Hokkaido’s “White Shell Road” is gorgeous, makes us want to take a road trip! 【Photos】

06:11 cherishe 0 Comments

In Hokkaido, there is an area of hilly countryside along the Souya Cape in Wakkanai, with peaks reaching from 20 to 400 metres above sea level. The area, known as Souyakyuuryou, features an idyllic backdrop of the Soya Strait, and with its wind farm and rolling hills it’s said to be reminiscent of the Netherlands. (It also reminds some people of the Ghibli classic Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind!)

But by far the coolest thing about the area is that it also has a country road that used to be a plain old dirt road until they decided to make it pretty – with crushed white shells!

According to the Wakkanai Press, the operation to coat the road with crushed white sea shells is still ongoing. This year, over 400 tons of crushed seashells have been added to create the perfect white sandy surface. The operation began in 2010, and within two years, over 1,600 tons of crushed shells were spread. However, heavy rains in August of last year led to many areas of the road being washed away.

The shell-spreading idea was devised as a way of attracting tourists to this beautiful part of Hokkaido. Ostensibly a path for walkers, many touring bikers have been adding the seashell highway to their itinerary.

The road, which is said to sparkle in direct sunlight, provides a pleasant contrast between the blue skies and green rolling hills of the area. Let’s check out some pictures!

▼ First, a closeup of the crushed shells which make up the road.

▼ Here, you can see an unfinished portion of the road.

▼ The wind farm and rolling farmland can be seen in these two pictures.

▼ Now there’s one excited traveller!

We’re definitely putting this one on our bucket list!

Source: Wakkanai Press, Naver Matome
Main image: Twitter/@n_yukimura

Origin: Hokkaido’s “White Shell Road” is gorgeous, makes us want to take a road trip! 【Photos】
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