Wakkanai Travel Guide — Things to Do, Food & Hotels
city in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan
About Wakkanai
The city was established in the 17th century as a frontier trading post to the aboriginal Ainu people who used to inhabit much of Hokkaido. It prospered through trade and as a strategic outpost in the far flung northern reaches of the empire, in the century that followed. The modern city was established in 1900, and when Japan recaptured parts of Sakhalin Island after the Russo-Japanese war of 1905, it became the main transit point to the Karafuto prefecture established there with regular steam-liner operations to Otomari (todayKorsakov), a status that only increased when the Sōya railway was finally extended here in 1926. With the loss of Sakhalin in the aftermath of World War II, the town's fortunes faded; it reverted to being little more than a military post during the Cold War, home to
Top Attractions in Wakkanai
Explore the best things to see and do in Wakkanai:
- ★Bakkai Port Seal Observatory
- ★Breakwater Dome
- ★Daisuke Matsuzaka Museum
- ★Komadori Ski Center
- ★Lake Ōnuma Bird Observatory
- ★Noshappu Cold Water Aquarium
- ★Sōya Misaki
- ★Suimukan Pool
Where to Eat in Wakkanai
Must-try local food and restaurants:
- 🍴Densuke
- 🍴Irohanihoheto
- 🍴Kamui
Where to Stay in Wakkanai
- 🏨Dormy Inn Wakkanai
- 🏨Surfeel Hotel Wakkanai
- 🏨Wakkanai Grand Hotel
- 🏨Wakkanai Youth Hostel
Wakkanai Travel Guide Sections
Our comprehensive guide covers 11 sections including: