Cape Kamui

Cape Kamui is an hour and 42 min drive from Otaru City , Hokkaido, Japan. 

  There are tour buses you can ride from Otaru Station to the cape. You can do the reservations 
online. Click here to reserve. 

 
To get to the tip of the cape, you have to hike through the esplanade "Charenka`s Path" for 20 to 30 minutes. Be careful because there are no toilets, stores nor vending machines on the way. 

The stairs leading to the Charenka Path starts from the parking lot at the entrance of Kamui Misaki or Cape Kamui as it is called in English. 



There is a gate which prohibits women from proceeding further but people nowadays ignore this. A folktale explains that a girl named Charenka once upon a time fell in love with an Ainu chief in the village named Yoshitsune of Minamoto. Yoshitsune of Minamoto a general one day had to escape from an enemy to the north and Charenka followed him but only up to the Cape Kamui. 


Because of this, she cursed every woman who will board any ship that would sail around the area and  threw herself into the sea. Legend says her spirit eventually transformed into a Kamui rock.  

 

 The legend may be gloomy but you will feel the exact opposite once you`ve reached the light tower located at the tip of the cape.  Everybody who visited the Cape of Kamui brought with them nothing but happy memories. Most found the peace their hearts were looking for and were strengthened to persevere once again in their realizing their goals in life. 




Be sure to check the weather and pick a fine day to visit. And don`t forget to pass by the souvenir shop at the parking lot before calling it a day.