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User:Kitayama / CC BY-SA 4.0
Kottaro Marsh Observatory
コッタロ湿原展望台Hokkaido
The walking path up to the Kottaro observatory is closed from 3 July 2026 until late January 2027 for staircase and handrail replacement, so the lookout itself cannot be reached — and the car park and toilets close for good on 31 October 2026. When open, this small hilltop deck on the quiet northern edge of the Kushiro wetland gives one of the widest views over near-untouched marsh, with almost none of the crowds of the main southern observatories. The Kottaro basin is reached on the gravel road along the Kushiro River and pairs naturally with Lake Toro. Check with the Kushiro Shitsugen park liaison council before planning around it.
- Best season
- Summer
- Crowd level
- Moderate
- Rating
- 4.1· 635 reviews
- Opening hours
- Daily Closed
- Admission
- Free outdoor hilltop lookout over Kushiro wetland; open-access, no admission.
- Nearest station
- No scheduled public transport — Kottaro Marsh Observatory is car or taxi only; it appears on no Akan Bus route. Note the walking path to the observatory is also closed for works until late January 2027.
Usual hours — confirm with the official site for holidays + seasonal closures.
Today
FreeStored weekly hours
Daily Closed
Closures
- The walking path up to the observatory is closed from 2026-07-03 until late January 2027 while the staircase and handrails are replaced, so the lookout cannot be reached.
Note
- The car park and toilets remain available only until 2026-10-31.
How to get there
From Sapporo Station · ~4h 37m by car
Tags
viewpointwetlandnaturebirdwatchingsceniclake
Location
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