Hokkaido’s oldest forest park, crowded with wildlife

Mt Shakotan is a 1,255 m high mountain located in the town of Shakotan, Hokkaido. The mountain name means ‘summer village’ in the Ainu language. From the summit, you can see Cape Kamui and the Sea of Japan to the north, the Niseko mountain range to the south and Mount Yotei beyond, offering 360-degree views of the sea and mountains. There is a lodge at the foot of the mountain and well-maintained trails, but the terrain is steep, with a large landslide on the southern slope of the mountain. This makes it difficult to grasp the terrain, and in winter there have been slip and fall accidents.