HOKKAIDO, JAPAN'S WILD NORTHERN FRONTIER
Hokkaido island is Japan’s northernmost island, and its mid-19 th century colonization draws comparison with the American West. The island’s frontier character became unmistakable when this text message popped up: “Welcome to Russia! To unlock internet and SMS, dial the following number…” I had no interest in visiting Russia’s Kuril Islands, just 20 km east of the World Heritage–listed Shiretoko Peninsula, where our bear-spotting expedition had proved fruitless. The Russian snatched the Kurils islands at the end of WW2, a sore point for the Japanese since then. Ichi lake, Shiretoko National Park. This is not a travelogue; rather, these two pages capture anecdotes and share tidbits that caught my attention and sparked my curiosity. ...