Teuri & Yagishiri Islands

 Image: Akaiwa Observatory, Teuri Island - August 2005

Ritoh (離島: りとう) refers to Islands that belong to Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku, Kyushu or Okinawa, as defined in Cabinet Office material (pdf in Japanese). Teuri and Yagishiri Islands are clasified as ritoh of Hokkaido. Both islands fall under the jurisdiction of Haboro Town and are situated in the Sea of Japan, approximately 30 kilometres off the coast of Haboro. Positioned side by side like siblings, each island has a circumference of approximately 12 kilometres.

Map: Teuri and Yagishiri Islands

The simplest route from Sapporo to Haboro Town is via Route 231, which runs along an extended stretch of coastline. An inland express motorway also connects to Asahikawa, but Route 231 is the more suitable choice for a drive with ocean views.

Public transport is also available, though it is less convenient than travelling by car.  At present, six buses depart daily from a stop near Sapporo Station. However, the bus stop is not conveniently located for users of the Sapporo subway and this inconvenience is expected to persist until at least 2030, when the construction of Hokkaido Shinkansen is scheduled for completion. 

If you are travelling by Japan Rail, you can transfer to another bus service at Asahikawa Station. However, this may be a less favourable option than taking the bus from Sapporo to Haboro, due to the extremely limited bus timetable.

Map: Recommended route from Sapporo to the islands

Thanks to the northern location of these islands, summer temperatures are significantly cooler than in central Hokkaido, including Sapporo. The graph below shows the average monthly temperatures, calculated using recorded data between 1991 and 2020, including with the mean values for both maximum and minimum temperatures. The average of maximum temperature remains below 25 degree Celsius even in August. 

Graph: Average monthly temperatures (average: 1991 - 2020) in Yagishiri Island

Figure compiled by the author using data provided by Japan Meteorological Agency.

When I drove from Sapporo to Haboro along Route 231, known as the Ororon Line (オロロンライン), it was a windy day, as indicated by the small whitecaps visible in the image below. Although such strong winds are uncommon in August, as shown in the graph below, conditions were particularly severe at the time.

Image: Route 231, a windy day - August 2005

Graph: Average wind speed and Number of days with wind speeds exceeding 10 m/s (average: 1991 - 2020) in Yagishiri Island

Figure compiled by the author using data provided by Japan Meteorological Agency.

When we arrived at Haboro Port, our journey was already behind schedule, so we missed the intended ferry and had to wait for the next departure after parking our car (a free car park is available at the port). Worse still, due to the windy weather, there was a possibility that the next ferry would be cancelled, which would have meant the end of our trip. Fortunately, we were able to board the next ferry, and all subsequent departures were called off.

Once we had sailed out of the harbour, it became a nightmare due to the rough sea. The ferry was pitching heavily and we saw every passenger being sick -ourselves included. It took about an hour and 45 minutes to reach Teuri Island. During that time, we were, of course, laid on the tatami area of the ship, overcome by seasickness.

There are two types of ferry, one of which is a high speed vessel. The fare varies depending on the type, and the ferry on which we were sick was Ororon 2, shown in the image below.

The timetable changes with the seasons, so please check the schedule carefully. 

Image: Ororon 2 (おろろん２), Teuri Ferry Terminal - August 2005

Image: Teuri Harbour - August 2005

I remember a man collecting the tickets as the passengers disembarked from the ship. All of us handed over our tickets to him while still staggering.

Teuri Habour is quite small, as shown above, and only the harbour-facing side of the island is a residential area. The opposite side remains untouched natural landscape and is known as the country's only breeding site for the Ororon-cho (オロロン鳥/common murre ).

According to Haboro Town (in Japanese), the populations of Teuri and Yagishiri in 2025 are 232 and 147, respectively. Given these small numbers, it is likely that every resident knows one another, and they may be able to recognise immediately whether someone is a tourist. 

Since we had already reserved minshuku (民宿: みんしゅく) in advance, we were welcomed by a member of staff holding a signboard that read 'Yamada Minshuku' as we disembarked from the ferry. He laughed at the sight of our conditions and said 'All of you are seasick?'

Image: Signboard 'Yamada Minshuku'  - August 2005

When we arrived at the minushuku, we asked whether the ferry cancellations would continue into the following day due to the sea conditions, as we had planned to travel to Yagishiri Island and then return to Haboro Port. 

However, he said, 'The ocean will be nagi (凪: なぎ/a sea state with no wind and no waves) by tomorrow, for sure'. Shortly after hearing this, we found it hard to take his words at face value - something like, 'In spite of such a terrible conditions, how can it possibly be nagi?'

The next morning, the sea was exactly as he had described.

 

Minshuku is different from ryokan or a hotel. Most are run by family members as a side business. They often have a main occupation, a fisherman, for instance. Staying at minshuku can feel similar to spending the night at grandparent's house, particularly in terms of facilities or utilities. Personally, I found it surprising that Yamada minshuku is still operating today.

I remember that one of us phoned Yamada minshuku to make a reservation, and when he mentioned that we were a group of five men, laughter came from the other end of the line - 'Five men only?' she said. Perhaps, she laughed because such a group rarely visits Yamada minshuku. After all, staff laughing during the booking process is something that would not happen at a hotel or ryokan. It say a lot about the atmosphere of minshuku.

Map: Yamada Minshuku

The minshuku staff recommended that we take a bath first to recover from the terrible seasickness. Interestingly, our condition improved after bathing. Then, we were served dinner.

After that, we had nothing to do in the room, unlike today when we have smartphones, so we decided to take a walk around the residential area.

Image: Twilight on Teuri Island - August 2005

When we arrived at Teuri Harbour, we came across a convenience store - or rather, something resembling one, though I do not quite have the right word to describe it. It appeared to be the only convenience store on the island. The weekly magazines on the shelves were one or two weeks out of date, and some of the various ice creams in the freezer had passed their 'best before' dates (which was not much of an issue for ice cream). What struck me was that the shop staff, an elderly man, was the same person who had collected our tickets when we disembarked from the ferry.

After buying some food at the shop, we continued walking around the neighbouring area. Then, as we were passing through a garage, we happened to encounter a group of people having a barbeque there. With one voice, they all greeted us: 'Kombanwah (こんばんは～)', which is used in typical evening situations. It was a new experience for us, as they clearly recognised we were visitors and, because of this, it felt as though they were saying 'welcome to Teuri Island'.

Image: Moon light at Teuri Habour - August 2005

The next morning, we had breakfast at 7:00 after being surprised by the sea conditions. Once again, there was nothing to do - just nature all around us.

So, we rented a small car at the port and drove around the island. It would not have been a problem to rent bicycles or scooters instead, since the island is only about 12 kilometres around.

After being informed that driving in the non-residential area had to follow a clockwise direction, we set off to explore the natural surroundings.

Image: Typical Japanese breakfast on tatami at Yamada Minshuku - August 2005

First, we pulled over at the entrance to the Akaiwa Observatory and walked towards the viewing deck, taking a panoramic ocean view. The image at the top of this chapter was taken at the deck. I will never forget the scenery there. We were completely surrounded by a breathtaking 360- degree expanse of blue. 

Image: Clear blue, Teuri - August 2005

Image: Akaiwa Observatory,  Teuri Island - August 2005

After that, we reached a kind of hilltop. From there, the neighbouring island, Yagishiri, was clearly visible. Although all we could see were the blue sky, the blue ocean and green islands, we felt a quiet sense of bliss.

Image: Looking at Yagishiri Island from car - August 2005

Image: Yagishiri Island behind Teuri - August 2005

Before noon, we said goodbye to Yamada Minshuku and boarded the high-speed ferry, Sunliner 2, to visit Yagishiri Island. The jouorney between the islands takes approximately 15 minutes on Sunliner 2, whereas Ororon 2, it takes around 25 minutes.

Image: High-speed ferry, Sunliner 2 (さんらいなぁ２), Teuri harbour - August 2005

In stark contrast to the day before, it was sunny and completely calm. The ferry was less crowded and the seats were comfortable. We reached the island in no time.

Image: Yagishiri Island - August 2005

Image: Inside the high-speed ferry

As mentioned earlier, Yagishiri Island is also small, measuting just 12 kilometres around. Thus, we rented bicycles and headed to Shirahama Beach.

Image: Cycling in Yagishiri - August 2005

Since it was an absolutely lovely day, we could see Teuri Island to the west and even Hokkaido to the east. The beach quietly offered us pristine sea water and a pleasant view.

Image: Shirahama Beach, and Hokkaido, Yagishiri - August 2005

Image: Shirahama Beach, Yagishiri - August 2005

Image: Shirahama Beach, and Teuri Island, Yagishiri - August 2005

After playing on the beach, we got back on our bikes and enjoyed cycling for a while, taking in the beautiful panoramic views.

Image: Cycling in Yagishiri - August 2005

Image: Holiday is ending - August 2005

In the afternoon, we boarded a ferry bound for Haboro Port, which was carrying a large number of passengers. Some of us fell asleep on benches and on the floor until we arrived in Haboro Town. 

Image: Ororon 2, returning to Haboro - August 2005

Our first ritoh trip had come to an end, but we still had a long journey ahead to Sapporo. To ensure a safe drive, we dropped in at Michino-eki (a roadside station), Obira Nishin Banya in Obira Town for a rest, and then took a bath at Iwao Onsen Attamahru (岩尾温泉あったま～る) in Mashike Town to relieve fatigue. (Adults: ￥500: $3.5/ Children: ￥250: $1.3)

Image: Michino-eki Obira Nishin Banya (道の駅 おびら鰊番屋), Obira Town/ Car: Volvo S70

Map: Iwao Onsen Attamahru (岩尾温泉あったま～る)

There was nothing but rich nature and friendly islanders on both Teuri and Yagishiri Islands. As smartphones had not yet been released in 2005, we spent two days on the islands without any entertainment. Still, plenty of moments remain in our minds even today.