Wakkanai (稚内市, Wakkanai-shi, Ainu: ヤㇺワッカナィ Yam-wakka-nay meaning "cold water river" or more literally "cold river valley") is a city located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sōya Subprefecture. It contains Japan's northernmost point, Cape Sōya, from which the Russian island of Sakhalin can be seen.
As of 31 August 2023, the city has an estimated population of 31,195 and a population density of 72.8 persons per km2 (189 persons per mi2). The total area is 761.47 km2 (294.01 sq mi).Wakkanai is also home to Japan's first nursing home built inside the central train station of its city, a novel approach to caring for Japan's growing elderly population that has since been imitated in several other cities.
While there are plenty of attractions on paper, few of them are really that interesting, and hardly anything is worth going out of your way to see. But since Wakkanai is en route to the fascinating Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park which is worth travelling for, you might want to check out the following sights, which will fill out a day or two if you are in the area waiting for a ferry. Ryuhyo (流氷, floating ice) is of some interest in winter, and occurs either in February or March. It is ice that drifts in from the sea. If you need to kill time waiting at the airport, the nearby Meguma Wilderness Garden (メグマ原生花園) is an option in spring when 300 different flowers are in bloom.
Try biking north along the coast to see the dozens of small seaweed drying family operations to know where the seaweed in your food comes from. At the northern tip a nice lighthouse and an excellent aquarium await you - with great views of Government radars on green hills - and the islands of Rishiri and Rebun and occasionally Sahkalin are visible. The Moshiripa Youth Hostel rents out bikes at ¥200 per hour or ¥1000 for the day, and also have some slightly more expensive mountain bikes. There are also two golf courses out on the countryside.
Wakkanai is known for its variety of seafood. The catching and selling sea-dwelling creatures (fish, crab, octopus, etc.) and the drying of seaweed may be considered the industry in Wakkanai. Some of the best restaurants are the local ones located around Minami-Wakkanai station. If it's all just too much to cope with there is also a McDonald's.
!-- the restaurant below was apparently relocated https://www.aketa.jp/abouts/ , not too sure about the precise location/tel.-- !-- * --
The night life of Wakkanai is hardly the most happening in the world. For a regular bar visit some of the large hotels; the ANA and Wakkanai Grand hotels have some decent ones. Many of the restaurants listed above also serve alcohol, commonly izakaya style, so that can be an option if you're in a group. There are also izakayas (居酒屋) along the central street (Nakadori, 仲通り) and in the south along Oranjidori (オレンジ通り) — none of them really stand out, so just pick one and hope for the best.
| address=Chuo １-4-25 Arisu Bld. 1F (中央１丁目4-25 アリスビル1Ｆ) | lat= | l | directifrom Wakkanai station, take a right onto the stone paved road (Nakadori) until you come to a bright blue building | ph+81 162-23-2346 | tollfree= | hours=from 18:00 | price= | cA small but very foreigner-friendly izakaya. The owners don't speak very much English but are very friendly. There is an outdated but helpful English menu. }}
The only ATMs in town that take international credit cards are at the post offices: no Citibanks or 7-Elevens here.
There are three large hotels in Wakkanai: the ANA hotel, the Wakkanai Sun Hotel and the Dormy Inn. They are all quite pricey, however. Expect ¥8000 for a single room and ¥16,000 for a double. One can wonder why a small town with 40,000 inhabitants needs a great luxury hotel like the ANA hotel. The answer is probably an influx of tourists. All directions given below assume you're starting at the main railway station.
| address= | lat= | l | directi southeast of the city | ph | tollfree= | hours= | price= | wikidata=Q1368344 | cIt fields regular flights from Sapporo and Tokyo (Haneda), with additional summer-only services from Nagoya and Kansai. All flights to the airport are operated by ANA - All Nippon Airways. The airport is 20 minutes away from Wakkanai station by bus. }}
Since the town is fairly compact, with most sights within 10–15 minutes of each other, you can easily walk through town. There is a city bus with departures every 10–15 minutes operated by Soya Bus, and it is also possible to walk to Cape Noshappu: it's about 4 km (2.5 mi), which should take you around 40–50 minutes. For sights further afield like Cape Soya, there are about 4 buses per day going there, but be careful not to miss the last bus, as there is no other way of getting back other than to walk the 30 km (19 mi)!
