Seagulls following the ferry catch scraps tossed by travelers.

There are two small islands near the northern tip of Hokkaido, Rishiri and Rebun. Hokkaido has a climate comparable to Maine.  In late June, everything was very green, the weather was excellent with temperatures in the mid-70’s, and there were a few lillacs in bloom, along with early summer flowers.  Rishiri is a circular island perhaps 15 miles in diameter, with a Mt. Fuji style conical mountain, rising to about 5000 feet, in the middle. Nearby Rebun is smaller, and it is famous for its wild flowers.

The ferry to Rishiri from northern Hokkaido takes about an hour and a half. The differences between a Japanese ferry and a US one is an interesting case study in cultural differences. What differences could there possibly be in something as simply as a ferry?  Well, for starters, in Japan everyone lines up in an orderly queue about half an hour before the boat arrives, for no particular purpose that an American could detect. The Japanese said it was to be sure to get a seat for the hour and a half ride.

Which brings us to the second difference: there aren’t any seats. At least not indoors. Insted there are carpeted areas were one removes one’s shoes and sits serenely on the floor or alternatively sprawls out and falls asleep, depending upon the available space and the preferences of the particular person.We found a seating section outdoors aft which was very pleasant, and which most people avoided for fear it would be too cold.  I’m sure they are right for most of the year, but this warm day in June it was delightful. The top deck was open and also had no seats. A two or three people unrolled bamboo mats and used the empty space.

The crew all wore light green company jumpsuits with shiny white hardhats; the captain wore a white shirt and tie. The stunning thing however, was that the concession stand did not sell coffee, or tea for that matter.  I thought there was some kind of international law that all ferries had to sell well-cooked hot coffee.  There should be.  After a time, I found a vending machine that sold hot drinks, including coffee. The machine sold drinks in aluminum cans, some hot, some cold.  I bought a somewhat hot (I could hold the can) six ounce can of coffee, only available with sugar (yecch!), for about a dollar.

The passenger fare was about $20 for the hour and a half ride, cars rode for about $125, and buses for about $500.  There were nothing but tour buses, about six, when we went. Western tourists to the islands are rare.  We met a young couple on the hour ride from Rishiri to Rebun. The couple, Canadian and Australian, were hiking and camping on vacation from teaching English to high school students in Tokyo. We saw no other Western-looking people in the two days of travel in the islands. This means that one can be sure that whatever one sees, it is surely not being done to cater to Western tourists. This is just fine.