A mysterious geyser that erupted in the middle of a forest on the Japanese island of Hokkaido has been shooting up columns of water up to 40-meters-high for the past couple of weeks the small Japanese town of Oshamambe holds an annual summer festival complete with a traditional procession at the local Shinto shrine this year’s festival has been overshadowed by an unusual occurrence a day before the event when a huge geyser erupted in the middle of the shrine grounds’ forest a column of water shooting up above the tree canopy and the unmistakable smell of sulfur in the air The mysterious geyser has been shooting up water for the past couple of weeks and is showing no signs of slowing down The mysterious geyser of Oshamambe has been interpreted as an omen by the more religious locals but the phenomenon most likely has a scientific explanation The water gushing out of the ground at impressive speed has a temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit) a greyish color and samples analyzed by scientists contain sediment All these factors suggest that the geyser is powered by a hot spring beneath the Oshamambe shrine many curious travelers have been flocking to Oshamambe to see the geyser in person as the water column continues to shoot over the top of the forest it appeared in The huge jet of water can allegedly be seen from miles away and it’s reportedly so strong that the trees right next to it have been completely stripped of foliage While the geyser may have become somewhat of an attraction for tourists some of the locals in Oshamambe already consider it a nuisance The constant roar of the geyser and the smell of sulfur in the air means that many people can no longer open their windows and the increased ambient humidity due to the water sprayed into the air makes it impossible to hang up laundry It’s now been two weeks since the geyser popped up in the forest outside Oshamambe, and it has yet to lose any steam. It’s still as strong as it was on the first day, and no one really knows how long the rare natural phenomenon is going to last Please view the main text area of the page by skipping the main menu. The page may not be displayed properly if the JavaScript is deactivated on your browser Japanese version Out of 3,302 entries in the 2024 World Championship Cheese Contest judges have narrowed the field to just 20 finalists in the search for the next World Champion Cheese is pleased to announce the names and makers of the 20 cheeses in the running for the top prize Cheese Name: Cello Artisan Copper Kettle Parmesan Class 36: Open Class: Cheeses with Blue Molding Class 54: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Soft Cheeses Class 55: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Semi-soft (Semi-hard) Cheeses Class 56: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Semi-soft (Semi-hard) Cheeses Class 60: Wine/Spirits Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Cheeses Class 74: Open Class: Hard Cheeses with Natural Rind Class 99: Hard’s Goat’s Milk Cheeses Class 104: Hard Sheep’s Milk Cheeses Class 108: Washed Rind/Smear Ripened Sheep’s Milk Cheeses Class 114: Surface Ripened Mixed Milk Cheeses Walmart Announces New Milk Processing Facility in Robinson Point Reyes Wins at World Champion Cheese Contest Croatian cheese producer Sirana Gligora from the island of Pag has collected more international awards. … We travel south from Sapporo on the Hakodate Line to visit a museum that preserves railroad history and a distillery known around the globe for its whisky Rail fans will not want to miss a rare experience at one of its remote stations customers enjoy crab bento while savoring the joy of travel Leisurely journey through an area where new winds will blow when the Shinkansen starts operations in the future Niseko is two hours’ drive away from New Chitose Airport rural Hokkaido isn’t quite as convenient by train as the rest of the country you’ll be trading price for convenience and flexibility If you’re happy to be a little uncomfortable regular train services run between Chitose Airport and Sapporo City Take the local “Oshamambe” bound service and note that there are no express trains and no reserved seats after Otaru The train will get you to the centre of each city Sapporo Station is home to a ton of department stores and restaurants while Otaru station will require a short walk to see the sights Occasionally a “Niseko Ski express” service will run – this train stops at Bonus tip: if you have a bit of time between your pick-up and the train arriving Coop supermarket is right next door to Kutchan train station http://www.hyperdia.com/en/ Hyperdia – comprehensive rail schedule for Japan White LIner and GoodSports run regular bus services straight from the airport to the main bus stop in each of the Niseko resorts This is the simplest option if you want to get straight there go to the bus company’s counter inside the airport and sign in then line up and board the bus when your time comes Pro tip: coach services will take you as far as the main bus stop in town – Grand Hirafu’s Welcome Center Once you’ve booked your flights and transfers let your hotel know and they’ll usually arrange a driver to pick you up A host of companies now offer private shuttle services from the airport straight to the door of your accommodation this can work out to be cheaper than or equivalent to coach service tickets your driver will meet you at the arrivals gate with your group’s name on the card Then they drive straight to your accommodation Whoever you book with will usually ask how many pieces of luggage you have because even if a car has 4 seats with big suitcases it doesn’t always mean 4 will fit If you arrive late at night or early in the morning private transfers may be your only option to get to the village as buses and trains won’t run after 9 pm Pro Tip: If you want to shop at the airport or detour for sightseeing most private transfer companies will charge you and have a fee schedule in place Let them know your plans at the time of booking to avoid nasty surprises Note that as one car will have several guests to take care of in a day they may not be able to add to your schedule without prior notice If you have your international driver’s license or permission to drive in Japan renting a car for your stay can be a great way to get around it also gives you the option to stay a little away from the village and save on the price of your accommodation – so it’s great for budget-conscious travellers Check whether parking is available at your hotel – some places will charge for it and on-street parking is not always an option Although the heavy snow hampers most air travel directly to the village there are regular limousine services between the airport and Niseko with champagne and serving staff for the duration of your journey Black Diamond Lodge in Niseko Village is the only helipad on the mountain (so far!) Pro Tip: For private airport access and limousines make your arrangements well ahead of time before everything books out http://www.cool-star.jp/ CoolStar Limousine Transfers There will always be taxis if all else fails A taxi trip will set you back about 50,000 each direction you can usually get a seat on one of the scheduled bus services Trains do not have reserved seating beyond Sapporo on a busy night you might have to stand the whole trip With all these options your needs are sure to be met Find all the info you need online (be sure to double check the year on any schedules you find) or contact the people who helped you arrange accommodation as they’ll often be able to arrange transfers for you and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Powderlife is passionate about delivering exceptional service We believe it’s the little things that make a ski holiday so special Let us do the ground work for you and help you plan the perfect holiday Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value" Sign up to receive Powderlife and Summerlife Digital Magazines as they are published and select other topics that interests you Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_3" ).setAttribute( "value" Unlock exclusive perks as a Powderlife Member A link to set a new password will be sent to your email address Your personal data will be used to support your experience throughout this website, to manage access to your account, and for other purposes described in our privacy policy © 2007-2025 Powderlife Privacy Terms Cookies