I checked all the menus and reviews of the seafood restaurants in Shakotan Town, Shakotan Peninsula (⁠ʘ⁠言⁠ʘ⁠;). If you want to eat sea urchin, this place seems to be the best choice, especially since they open at 8 am in the summer, which is convenient. The weather was okay, so I passed through Otaru and Yoichi to get to the Shakotan Peninsula. When I thought the white flowers in the buckwheat fields were beautiful, a baby fox suddenly appeared! It had an innocent expression while looking at me, as if saying, "Be careful." It welcomed me to Hokkaido. I arrived at the restaurant located in front of the parking lot at Cape Shakotan. When I checked the menu board, I was shocked by two things: ① "Today, we don't have red sea urchin," and ② "The promenade is closed because a bear was spotted on July 18." I couldn't enjoy the Ezo Bafun sea urchin from Shakotan that I was looking forward to. So, I decided to just see Cape Shakotan and eat the Murasaki sea urchin from Shakotan. After passing through a small tunnel and visiting the Shimaiwa Coast, I suffered from muscle pain for three days because the stairs were steep. I was on high alert for bears along the way. I was the first customer when the restaurant opened at 8 am. I ordered the White Sea Urchin Bowl for ¥2950, which is the cost price since the owner is a fisherman. The remaining sea urchins are used for steamed sea urchin, so they are fresh. The price of red sea urchin has gone up to ¥6000 from ¥4600 last month because a celebrity on TV said, "Shakotan sea urchin is delicious," causing a price increase. Well, I'm checking a few other places that offer Ezo Bafun sea urchin at a lower price, so it's okay. The sea urchin bowl was served in a bamboo tube with a generous portion of rice and fresh Murasaki sea urchin spread evenly on top. The miso soup had sweet shrimp heads for added flavor. The side dish was slimy Gagome kelp with sea urchin, which I enjoyed. It was delicious with almost no unpleasant smell or bitterness, thanks to the fresh kelp it was raised on. For those who read this review, here's a special tip: there's a 10% discount coupon on the website. I showed a screenshot image and got a discount.

It takes about 2 hours from Sapporo, and we arrived around 9 am. The prices are high and it seems a bit challenging, but we accept it. The sea urchin bowl looks luxurious and tastes sweet and delicious. It was very satisfying to eat after a long time. There is a beautiful scenic spot in front of us, so it's nice to look at the coast after eating. However, if you are not confident in your physical strength, it is wise not to go all the way down.

This year, the red sea urchin, also known as Bafun Uni, is rare. It was my second time visiting Sashiko this year, but unfortunately, I couldn't find any red sea urchin again on this day. I had a large bowl of fresh sea urchin (tax included 4,700 yen) and a plate of tsubo sashimi (tax included 1,000 yen)! The rice was not sushi rice but slightly warm white rice. It was filled with plenty of white sea urchin! The miso soup had shrimp heads in it, and there was also a side dish of kelp. The fresh sea urchin was delicious and satisfying in generous portions. The tsubo sashimi was also delicious without any fishy smell. I hope I can try red sea urchin next year, but for now, I enjoyed the sea urchin from Shakotan!Visited in July 2023.

At the top of Cape Kamui, there is a shop. On weekends, there was a long line of cars on the uphill. You can choose the size of the sea urchin bowl and the price is reasonable for the amount. There are also salmon roe bowls, two-colored bowls, sashimi, etc., so you can enjoy a variety of dishes. It might be better to go early in the morning to avoid waiting.

I ordered the Extra Large Sea Urchin Bowl (4,700 yen). I visited with the aim of trying the Shakotan sea urchin, which is said to be in season in July. I ordered the large size because the regular size wouldn't be enough. The fresh sea urchin had a subtle sweetness and a light flavor. I was happy that it came with pickled radish, kelp, and mozuku as side dishes, but the kelp was too strong in flavor and overpowered the taste of the sea urchin (laughs). This time, it was a mismatch. The 4,700 yen sea urchin bowl... well, it was just okay. Thank you for the meal.

I visited this place in search of delicious sea urchin, as they offer boxed sea urchin. However, on the day of my visit, the weather was bad and the sea was rough, so they only had fresh sea urchin available. Due to the rough seas, they could only offer the "regular" size, and I couldn't order the boxed sea urchin this time. Therefore, I ordered the "regular" fresh sea urchin bowl and abalone sashimi instead. The sea urchin had no fishy or unpleasant taste, it was creamy and smooth. It was delicious even without soy sauce, but it was also tasty when combined with soy sauce. There was nothing to complain about. The abalone sashimi had a great crunchy texture, it was a fantastic dish. It was quite a long way to come here, but it's definitely worth it. I hope to visit again next time to try the red sea urchin.

I finished one job in the morning and had some time until the evening, so I was thinking about working on some documents at the office. But then I thought, wait a minute, I've been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to relax properly. It was already 11:30, but I decided to go for it. I headed to Shimagai Coast in Shakotan, aiming for this restaurant. Since I was going all the way there, I had to see the Shakotan Blue as well. I arrived around 2 pm. First, I checked the availability of sea urchin. It seemed that there were no Bafun (red) sea urchins in stock, and there was a shortage of Murasaki (white) sea urchins, so they could only serve limited quantities. I decided to order the limited quantity. I also asked if it was possible to order two servings, and to my surprise, it was okay. So, I ordered two servings. After waiting for about 7 minutes, the sea urchin arrived. First, I tried one serving without soy sauce. The sea urchin from Shakotan was incredibly sweet and delicious. For the second serving, I lightly drizzled some soy sauce for a hint of flavor. After eating sea urchin from Shakotan at this time of year, I no longer feel the need to eat sea urchin in Sapporo. Real sea urchin is just amazing.

Last year, I had a delicious Uni (sea urchin) rice bowl at this restaurant. This year, I was on a bus tour that included a meal of Uni rice bowl and Hamanabe (a type of hot pot). Of course, the regular size Uni rice bowl wasn't enough for me, so as soon as I sat down, I ordered an additional regular size Uni rice bowl (tax included 2950 yen). It arrived just as I finished the tour meal. It was really delicious! The amount of rice was generous. This time there was no red Uni, so I hope to try it next time. There was someone in the tour group who ordered beer, but I didn't see anyone else adding an extra Uni rice bowl like me...! Used in June 2023.

[Menu] Sweet Shrimp Bowl, Sea Urchin Bowl (Large serving, Murasaki Uni) [Price] 2,500 yen, 4,700 yen [Impression] Since it's the season for fresh sea urchin, I decided to go to Shakotan. I had been curious about Unakoji, so I went there. The fresh sea urchin during this season is truly the best. It's incredibly sweet with no fishy or bitter taste. It was a truly blissful bowl. It's a bit far as it's located near Cape Shakotan, but even the large serving costs 4,700 yen. (In a restaurant near Otaru, it was around 8,000 yen.) Cape Shakotan has beautiful scenery, so I recommend taking a little detour to visit.

The season for fresh sea urchin is from June to August, so the sea urchin in the two-colored rice bowl is steamed. Even so, it was delicious! I wonder how tasty it would be if it were fresh sea urchin! I definitely want to visit again during the fresh sea urchin season!

Ferry disembarkation usually has motorcycles go last. In rare cases, such as last-minute boarding or short-distance island travel, motorcycles may be the first to disembark. However, for long-distance ferries, motorcycles are usually the last to be unloaded. We arrived at 4:30 as planned and disembarked at 5:00 as scheduled, but unexpectedly, the market cafeteria that was supposed to be open from 4:00 was closed on Sundays. We decided to head towards Cape Kamui on the Shakotan Peninsula as our second option, but the cloudy weather dampened our spirits. We were also disappointed when our second option didn't work out. We decided to change course to the lesser-known Shakotan Cape. After passing through a suspicious tunnel, the cloudy skies cleared up a bit, and the view of the sea opened up before us. Although the weather wasn't perfect, the view lifted our spirits. By 7:20 am, we arrived at a popular seafood restaurant. I ordered the seafood pickled rice bowl (extra large) as the restaurant didn't have white sea urchin or the option for an extra large sea urchin bowl. The portion was served separately due to the set menu, but it was satisfying nonetheless. After enjoying the meal, we headed towards the next destination, reminiscing about the good times from the previous year.

I arrived a little before 9 am and the restaurant was already open. There were plenty of empty seats to choose from. I had the two-color bowl, which unfortunately did not have red sea urchin but was filled with plenty of white sea urchin and salmon roe. They also explained the size of the bowl when ordering, so you can order with confidence. There is no gap between the image and what actually comes out, so it's a good system.

I arrived around 11:30 and got in smoothly. I'm not a fan of sea urchin, so my companion ordered it. The sea urchin bowl here is cheaper than at other places. Since there was no red sea urchin available that day, we had the white sea urchin bowl. My companion said it was delicious, but the sea urchin itself had a mild flavor. It seems that it's not because it's white sea urchin, but rather that it lacks sweetness. I heard that the quality of sea urchin this year is not very good, so it's not the fault of the restaurant. Oh, the salmon roe bowl was delicious. The staff at the restaurant are kind, and we used a coupon for a 10% discount at checkout. We will definitely come back.

Day trip on July 7th, 2022! Visited the famous coastal spot in Japan, "Shimamui Kaigan." The entrance seafood restaurant had an old impression, but it has been renovated and looks beautiful now. The sea urchin was not available, but the white uni was priced at just under 3000 yen, which is somewhat cheap compared to previous years. This day, we had a reserved "weekday limited set" that my friend found - sea urchin bowl, beach hot pot, and 2 side dishes for 3900 yen. The sea urchin in a small bamboo container was fresh and delicious, though still lacking a bit of sweetness due to the season. The beach hot pot was filled with various seafood like shrimp, clams, scallops, mussels, and red fish, all locally sourced. The texture of the seaweed was good, but the flavor of the miso soup was average. After the meal, we attempted to explore the cape but got spooked by a sign warning of bears and decided to head back. Thank you for the delicious meal!

I found this restaurant through online search and the deciding factor was definitely the price. I arrived after 1 PM and unfortunately the Buffun Uni I wanted was sold out. But I settled for Murasaki Uni instead and went inside. I noticed that the reason it was so cheap was because the dishes were not in bowls... they were served in small plates. That's why it was so affordable. Makes sense. But it was still delicious.

The restaurant had a casual atmosphere, making it easy for families to visit. There were two sunken kotatsu-style seating areas. However, there was no diaper changing station in the restroom. There was a public restroom across the street, but I'm not sure if they had a diaper changing table. The restaurant's restroom was clean. The parking lot had a lot of mosquitoes flying around, so be cautious. The uni-don (sea urchin rice bowl) was served in a small bamboo bowl, but the size was sufficient to enjoy the uni. The uni was delicious, and the amaebi (sweet shrimp) was also tasty. The hokke (grilled fish) in the set meal was substantial and reasonably priced at 800 yen. The salmon ikura don (salmon and salmon roe rice bowl) was a good choice, with 5 pieces of fatty salmon sashimi. The side dishes included mozuku seaweed and a tasty cooked dish with whelk. Overall, the food was enjoyable and satisfying.

When it comes to summer delicacies in Hokkaido, it's "fresh sea urchin from Shakotan". This sea urchin, not available in Honshu, has a sweetness that spreads in your mouth. It's a luxury treat that may not be cheap, but worth it once a year. During summer weekends, everyone has the same idea. Depart early in the morning to avoid the traffic jams starting around Yoichi on the way from Sapporo. We managed to arrive in Shakotan in the morning without getting caught in traffic, but some sea urchin shops were already sold out. We ended up at this restaurant, located near the entrance parking lot of the Shokanbetsu Coast at Shakotan Cape. We also ordered some abalone sashimi, which was fresh and delicious! The portion of the sea urchin bowl was a bit small, lacking in volume, but the taste was definitely top-notch!

I went on a drive to Shakotan to eat creamy sea urchin bowl. Even though I just got my license. It was very delicious. Truly a seasonal delicacy. I'm glad I went early. After finishing my meal, there was already another line forming. A luxurious taste that comes once a year. I'll come back again next year.

June. The long-awaited time has come! Yes, it's the opening of sea urchin season! I always have sea urchin rice bowl every year, but this time I used this shop for the first time and it was quite good. The price of the sea urchin rice bowl (red) is 3,900 yen (with a coupon you can get 10% off from here!) which is also reasonable. On a certain weekday at the end of June. Sea urchin can be enjoyed from early June, but I couldn't wait until the sweetness comes out in July, so I went in search of the first sea urchin of the year. It takes about an hour and a half from Otaru to Shakotan. I left early in the morning and visited this shop run by fishermen, among many others, I chose this one because I wanted to eat Bafun sea urchin! I have only eaten Murasaki sea urchin rice bowl before, so I wanted to try Bafun sea urchin rice bowl too! The price of sea urchin rice bowls has been increasing year by year, and this year, even Murasaki sea urchin rice bowls are over 3,000 yen in many shops. Bafun sea urchin rice bowls range from 5,000 yen to 6,000 yen at high-end places! It seems like sea urchin bowls have become quite luxurious. I chose Shakotan's Rinako-san, thinking that although the price may go up, it will not go down, and also because there is a coupon on the official website of the shop that gives you 10% off (for menus over 1,000 yen). This is a big deal. Around 9 o'clock in the morning. It was a weekday, so there were only a few cars in the parking lot. I happened to pass by a person coming out of the shop and instinctively bowed. When I entered the shop, the interior was clean and the staff were working briskly. "Please take any seat you like!" There were no other customers, so I sat right in the middle. The shop caters to various customer bases with counter seats, tatami mat seats, and table seats, which is impressive. My companion, who is not good with sea urchin, wanted to order squid sashimi set meal, but it was sold out. So I ordered grilled fish set meal for 800 yen and seafood curry for 770 yen (not eligible for the coupon). Sea Urchin Rice Bowl (red) 3,900 yen → 3,510 yen with coupon. Since it's just arranging sea urchin, the service is quick. When it was placed in front of me, I felt excited. The sea urchin is red! It's red!! I was moved. I was captivated. ...Beautiful. Ah. It's nice that it comes with a small side dish. It's not particularly delicious, but it makes a big difference in impression. First, I had miso soup and then the sea urchin rice bowl. First, I tried it without soy sauce. ...Rich, creamy, no off-flavors. Just the right amount of saltiness and umami. ...I'm happy. So happy. I tried it with a little wasabi. Mmm! Delicious. I tried it with soy sauce. Yes, yes. You can eat sea urchin without soy sauce. For those who are going to eat, I want you to try it without soy sauce at first. I felt that the quantity was a bit small (both sea urchin and rice) but being able to eat Bafun sea urchin at this price is wallet-friendly and makes me want to come back again. By the way, the Murasaki sea urchin rice bowl is 2,700 yen and with the coupon it becomes 2,430 yen. What makes this shop highly rated is not only that sea urchin is reasonably priced, but also the companion's grilled fish set meal for 800 yen! Look at the size of this striped horse mackerel!! If you order it at some restaurant in Otaru, it's 1,400 yen. The grilling is also good, the fat content is not high, but the content is more than enough for this price. I asked for a taste of my companion's seafood curry, so they kindly brought me a bowl and a spoon. The seafood curry also had plenty of mussels? Scallops? in it, with almost no spiciness, and a strong umami flavor of seafood. The curry was sweet and my companion, who doesn't like spicy curry, was delighted and enjoyed eating it. At the time of payment, a male staff member said, "It's nice weather today." Yes, it's a good shop. Since the weather was nice, let's go to the coast through the tunnel. However, one of my companions had a leg injury, so I asked them to wait on the bench outside for a few minutes. ...After about 5 minutes, when I returned, they were not there. Huh!? Maybe they went to the restroom? I searched and found the male staff member from earlier coming from inside the shop. "It's hot, so..." he said, bringing my companion back inside the shop.

Shimobe Coast. It seems to have been selected as one of Japan's top 100 beaches. First, I took a restroom break and saw that they also sell soft serve ice cream here. Should I have lunch here? Let's explore first. Now, passing through the tunnel reveals a beautiful blue view. Everyone is gasping for breath, but why? I decided to go down and the view got even better. Should I go down a little more? It's quite a steep slope, but everyone came up from there so I have no choice but to go down! So, I went down while enjoying the amazing view, but be careful of your footing. Going down the slope, the view is amazing, more like being surrounded by rocky cliffs than the sea. When you go down to the bottom, the waves make it hard to see clearly, not like a sandy beach but with a lot of rough stones making up the ground, so watch your step. Coming back up, I thought about having some soft serve ice cream, but then I saw the limited edition sea urchin bowl from June to August and I just had to try it, so I headed to Akakura Shakotan Main Store. A few days ago, I had sea urchin at Akasaka Etsuki, so it felt like fate. Despite the high prices and cash-only policy feeling a bit outdated, I ordered the sea urchin bowl for comparison (4200 yen). You need to order verbally here. The red sea urchin is from Ezo Bafun Uni and the white one is Kitamura Saki Uni. The red one is rich and sweet, while the white one is creamy and has a deeper flavor. It's all about personal preference, but I feel like the red one might be a bit overwhelming if you eat a lot. However, I think there's a certain skill to serving sea urchin to make it delicious, so it's best to try it at a proper sushi restaurant. Now, let's go to Kamiiso Cape!

After a year, I visited the Shukkou Shakotan Blue Tourism and stopped by at the Rinko Shukkou Shakotan Main Store at Shimamuimi Coast. Located on a small hill, as always, I ordered the grilled fish (hokke) set meal. The thick and fatty grilled hokke was consistently delicious as usual.