What's a Scenic Byway?

Simply put, a road with beautiful scenery. Scenic Byways are roads that by themselves are utilized as a tourism resource in a new approach combining government, the local populace, users and nonprofit organizations to protect and maintain the scenery of regional roadsides and the natural environment. Begun in the United States in the 1990's, the Hokkaido Project was started in Japan in 2003. The formal nomenclature for these roads according to the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport are "Japanese Scenic Highways."

Kushiro Shitsugen-Akan-Mashu Highway was designated as Scenic Byway November 13, 2006 due to its beautiful scenery.

The Kushiro Shitsugen-Akan-Mashu Highway ties together mountains, lakes and marshes, leading from the Ramsar Convention registered Kushiro Shitsugen Marsh, and allows visitors to experience the workings of nature as it has been since time eternal. This area is a treasure trove for such wildlife as the Red-crowned crane, one of the special national treasures, Marimo in Lake Akan, Blakiston's Fish Owl, Ezo deer, the Northern Red Fox and more. At the same time, the workings of man are evident in the grand spectacle of the farm belt that stretches across the Konsen Plateau between Nemuro and Kushiro.