RtG Japan Daily Dispatch - day00 - Flipbook - Page 12
Day 5: Shiretoko to Obihiro, 23 September 2025
Peter and Griz Gordon, 1967 Mercedes-Benz 250 SL
There was still fun to be had in the morning, though, with
two very different Regularities in the book; the all-tarmac
Rikushibetsu River came first. Its smooth surface and long
straights contrasted nicely with what we’ve had so far, and
what is undoubtedly to come.
A well-stocked 7-Eleven convenience store in Shibetsu
was the venue for a Passage Control. Then the Yes Left
Regularity took the rally back onto a flood-ravaged gravel
piste, requiring pinpoint navigation from one side of the
car and a willingness to listen from the other.
The route to lunch ran through the extensive wetlands
of the Kushiroshitsugen National Park, where Japan’s most
iconic bird, the red-crowned crane resides. It was thought
to be extinct in Japan until, in 1924, a small flock was
discovered here. An intensive conservation effort resulted
in a population increase to around 1,700 birds. They are so
well protected that they no longer migrate.
The Time Control at Bob’s Burgers in nearby Toro served
up its signature dish with the crews choosing to eat al fresco
on the lawns alongside the railway track and the Lake Toro.
Although there were no Regularities over the course of
the afternoon, there were still a few miles to chew through.
Armed with their sheaf of amendments, the crews made
for a Passage Control at the Urahoro Roadside Rest Area
via a dramatic section of coastal highway. The day ended
at the Ikeda Wine Castle, an imposing concrete structure
opened in 1964, that has the distinction of being the first
municipal winery in Japan. Both the cafe and gift shop did
a roaring trade in ice creams and souvenir bottles of wine
commemorating the recent Rally Hokkaido.
The night halt was a further 25km down the road in the
Forest Spa Resort Hokkaido Hotel, Obihiro, where the day’s
events were relived over a dinner of sushi, fresh tempura,
duck and beef, washed down with a glass or two of lightly
chilled sake.
Ales and Jana Koci, 1972 BMW 3.0 CSi
Gerd Buehler and Janine Franssen, 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC
Manuel and Irene Dubs, 1940 Ford Coupe
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
www.rallytheglobe.com
