Shiretoko Peninsula
Japan · Asia
About
The Shiretoko Peninsula (知床半島, Shiretoko-hantō) is located on the easternmost portion of the Japanese island of Hokkaido, protruding into the Sea of Okhotsk. It is separated from Kunashiri Island by the Nemuro Strait. The name Shiretoko is derived from the Ainu word sir etok, meaning "the end of the Earth" or "the place where the Earth protrudes". The towns of Rausu and Shari are found on the peninsula.
The Shiretoko Peninsula was registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2005, in recognition of the peninsula being the southernmost point where sea ice usually forms in the Northern Hemisphere.
Adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)。Photography via Wikimedia Commons.