilled eggplant, natto, seaweed, sautéed burdock root, spinach, rolled kelp, pickled plum, miso soup with mushrooms and tofu, and rice. The seaweed was locally made by a fisherman and dried rock seaweed. The local milk was also delicious. I thoroughly enjoyed the luxurious breakfast served in the wooden tub. The U-Nee pension is popular and often fully booked during peak season. Despite having to give up sightseeing at Cape Sukoton due to ferry schedules, I left Rebun Island on the morning ferry. I remembered the time when I camped by Lake Kussharo and bathed in the now-vanished Funadomari hot spring. Thank you for the wonderful memories.

★Dinner at Rebun Island [Pension U~ni~], Day 1 @ Sea Urchin World Start♪ Theme: └ Remote Island: Local Cuisine Good evening, everyone. Thank you for visiting the blog today as well. For dinner on the second day of our trip, we dined on Rebun Island in Hokkaido. Located quietly on top of a small hill, Pension U~ni~, run by a husband and wife, was fully booked with mountain climbers and tourists visiting the island. They provided advice and gentle support tailored to each person's needs, making it easy to understand why there are many repeat customers. Their humorous approach to serving each dish, along with stories about the island and current topics, left a great impression. And so, for dinner on the first day on Rebun Island... We started with a toast with rosé wine (from Iwate Prefecture). The Western-style appetizers included scallops, squid, shrimp, and hokke fish paste miso soup. The fresh Rebun Island seafood was prepared in various ways. The rosé wine added a stylish touch, and the seafood disappeared quickly into our stomachs. Next was sashimi of Rebun Island octopus and black halibut, along with rice and Rebun Island sea urchin. The large octopus, pre-boiled, had a soft and sweet texture, while the sea urchin, a symbol of Pension U~ni~, was as fresh and rich as the ones from Rishiri Island. We also enjoyed fried flounder with butter, marinated hokke fish with nuka (rice bran), and an original sea urchin creation. The flounder was thick and juicy, the marinated hokke fish had a unique flavor, and the sea urchin creation, a potato croquette with sea urchin needles made of fried somen noodles, was delightful. For dessert, we had a homemade cheesecake. The not-too-sweet cheesecake paired perfectly with coffee as a satisfying end to the meal. The lovingly prepared dishes of Rebun Island and the kindness of the owners made for a blissful island experience. Thank you for the island time. (Note: The accommodation fee is 13,000 yen per person for one night with two meals included.)

I finally visited the long-awaited Rebun Island! After searching for accommodations online, I decided to book with U~ni~, which had the highest reviews on the island. It had been a long time since I stayed in a pension, probably since my student days! Coming from a large hotel in Rishiri Island, I was curious about what to expect... The result was a great choice!! The pension was warm and soothing. They went out of their way to make my stay in Rebun Island memorable, offering shuttle service to a nearby hot spring facility and suggesting a morning walk in the mountains before my ferry departure, even offering to store my luggage at a souvenir shop near the dock. What impressed me the most was the dinner and breakfast ♡ All homemade, using plenty of local fish and sea urchin, they served a very elaborate course meal. Breakfast was also luxurious! Highly recommended. Thank you to everyone at U~ni~ for your hospitality. m(_ _)m *Note: I used the "Hokkaido Premium Stay Voucher" this time. It's a seasonal limited (irregularly offered?) voucher that allows you to stay at 60% off the regular price. If you are planning a trip to Hokkaido, it's worth looking into it. :)