Airport conquest series. Eastern Hokkaido has four airports: Monbetsu, Memanbetsu, Nakashibetsu, and Kushiro. This is a paper plan to cover all four in two days. In practice, I had already visited Kushiro and Memanbetsu on separate occasions, so I paired Nakashibetsu and Monbetsu together. If covering all four at once, this route would be the most efficient.
The full series index is here.
Route Design
The biggest constraint is Monbetsu Airport — it only serves Haneda, with no flights to New Chitose. Monbetsu must therefore be placed at the beginning or end of the itinerary.
The plan: Day 1, fly Haneda → Monbetsu, travel overland to Memanbetsu, fly to New Chitose, and stay overnight. Day 2, fly New Chitose → Nakashibetsu, travel overland to Kushiro, fly Kushiro → Haneda. Flying back to Haneda from Memanbetsu and returning the next morning was also an option, but routing through New Chitose is faster and cheaper.
Day 1 overland (Monbetsu → Memanbetsu): take the free airport shuttle bus to Engaru, then JR Sekihoku Main Line toward Memanbetsu. Day 2 overland (Nakashibetsu → Kushiro): bus from Nakashibetsu to Attoko Station, then JR Nemuro Main Line to Kushiro. A direct Nakashibetsu–Kushiro bus exists, but the schedule didn’t connect well, so the Attoko route was chosen.
Itinerary (based on May 2022 timetables)
Day 1: Haneda → Monbetsu → Memanbetsu → New Chitose
Day 2: New Chitose → Nakashibetsu → Kushiro → Haneda
Timetables are subject to change. Check the latest schedules before traveling.
Notes
Nishi-Memanbetsu Station → Memanbetsu Airport on foot: About 2 km, 25 minutes. The road is flat, but in winter there’s a risk of snow, ice, and bear encounters in the Hokkaido countryside. In winter, take a taxi or use the Memanbetsu Airport shuttle bus instead.
Engaru Bus Terminal → Engaru Station: About 3 minutes on foot.
Direct bus from Nakashibetsu to Kushiro: A bus via the Kushiro–Rausu line (Nakashibetsu Bus Terminal → Kushiro Station) exists, but the schedule didn’t connect well, so the route via Attoko Station was used instead.