The Four Seasons of Abashiri
The bright white flowers and fresh green leaves of the "Mizubasho" burst out of the mud along the edges of Lake Abashiri, heralding spring in the Okhotsk area. Summer is decorated with splashes of colour from thousands of flowers. When autumn arrives the mountains and plains suddenly appear to turn into a burning red blanket. Then silent winter approaches, softly wrapping the world in white fluffy snow. These changes of nature become like an energetic symphony of colour here in the Okhotsk area.
SPRING
Spring begins in Abashiri in April when the drift ice recedes and the snow begins to thaw. Adonis comes out in the remaining snow and "Mizubasho"(skunk cabbage) blooms white at the Abashiri lakeside. On the hills of Higashimokoto, near Abashiri,"Shiba-zakura" (phlox) colours the ground with small pink flowers. Also, "Ezo-murasaki-tsutsuji" (Ezo-purple-azaleas) start blooming all at once as if they are having a race.
Shiba-zakura (phlox)
Adonis
Mizubasho(skunk cabbage)
SUMMER
In early summer, as the leaves turn green and the sky becomes clear and deep blue, all of the flowers start to bloom. The season for escaping to the outdoors begins. The AUTO-campsite in "Tento-land" and the campsite at the shore of Lake Abashiri are ready to welcome campers to the city.
EZO-SUKASHI-YURI(Ezo-sukashi-lilies)
The name of this flower came from the transparency of its petals. Ezo-sukashi-yuri grow in colourful bunches along the coast producing deep vermilion petals.
HAMANASU (Wild roses)
This flower, also known as Latifoliate, is chosen as the state flower of Hokkaido and blooms in early summer. It is beautiful pale rouge in colour and is a member of the rose family.
SENDAI HAGI(Sendai-bush-clover)
The bush clover grows along the Okhotsk coast. In early summer it is covered with deep yellow flowers shaped like butterflies. When in full bloom these flowers appear as though they were thousands of butterflies dancing in the wind.
AUTUMN
In September, as the autumn wind moves across the mountains and hills, the leaves on the trees start to change colour from green to red. This red colouring of the natural world extends to the banks of Lake Notoro, where the coral grass becomes crimson as well.
Coral grass
WINTER
Swans are the messengers of winter in Abashiri. When they come, snow starts falling and Abashiri is ready for winter. Drift ice surges across the Sea of Okhotsk at the end of January and everything is completely buried in snow. The winter season, therefore, is full of excitement with the Drift Ice Festival and sightseeing tours onboard the first icebreaker ship in Japan, the "Aurora".
Icebreaker ship "Aurora"
Drift ice