The buses operated less frequently than expected when I arrived in Nemuro, but that gave me just enough time to explore my immediate surroundings. The majority of the train trip from Kushiro took place under sunny skies. When I eventually arrived at my final destination of Nemuro, located at the easternmost point of the island, I found myself surrounded by fog.
I didn't know if I’d ever return to Nemuro and I never expected to visit the city in the first place. Given the overwhelming probability that I would never return, I did my best to make the most of my visit and set out with a positive attitude.
JR Hokkaido had taken me as far as it could on the Nemuro Main Line and thankfully, my first city site of interest was located less than a two kilometer walk from Nemuro Station: Meiji Park.
The streets were quiet, almost deserted, as I got closer to the park. The air was cool and the marine mist swept across and stuck to my glasses as I neared the green space. I arrived at Meiji Park, known as the gateway to Nemuro’s Cape Nosappu region, to trees blowing in the wind and cherry blossoms (which had just recently begun to show themselves in the area). The park was much like the train station, very quiet with almost no one in sight.
The wind and fog created an atmospheric photographic opportunity that I was not going to pass up. I traipsed across to the nearby field and noticed unique green moss growing on the pine trees before I crouched down to take pictures of the three large silos in the main field. Built in 1932 and 1936, the silos serve as an agricultural symbol of both the park and Hokkaido.
My concentration to capture an evocative image was immediately broken by my first, and completely unexpected, visit from a local resident. The welcome couldn’t have been more friendly or playful and my new companion, a young and energetic Shiba Inu dog, was very excited to meet me. It bobbed and weaved and scurried around me in circles, playfully bit my hand as I scratched its ears before running back to its owner.
After my canine encounter I headed into the nearby valley for a little bird watching. As I walked farther down the pathway I experienced a “Hitchcockian” moment when I encountered group of Jungle Crows (Corvus macrorhynchos), which to my Canadian eyes looked more like ravens. When I stood and took a picture of one perched atop a nearby post, I heard the rattling, throaty call of one from overhead and couldn’t help but think of that their genetic lineage was not from the Corvid family, but rather from Raptors.
It had been almost an hour in the park before the sun began to try and burn its way through the fog, eventually failing. I had to head back to the station to catch the bus to the next destination: Shunkunitai Nature Center. I was hoping to see White-Tailed Eagles and Red-Crowned Cranes and, after enjoying Meiji Park, I realized that the weather was no match for my desire to explore Eastern Hokkaido.
