Shiretoko Rausu Visitor Center
The Shiretoko Rausu Visitor Center is a hub for information on Shiretoko’s wildlife, geology, and history. A large information board near the entrance provides updates on bear sightings, along with illustrations of seasonal flowers and birds. Information panels throughout the center introduce the ecosystems of Shiretoko’s seas, rivers, and mountains in English.
Seasons in Shiretoko
The center’s theater screens a 25-minute video that showcases Shiretoko throughout the year. See the stark seasonal changes that alter the peninsula’s landscape and learn about the behaviors of local wildlife.
A sense of scale
Shiretoko’s wildlife ranges from tiny songbirds to large whales, and the center showcases some of the larger species. The facility’s centerpiece is the huge skeleton of a male killer whale that beached on the Rausu shore in 2005. The bear paw print exhibit, which consists of two prints cast in concrete, highlights the size of a fully grown male’s forepaws.
Bear protection and the surrounding area
Bear bells are on sale at the reception desk, and bear spray and all-weather boots can be rented. A selection of locally designed handicrafts are available for purchase. The center is a few minutes’ drive from the entrance to the Shiretoko Mountain Pass and the Kuma no Yu outdoor hot spring bath.
