Aoba tunnel
Aoba tunnel is not a concrete tunnel. It is a nice feeling green tunnel surrounded by the forest, leading towards JR Kawayu Onsen station from Mt. Iwo parking area. If you keep walking on the Tsutsujigahara Nature Trail, it is possible for you to walk from JR Kawayu Station to Kawayu Onsen. About 2.5km from Kawayu Onsen to Mt. Iwo and about 1km from Mt. Iwo to JR Kawayu Onsen Station, about 3.5-4km in total. It takes about 1.5 hours to walk from JR Kawayu Onsen station to Kawayu Onsen. It is a good walking trail which you can watch the wonderful changing vegetation in Tsutsujigahara after walking in green Aoba Tunnel. When you arrive at Kawayu Onsen, you can take a breaking in the footbath. If you know this trail is historicaly imfortant in this area, you may enjoy this trail more.
Selfguide Map inside (pdf)
Selfguide Map ouside(pdf)
Distance: Oneway about 1km
Time: Oneway about 30 mins
Difference of elevation 15m
Mt. Iwo and Yasuda Railway Heritage
Poeple started mining sulfer at Mt. Iwo in 1877 and refining sulfer was carried to Kushiro. 300 horses carried refined sulfer from Mt. Iwo to Shibecha-cho, and boats on Kushiro River carried it from Shibecha-cho to Kushiro-city. Big ships then carried sulfer from Kushiro Harver. People set railway from Mt. Iwo to Shibecha in 1887, which is the second oldest railway in Hokkaido called “Yasuda Railway”. Industry around Kawayu Onsen has started since the railway was set. Railway also made a development of coal mining in Kushiro and Kushiro harver for exportation of sulfer. Mt. Iwo is really important place for development of Kawayu Onsen in the history.
Aoba tunnel is Yasuda Railway Heritage
Aoba tunnel is actually Yasuda Railway Heritage, not just a nice feeling green tunnel. If you walk looking around the trail, you may find the trail is actually set higher because there used to be Yasuda Railway on the trail. You can also find the big hole around the trail because people used to take a clay from the ground. If you know not only nature but also history, it makes you interesting to walk on this trail. Horse sledding ecotour with a guide who took a part of working in the sulfer mine seems to have been held in Aoba tunnel in Winter As Kawayu Eco-Museum Center has a display about history of Mt. Iwo, you can visit here for a review and a preparation before or after walking on the trail. Aoba tunnel is the best trail here to know the nature and the history around Kawayu Onsen.
Photo Gallery
Access
Parking Fee
Motor Bikes 100yen
Car 410yen
Micro Bus 820yen
Big Bus 1,630yen
*Common ticket with Lake Mashu View point 1 parking.
*You can use ticket once each Mt. Iwo parking and Lake Mashu View point 1 parking (2days available, tax included)
*Car longer than 5m is treated as Micro Bus Fee.
*Fee Station is closed in Winter (the end of Nov. – begging of Apr.). Parking is Open Free during winter.
Access（Airport, JR & Bus）
From Kawayu Eco-Museum Center
Kawayu Eco-Museum Center ⇒ Seasonal Eco Passport ⇒ Mt. Iwo/JR Kawayu Onsen Station
From Kushiro/Kushiro Airport
Kushiro Airport ⇒ Kushiro Airport Shuttle Bus（About 45mins） ⇒ JR Kushiro station ⇒ JR Senmou Line（about 1hr 40mins） ⇒ JR Kawayu Onsen Station ⇒ Seasonal Eco Passport (about 5mins) ⇒ Mt. Iwo
From Abashiri/Memanbetsu Airport
Memanbetsu Airport ⇒ Memanbetsu Airport Shuttle Bus（about 30mins） ⇒ JR Abashiri Station ⇒ JR Senmou Line（about 45mins） ⇒ JR Shiretoko Shari Station ⇒ JR Senmou Line（about 45mins） ⇒ JR Kawayu Onsen Station ⇒ Seasonal Eco Passport (about 5mins) ⇒ Mt. Iwo
From Nakashibetsu Airport
Nakashibetsu Airport ⇒ Nakashibetsu Airport Shuttle Bus（about 30mins） ⇒ Nakashibetsu Bus Terminal ⇒ Akan Bus（about 1hr 30mins） ⇒ JR Shibecha Station ⇒ JR Senmou Line（about 30mins） ⇒ JR Kawayu Onsen Station ⇒ Seasonal Eco Passport (about 5mins) ⇒ Mt. Iwo
*There is no public transportation when out of period of Seasonal Eco Passport. Please use tour, hyer or any other service.
Access (by car)
MAPCODE
731 713 768*55
From Kawayu Eco-Museum Center
Kawayu Eco-Museum Center ⇒ 52 Line (about 5mins) ⇒ Mt. Iwo/JR Kawayu Onsen Station
From Kushiro/Kushiro Airport
Kushiro city ⇒ 391 Line（about 2hrs 30mins） ⇒ Mt.Iwo/JR Kawayu Onsen Staion
Kushiro Airport ⇒ 53 Line（about 2hrs） ⇒ Mt.Iwo/JR Kawayu Onsen Staion
From Abashiri/Memanbetsu Airport
Abasiri city ⇒ 244 Line・391 Line（about 1hr 30mins） ⇒ Kawayu Eco-Museum Center
Memanbetsu Airport ⇒ 243 Line・52 Line（about 1hr 30mins） ⇒ Mt.Iwo/JR Kawayu Onsen Staion
From Nakashibetsu
Nakashibetsu Airport ⇒ 13 Line・243 Line・391 Line（about 1hr 30mins） ⇒ Mt.Iwo/JR Kawayu Onsen Staion
