Create Your Own Kaisendon
Fishing is the key industry in Rausu. Large catches of fish and other marine life such as sea urchin are landed in the Nemuro Strait off the Rausu coast. Visitors to the area can join a class to learn about the wide variety of local seafood and create their own kaisendon, a bowl of rice topped with fresh sea urchin (uni) and a selection of other seasonal sashimi.
Participants choose an urchin from the tanks before cracking open the spiky husk and layering the creamy orange flesh on an ori—a box-like wooden serving plate for sashimi. A selection of sashimi is available for participants to add to their kaisendon. Bowls of rice are then ready to be loaded with the sea urchin and the sliced fresh raw fish.
Staff communicate with non-Japanese speakers through simple English phrases and gestures. Inquire at the Shiretoko Rausu Michi no Eki tourist information counter for further details, including times, dates, and location. The facility is around a 15-minute drive from the Michi no Eki.