I stayed here during summer vacation, so the accommodation cost was high, but the food was delicious as expected. There were plenty of luxurious ingredients such as lively abalone, sea urchin, and crab stuffed in chawanmushi. In particular, the abalone sashimi, simmered rockfish, saltwater sea urchin, and sea urchin bowl were delicious. The sea urchin and shrimp hot pot also had a gentle and tasty flavor. I had been eating a lot of sea urchin on Okushiri Island, but the sea urchin here was also delicious. Sea urchin is truly delicious on Okushiri Island. The hostess worked hard and was kind, and she also provided excellent shuttle service. I had a comfortable time here.

During my bike ride around Okushiri Island, I stayed overnight. I indulged in a luxurious dinner of uni sashimi, uni hot pot, abalone sashimi, live abalone, and other incredibly fresh dishes. I couldn't stop eating the delicious local rice and sake "Okushiri" to accompany the feast.

The highlight of sightseeing in Okushiri Island is staying at the famous inn called "Miya Kikuchi" on the second day. It has been many years since I last stayed at an inn. Upon arrival, the landlady welcomed me with a warm and homely atmosphere. I took a relaxing bath and watched the summer high school baseball tournament on TV. Now, it's time for dinner. When I entered the dining area, a table full of dishes awaited me. There was plenty of sea urchin and abalone, just as I had hoped for! The purple sea urchin sashimi was delicious, and the sea urchin hot pot was filled with plenty of sea urchin! The abalone was served as sashimi and grilled, two different ways! What a luxurious feast! In front of such luxurious seafood, let's dig in. The abalone sashimi had a crunchy texture and a sweet taste when chewed. And the cooked sea urchin hot pot was amazing. The soup filled with sea urchin broth was also delicious. Of course, the dipping sauce for the sea urchin was outstanding. And then, the grilled abalone. It had a different texture from the sashimi and was incredibly tender. The surprising part was the rice dish. A sea urchin bowl appeared! Three sea urchin dishes in total!!! I know it sounds repetitive, but it was truly luxurious! Ah, bliss. The raw sea urchin on top of the rice was unbelievably delicious. It was incredibly flavorful. The side dishes were also excellent. The pickled herring was a perfect match for sake. I wanted to buy it if it was sold. The other sashimi, fried rockfish, crab steamed egg custard, salad, everything was delicious. Oh, and I also tried the first sake from Okushiri Island, called "Okushiri." It was made from rice and water from Okushiri, with a refreshing taste. I was completely full. It was the first time in my life that I ate so much sea urchin and abalone at once. I went to bed before 10 pm with a happy feeling (laughs). By the way, breakfast was also satisfying. Plenty of squid sashimi and sea urchin in the morning. Grilled salted salmon with scallop miso soup! The breakfast was also well-prepared, and I kept asking for more rice in the morning. It was a one-night, two-meal stay of just eating (laughs). If you stay in Okushiri Island, I highly recommend it.

Before the accommodation prices go up during the high season, I decided to visit Okushiri! To get to Okushiri, you can either take a flight or a ferry. By air, you can fly from Hakodate Airport. By sea, you can depart from either Esashi or Setana. Both options have their pros and cons. Flying is easier but more expensive (around 12,000 yen one way). Taking the ferry is cheaper (around 2,000 yen one way) but more inconvenient (about a 3-hour drive from Hakodate). There is only one flight and one ferry each day. If you have time, taking the ferry allows for a more relaxed journey. The schedule for Setana route is departure at 14:00 and arrival at 15:00. Upon arrival, I rented a car and drove around the island. The car rental staff kindly drove me to the accommodation. The location is a bit off the coastal line, so it's easy to miss if you're not paying attention. The level of communication between the car rental agency and the accommodation, as well as the overall hospitality on the island, was impressive. For dinner, there were plenty of dishes served, but unfortunately, there were no abalone or sea urchin as expected. This was because I arrived before the fishing ban was lifted in July. If you have specific food preferences, it's recommended to check with the accommodation in advance. The dishes included boiled fish, fried flounder, small shrimp, scallop hot pot, all made from local ingredients. While the flavors were good, they were quite ordinary. The fried flounder with ponzu sauce was tasty. The room was a traditional tatami mat room, suitable for the summer season. For breakfast, I enjoyed squid sashimi, despite it being frozen due to bad weather. The next day, I was provided with a ride to the ferry terminal. The facilities were well-maintained, with only a slight issue of poor Docomo signal due to being on a remote island.