# Eastern Circuit

The Eastern Circuit (道東 Dōtō) covers the eastern half of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido.

## Regions

The Eastern Circuit is composed of the following four subprefectures:
* Okhotsk – it was renamed from Abashiri Subprefecture in 2010. Has a Japanese-only portal site for tourism.
* Tokachi – the region is dominated by the Tokachi Plain, a major agricultural area
* Kushiro – the region is dominated by the Kushiro Plain, a major agricultural area
* Nemuro – the region is dominated by the Nemuro Plain, a major agricultural area

## Cities and towns
### Cities

* 42.983333144.3833331 Kushiro (釧路市 Kushiro-shi) – the largest city in the circuit is the year-round home of endangered Japanese cranes, making it a popular stop for birdwatchers
* 44.016667144.2666672 Abashiri (網走市 Abashiri-shi) – fishing town famous for drift ice and infamous for its prison
* 43.8143.93 Kitami (北見市 Kitami-shi) – the onion capital of Japan is also known for growing mint
* 44.35143.354 Monbetsu (紋別市 Monbetsu-shi) — well known for drift ice and has a sea ice museum
* 43.333333145.5833335 Nemuro (根室市 Nemuro-shi) – at the easternmost tip of Hokkaido, famous for its seafood, dairy industry, bird-watching, and wild nature preserves
* 42.916667143.26 Obihiro (帯広市 Obihiro-shi) – the main city in the Tokachi Plain near the volcanic peaks of Daisetsuzan with its extraordinary alpine flora

### Towns

* 43.825144.1055567 Bihoro (美幌町 Bihoro-chō) – gateway to the Akan National Park; Bihoro Pass has views over Lake Kussharo in the nearby Akan National Park
* 43.916667144.6666678 Shari (斜里町 Shari-chō) – gateway to Shiretoko National Park and home of onsen village Utoro

## Other destinations

* 43.393806145.1174721 Betsukai
* 43.555222144.9713612 Nakashibetsu
* 43.661417145.1313063 Shibetsu
* 44.021944145.1897224 Rausu
* 43.232722143.2958065 Kamishihoro
* 42.697917143.1341676 Nakasatsunai
* 44.062083143.5275837 Engaru
* 43.911944144.1725568 Ōzora
* 44.192306143.0775839 Takinoue

### National Parks

* 43.544444144.2836111 Akan National Park (阿寒摩周国立公園 Akan Mashu Kokuritsu Kōen) – known for the crystalline mountain lakes of Akan, Kussharo and Mashu
* 43.660278142.8580562 Daisetsuzan National Park (大雪山国立公園 Daisetsuzan Kokuritsu Kōen), – Japan's largest national park named after its "Great Snowy Mountains"
* 43.108144.4013 Kushiro-shitsugen National Park (釧路湿原国立公園 Kushiro-shitsugen Kokuritsu Kōen)
* 44.1145.1833334 Shiretoko National Park (知床国立公園 Shiretoko Kokuritsu Kōen) – the most inaccessible and least explored of Japan's national parks

## Understand

The most sparsely populated region in all Japan, this vast area is nearly 40,000 km² in size. While the easternmost part is largely flat, rural and filled with endless cow pastures, much of the circuit is ringed with mountains.

## Get in
### By plane

Kushiro, Monbetsu and Ōzora, Memanbetsu (near Abashiri) have regional airports.

## Get around

Here, if anywhere in Japan, a rental car will come in handy. Train coverage is severely lacking (many lines have been terminated due to a lack of customers) and buses are infrequent, inconvenient and expensive.

## Do

Eastern Hokkaido has beautiful coastline, wonderful outdoor hot springs, and remote hiking. Some combination of these should make for a satisfying visit.

## Eat

Hokkaido on the whole is good for seafood — if you're on the coast — and dairy, and the east is no exception. In central Hokkaido, near Asahikawa and Furano, there are a plethora of melon stands, though by foreign standards, Japanese melons are exceedingly expensive.
* Pork Bowl (豚丼 Buta-don). Pork bowl with sightly bigger pork. Obihiro is originated, it is possible to eat in Tokachi whole area.