Shiretoko, a World Natural Heritage Site in eastern Hokkaido.

Mt. Rausu. Oh. Beautiful.

Ah, a deer!

Some of Japan's lushest nature.

I really love Shiretoko.

The nature and the scenery and the mountains.

Very special place.

In Hokkaido's summer,

two cyclists travel across the Shiretoko Peninsula

to enjoy the spectacular nature.

Wild Hokkaido!

Located in Hokkaido's east,

the Shiretoko Peninsula juts out into the Sea of Okhotsk.

It's well-known for its diverse nature

and unique flora and fauna,

and in 2005 was designated as a World Natural Heritage Site.

Two cyclists have come to savor the great outdoors.

David Barnett from England is an experienced cycling guide.

He's cycled all across Hokkaido for over 30 years.

I'm here for the first time in about three years.

It's always a special place to come to,

the nature and the scenery and the mountains.

The road that goes over the mountain pass, the Shiretoko Pass,

it's a beautiful road and very winding.

And when you look down, you can see the road amid the trees.

It's a special road. It's great for cycling.

David's biking buddy and fellow guide Ishizuka Yuya

will join the cycle across the Shiretoko Peninsula.

- Okay, are we ready?
- Yeah. Very hot.

So, we're going to climb up the Shiretoko Pass,

but before that we're just going to go into the town

just to ride around the town a little bit.

Okay, let's go.

They start at Rausu, a port town on the southern side of the peninsula.

The fishing port.

Very, very famous fishing port.

One of the most prolific in Japan at one time.

Trout and salmon.

Many tourist ferries depart from the Rausu Harbor,

a well-known spot for whale and dolphin watching.

Riding along the seaside,

they come across a common Rausu summertime sight.

You see the fishing boats.

Maybe this is kelp?

Fishing in the kelp, bringing it back up into the boats.

Rausu kelp is very famous and very, very expensive. High quality.

David knows Rausu so well,

and there's a reason for that.

When he first came to Japan, he actually lived right here in Rausu.

Back then, he discovered a place

where he felt a strong symbolic presence of Japan.

He takes us to see it.

The shrine. Rausu Shrine.

I remember it because it was the first time I'd seen a Japanese shrine.

A very typical Japanese scene. Yeah?

The Japan that I imagined before I came to Japan was like this.

Yeah, yeah.

David lived in Rausu for about three months.

He traveled around the Shiretoko region

and was impressed by its natural beauty.

He'll visit a place on the northern coast of Rausu

to explore more of this dynamic nature.

Waterfall ahead. Yeah, a famous waterfall.

Nice.

The Seseki Waterfall is 30 meters tall.

The fall starts from the mountains

and runs down cliffs carved by the ocean.

Nice cool water.

The water coming down from the Shiretoko Mountain Range.

So, the snow that melts

goes underground and then seeps out.

When the snow melts, and there's a lot of water,

it comes out and it's all over the road. Yeah.

The sound, too, it makes you feel cool.

David fell in love with Hokkaido's nature right here in Rausu.

The two cyclists will first head toward the mountains,

and then cross the peninsula.

Along the way awaits another special spot that David recommends.

There's just something I want to show you.

- Okay.
- Something interesting on the right.

- Oh, really?
- Yeah.

What could it be?

It looks like it's in the forest.

When I first came to Japan

and I saw this,

- I was very surprised.
- Oh, really?

I'd never seen one before. Just here.

- Here?
- Yeah. It's there.

Something that surprised David.

It's said that, "when the time comes, it will show itself."

And after a short wait...

Look at that.

Geyser!

I didn't know there was a geyser here.

Yeah, it's nature.

The geothermal water of the geyser

shoots into the air approximately every hour.

When I first came here,

they said "Oh, it will come out at maybe 1:20."

So, 1:20, and it came out!

I thought someone was just opening a tap! Yeah.

It doesn't seem natural. It seems sort of like, you know, automatic.

- Maybe somebody is hiding here.
- Somebody is hiding in the house

there and turning the tap on.

Thanks to David's insider knowledge,

we were lucky to experience a natural phenomenon.

Now comes a difficult part of the peninsula crossing.

So, we're going up.

Up to the mountains.

To the mountain pass!

Now for the "SENSEI's Tip!"

The odds of coming across wildlife increase as they climb.

How do experts prep for these encounters?

Especially here in Shiretoko, very famous for bears.

When I've cycled here I've come across bears,

so they're very, very common.

It's highly recommended to carry bear bells and anti-bear spray

for protection in case you meet a bear.

David gives us the most essential tip.

If we do see a bear, we stop,

and we can sort of like slowly walk away.

Keep calm, don't "Oh, bear! bear, bear!"

- Just keep calm.
- Don't panic.

Vehicles provide another escape option in an emergency,

which is why the support car has been driving behind them.

Avoid traveling alone, be well prepared, and stay safe cycling!

The two are about to reach Shiretoko Pass.

The road that traverses the Shiretoko Peninsula is about 30 kilometers.

And a spectacular view unfolds from the Shiretoko pass.

It's a non-stop climb to the top

with an elevation of 600 meters over 13 kilometers.

The road appears to reach all the way up to the sky above.

This is a great piece of road.

- Oh, nice view!
- Yeah.

Nice weather.

And right ahead,

Mt. Rausu.

Beautiful.

Mt. Rausu, with its picturesque form,

is the highest peak on the peninsula.

Hairpin curves continue along the pass.

Mt. Rausu grows in size as they turn every corner.

Yeah, the mountain's getting closer.

- No cloud...
- No clouds.

- at the mountaintop.
- Fight, fight!

No animals by the roadside today.

It's still too early.

- Or too hot today?
- Too hot, yeah.

As they climb higher, the road gets steeper and steeper.

They have been cycling for the last 40 minutes without a break.

They must be exhausted...

or so we thought.

Oh, I'm having fun!

Maybe it's cyclist's high!

The harder their climb gets, the more they seem to relish the ride.

They push on with smiles on their faces.

The scenery begins to clear as the trees get smaller in stature.

Another great view on this corner.

You can see Rausu down there.

Oh, Rausu Town.

Almost there!

They're almost at the peak.

Just then, they have an unexpected encounter.

Oh, fox!

Baby fox.

So cute, yeah?

Hello.

Sighting the red fox seems to replenish their strength.

Around the next corner...

- You can see the parking area.
- Oh, really?

- Finally!
- Finally, here!

It's taken approximately an hour for them to reach the Shiretoko Pass.

- Good ride, yeah?
- Yeah.

This climbing up, first it's like normal climbing

anywhere in Hokkaido with the trees.

And as we get higher,

the trees become lower and you can see the scenery.

So, there are not so many places in Hokkaido

where you can see the scenery while you're climbing.

Okay. Cheese!

They take a commemorative photo with Mt. Rausu

as their backdrop to celebrate their achievement.

At this point of their journey, all that's left to do is to go down.

On their descent, a world-class view awaits.

So, this side is not so windy,

so the road's pretty straight.

So, it's easy to get the speed,

so we'll try and slow down because maybe, wild animals.

They take extra care braking as they head down.

Nice and cool this side, yeah?

Just ahead of them is the northwestern side of the peninsula.

There, they can watch the sun set over the ocean.

That is what they came all the way to Shiretoko Peninsula to see.

They even have another wild encounter.

Ah, a deer!

- Oh, baby deer!
- Baby deer.

- Is the baby drinking the milk?
- Yeah.

Coming across a sika deer and her fawn

has been the icing on the cake for their cycling trip.

Oh, beautiful.

Beautiful. The sea is really calm.

And no wind.

Yeah, we've seen the sunset.

So, for me,

Shiretoko is a special place, because the reason

I'm here now in Japan, it all started here.

I don't know, there must have been something that moved me

because I came back and I'm still here. So,

this is the start of everything for me.

The World Natural Heritage Site Shiretoko, in eastern Hokkaido.

By cycling across the peninsula,

you can encounter the region's magnificent summer wilderness.

"Wild Hokkaido!" takes you on great activities

in the great outdoors of northern Japan.

Join us next time for another adventure.