In summer, Kushiro sometimes appears in fragments: a bit of a port crane, a footbridge, rooftops floating in the sea fog. The people of eastern Hokkaido know this fog well; it is part of their city's character, just like the sunsets that set the harbour ablaze in clear seasons and that locals rank, without false modesty, among the most beautiful in the world. Kushiro is a city of fishing and fog, and the gateway to Japan's largest marsh.

Getting Your Bearings from the Pier

Ships dock in the western part of the port, an industrial area about four to five kilometres from the centre. The city generally provides shuttles for passengers, with two well-chosen stops: the Fisherman's Wharf MOO complex, on the riverbank, and the JR station, steps from the market. A few landmarks to plan your day:

The Kattedon Ritual

Since 1954, Washo Market has fed the city, and it has come up with a delightful ritual for visitors: the kattedon, literally the "bowl your way." You first buy a bowl of rice, then go from stall to stall topping it as you like — salmon, sea urchin, crab, fish roe and scallops from the morning catch. Everyone builds their own assortment according to their appetite and curiosity, cheered on by the vendors. It's simple, friendly and delicious; it would be hard to find a better introduction.

The Bridge of the Four Seasons

Heading back down to the river, Nusamai Bridge bears four bronze statues depicting the seasons, works by renowned Japanese sculptors. The surrounding area concentrates restaurants, shops in the MOO complex and quayside promenades where fishers mingle with strollers. At the end of the day, if the sky cooperates, settle in facing west: the sun sets right in line with the harbour, setting the water and the silhouettes of the boats ablaze — the show the locals are so proud of.

The Crane Marsh

North of the city lies Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, the country's largest wetland, with nearly 270 square kilometres of reed beds, meandering rivers and forests. This is the realm of the red-crowned crane, the tancho, a black-and-white bird topped with red, a symbol of longevity, once thought extinct in the country until a handful of birds were rediscovered in these marshes. The species now lives here year-round. Lookouts along the edge of the park — about thirty minutes away by road — overlook the vast green expanse, and a small tourist train runs along its edge in the warm season. Cruise line excursions often combine a lookout with a crane observation centre: it's the surest way to spot the emblematic bird.

Winter, Another Face

If your itinerary brings you to Kushiro in the cold season, the region is transformed: crystal-clear air, snow on the reed beds and cranes dancing in pairs at the feeding sites. Photographers from around the world travel here for this ballet; winter passengers enjoy the same privilege with less effort.

Back into the Fog

As the ship casts off, the city often fades away just as it appeared, gradually, behind its sea veil. You keep from this port call a bowl of rice covered in treasures, a bridge watching the sun go down and the clear call of cranes above the reeds — three images of a far-flung Japan, understated and endearing, unlike any other.