We arrived at Kiroropuri just in time for dinner. The price for one night with two meals is 7,000 yen for adults, 6,000 yen for elementary school students, and 3,200 yen for toddlers. The price for adults is reasonable, but it feels expensive for our elementary school student who doesn't eat much. We were the only guests staying there! The meal was filled with local sashimi, including rare items like northern surf clams and whale. They also served seasonal sea pineapple, but I don't like sea pineapple. The local kelp stew was delicious. Unfortunately, they no longer serve sushi like they used to, which is disappointing.

I visited Kiritappu Village in February 2009. It was my first visit in March 2003. I have been there about 5 times now. Previously, they had a youth hostel style accommodation with shared rooms for men and women, which was common in Hokkaido. However, now it has become a regular inn with both shared and private rooms. The highlight of this place is the various unique features in their food and accommodations, as well as the seafood dishes featuring the local delicacies from the Kiritappu area. The inn owner has a strong commitment to using organic ingredients, raising their own pigs, and paying attention to details such as vinegar, seaweed, and soy sauce. They also have a purification system using microorganisms and the entire inn is smoke-free. One of my favorite dishes here is the simmered kelp and pork. It is made with kelp, pork raised in Kiritappu Village, bonito broth, and vinegar. The rich flavor of the kelp really stands out. By combining mountain and sea ingredients in their dishes, the inn taught me the importance of balancing flavors, which has improved my own cooking at home. Another dish I enjoy is their sushi, made with only vinegar and salt in the rice, making it light and not overpowering. The soy sauce they serve is also carefully selected, creating a perfect harmony of flavors. The next morning, they serve a breakfast of multigrain rice and homemade miso soup, along with a few side dishes. The rice has a unique texture when chewed thoroughly, and the side dishes, flavored with kelp, are satisfying. Overall, it's a delicious and relaxing place to stay. I have also visited many other delicious restaurants around the country. For more details, please check out my blog at noritabi.

When I was researching about the Kushiro Wetlands online, I came across this inn's website and decided to stay there for the first time. The inn is run by a couple, and the husband is in charge of cooking. For dinner on the first day, I chose the plentiful sushi course, and for dinner on the second day, I chose the plentiful seafood course. Both options cost around 7000-8000 yen per night including two meals. ☆Plentiful Sushi Course * The sushi ingredients and side dishes may vary depending on the season and day. Sushi ingredients: Righteye flounder (a rare left-facing flounder), sweet shrimp, chum salmon, ark shell, herring, fat greenling marinated in kelp, whale rib meat, surf clam (raw), surf clam (boiled), yellowtail, black porgy (rolled sushi) Side dishes: Kelp and pork simmered dish, flounder head miso soup, cucumber pickles, wild garlic The ingredients used are mostly local or Hokkaido-produced, even though they may seem luxurious to tourists. The rice used is slightly less, and they use seven-tenths polished rice. The sushi making style seemed more like a personal touch rather than professional, but the quick handling of the ingredients without warming them up resulted in satisfying flavors. The kelp and pork simmered dish was particularly delicious, made with carefully raised pork and locally sourced tender natural kelp. The broth had a refined fatty taste from the pork and a rich kelp flavor. It was a memorable taste that was hard to replicate even with the same ingredients. ☆Plentiful Seafood Course * Boiled golden eye (alfonsino), sashimi from the previous day's sushi ingredients, shrimp (I forgot the type, but I think it was boiled), grilled ark shell, fried surf clam, salmon roe rice, mixed rice with surf clam and bamboo shoots, bamboo shoot and flounder head miso soup An additional 1000 yen was added to the accommodation fee for this feast. The surf clam and bamboo shoot mixed rice was enjoyable both in terms of color and flavor since the surf clam turns slightly red when cooked. Both the surf clam and bamboo shoots are in season in spring, so they can only be enjoyed during this time. While raw ingredients are great, the cooked dishes offered a different taste experience. I would definitely want to come back for the high-grade golden eye simmered dish and the surf clam mixed rice. Breakfast was Japanese cuisine with rice and 1 soup 2 side dishes, and self-service for seconds. Unlike dinner, which was vegetable-centered, breakfast was more traditional, but still very enjoyable, especially with the engaging conversations with the inn's couple. I look forward to returning to enjoy the nature and food of Kushiro in a different season.