I made it South today, with the first stop after already one hour at Toro for a visit of Kushiro-Shitsugen NP or the Kushiro Marshlands.

From the station I walked over to the Sarubo Observatory and on to the Toro Sarurun Observatory – for some good views of the lakes, marshes and a bit of wildlife.

On the way back I made a short detour to the front of lake Toro and to stop by at the NP’s visitor center and the local museum. After a burger lunch (I just had to, given the place’s name: “Bob’s Burger” … Linda was out though) it was on to Kushiro, Eastern Hokkaido’s hub city. My conclusion after a bit of city exploration: there are some nice areas around the Kushiro River – but, otherwise it is not the most attractive of cities.