Wakkanai, Hokkaidō Prefecture, Hokkaido Region, Japan

🇯🇵 Wakkanai (稚内市", cold water river") is a city located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sōya Subprefecture. It contains Japan's northernmost point, Cape Sōya, from which the Russian island of Sakhalin can be seen.

The total area is 761.47 km² (294.01 sq mi).

Wakkanai is also home to Japan's first nursing home built inside the central train station of its city, a novel approach to caring for Japan's growing elderly population that has since been imitated in several other cities.

Education: University • Wakkanai Hokusei Gakuen University.

Tourist attractions • The Daisuke Matsuzaka Museum, dedicated to the baseball pitcher "Dice-K" and opened in 2008, is located in Wakkanai, which is his father's hometown. • Wakkanai Park, home to the Centennial Tower, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the city, and the Hoppo Memorial Museum • Cape Sōya, home to a monument to the northernmost point in Japan • Hokumon Jinja, a Shinto shrine • Wakkanai Onsen Dome, Japan's northernmost onsen.

Transport: Air Wakkanai Airport is located in Wakkanai. There is a daily flight to New Chitose Airport near Sapporo and there is also a daily flight to Tokyo Haneda Airport.

Transport: Rail JR Hokkaido runs diesel train services on the Sōya Main Line from Wakkanai to Nayoro, Asahikawa and Sapporo. The Sōya limited express runs once a day to and from Sapporo, while the Sarobetsu runs twice a day to and from Asahikawa, with a change of trains to either a Lilac or Kamui limited express service at Asahikawa required to reach Sapporo. • Sōya Main Line: Wakkanai - Minami-Wakkanai - Bakkai - Yūchi

Above are the stations located in Wakkanai.

There are plans for a massive extension of the Trans-Siberian Railway. If becoming a reality, it would go via Sakhalin and end in Wakkanai.

Sea Heartland Ferry operates seasonal ferry service to Rebun Island and Rishiri Island. Ferry service to Korsakov on Sakhalin Island was terminated on September 18, 2015. Wakkanai governor KUDO Hiroshi pledged to restore ferry service to Sakhalin and in 2016, the route resumed operation between the months of June and September of each year and is commercially operated by the Commonwealth of Dominica flagged vessel Penguin 33, which is a High-speed craft owned by Penguin International Limited and operated by Sakhalin Shipping Company.