Washi No Yado
Rausu, Hokkaido-Japan
Guest House / B&B / Homestay
Our guesthouse has become famous as the best place to see the magnificent Blakiston’s Fish Owl (Bubo blakistoni) the largest species of owl in the world. We are very attached to our pair of owls who regularly come to feed on fish right outside of our guesthouse. If you stay with us you can see these owls at night right from your bedroom window. We also offer a viewing area for non residents where you can sit and wait until these magnificent birds come to feed.
Washi no Yado Guesthouse is a typical Japanese Minshuku a family run guesthouse which has 6 rooms all looking out across the stream where our famous owls come to feed each evening.
Our guest rooms are small and comfortable with futons and heaters in every room. Especially nice when its cold and snowy outside. We offer traditional breakfasts and dinner and sell drinks so you can celebrate seeing the owl.
There is no public access to see our owls and you must either stay in our guesthouse for the best viewing opportunities or visit our non resident viewing area where you are welcome to stay as long as it takes for the owls to appear.
Please note we have strobe spotlights that illuminate the feeding area of these owls and we do not allow flash photography or viewing from outside of the guest house.
Please respect our few rules so as everyone can enjoy this unique experience.
Of course we have a lot of other wildlife in the area and if you are lucky sometimes large Brown Bears visit the stream.
Just a short distance away are several salmon rivers where the magnificent Steller’s Sea Eagle can easily be seen, and when the sea freezes we can organise boat trips to get up close to the eagles for wonderful photographs. Brown Dippers frequent the stream and in winter many species of ducks can be seen in the harbours including beautiful Harlequin Ducks.
Please note we do not speak English, but we are very friendly and happy for you to visit our guesthouse and enjoy the nature.
Washi No Yado
Accommodation
Single Rooms
Double Rooms
Facilities
Shared Facilities 24hr – Electricity Hot & Cold Water HeatingWifi Non Smoking
Naturalist / Guide
Boat Trips Fishing availableNear Stream or RiverNear the Ocean Observation DeckViewing HidePhoto Hide
Trails
Private TrailsNearby Trails
Food
Restaurant / DiningBreakfastDinner Bar Shop / Store
Species List - English
- Blakiston’s Fish Owl 1km
- Brown Dipper 1km
- Steller’s Sea Eagle 2-10km
- White-tailed Eagle 1km
- Brown Bear (Ussuri) 2-10km
- Harlequin Duck 1km
- Sakhalin Grasshopper Warbler 2-10km
- Killer Whale 2-10km
- Siberian Thrush 1km
- Dall’s Porpoise 2-10km
Species List - Scientific
- Bubo blakistoni 1km
- Cinclus pallasii 1km
- Haliaeetus pelagicus 2-10km
- Haliaeetus albicilla 1km
- Ursus arctos lasiotus 2-10km
- Histrionicus histrionicus 1km
- Locustella amnicola 2-10km
- Orcinus orca 2-10km
- Geokichla sibirica 1km
- Phocoenoides dalli 2-10km
