Notsuke-Fūren Prefectural Natural Park, Prefectural natural park in eastern Hokkaido, Japan
Notsuke-Fūren is a natural park in eastern Hokkaido spanning three municipalities with a long sandspit peninsula and Lake Furen. The area contains diverse habitats along its coastline and lake shores where different plants and animals thrive in distinct zones.
The area contains pit dwellings from the Satsumon culture and served as a samurai checkpoint controlling access to Kunashiri Island during the Edo period. These layers show a long history of human settlement and use of the land.
The peninsula's name comes from the Ainu word notkeu, meaning jawbone, reflecting indigenous heritage and the natural shape of the landform. This connection to Ainu language remains part of how locals and visitors understand the landscape.
The park is accessible year-round via Hokkaido Prefectural Road Route 950 leading to a nature center. Visitors should prepare for changing weather conditions and wear appropriate footwear for walking on uneven natural paths.
The park contains Japan's longest sandspit, extending about 28 kilometers into the Nemuro Strait between the Shiretoko and Nemuro Peninsulas. This unusual geological formation developed through wave action and sediment movement over many thousands of years.
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