Packrafting the Kushiro River: A 2-Day River Trip Report

日本語記事はこちら：パックラフトで下る釧路川、リバートリップ1泊2日

Rivers change every time they flood — new logjams form, riverbanks shift, the whole character of a stretch can transform overnight. On a home river you paddle regularly, keeping track of conditions is manageable. But on a river you only visit once or twice a year, local knowledge is everything. The safest and most reliable approach is to go with a guide who knows that river intimately.

With that in mind, this trip was guided by Tsuchiya-san of River & Field — a Canadian canoe guide operating on the Kushiro River — and Kokubu-san of Kai Packrafting Hokkaido, the packraft guiding arm. Here’s the full report from our 2-day packraft trip down the Kushiro River.

Day 1 — Hokkaido is Big: Traveling from Sapporo to Lake Kussharo

Our group came from Sapporo, Minami-Furano, and Teshikaga respectively, so we met directly at the put-in. I left Sapporo the night before, drove through the night, grabbed a few hours of sleep, and continued toward Teshikaga. A stop at Lake Toro just before dawn — the morning light over the water made it feel undeniably like eastern Hokkaido.

Arriving at Lake Kussharo — Packing Up and Launching

The base of Kai Packrafting Hokkaido sits right on the shores of Lake Kussharo — an exceptional location. It’s less than a five-minute walk from there to the put-in on the lake.

From Lake Kussharo into the Kushiro River

Day 1’s route: Lake Kussharo to Canoe Port Mashu Bridge. There was a slight breeze, but nothing that slowed us down on the flatwater of the lake.

At Chokobashi Bridge — the boundary between lake and river — the current seems to pull you in, as if the Kushiro River is drawing you into it. That moment of being absorbed by the river current is what makes arriving at the Kushiro feel so distinct.

The Headwaters Require Solid Boat Control and River Reading Skills

From this point, you’re in the headwaters section. The river is narrow and winds constantly, with fallen trees appearing around almost every bend. You need precise boat control to weave through cleanly. The current looks deceptively gentle, but accidents — flips, swimmers — do happen to visitors who underestimate the technical demands. This is a river best approached after you’ve genuinely developed your paddling skills. And for visitors, having a local guide who knows current river conditions is not just convenient — it’s genuinely important for safety.

It’s also worth noting that the passage gaps through the fallen trees aren’t accidents of nature — local guides deliberately remove only the minimum amount of wood necessary to keep a single boat passage open, intentionally preserving the natural state of the river as much as possible.

While the lower wetlands section of the Kushiro River draws plenty of attention, the headwaters have their own distinct appeal — crystal-clear water, technical paddling, and a wilder feel.

Lunch at an Italian Restaurant — by Packraft

Midway through the day, we pulled up to covo — an Italian restaurant accessible by canoe (or, in our case, packraft). We had planned the stop in advance, and made sure to de-kit properly outside — dry suits off, wet footwear left at the door — before heading in.

Eating Italian food in the middle of a river trip is a level of comfort that’s hard to top.

Biruwa Bridge to Canoe Port Mashu Bridge

After a relaxed lunch, we continued toward the first day’s endpoint — Canoe Port Mashu Bridge.

The River Widens, and the First Riffles Appear

Below Miruwa Bridge, the Kushiro gradually opens up and the first proper riffles begin to appear. Packrafts handle this transition well — comfortable on flatwater, and capable enough in light rapids to keep moving without stress. (Skill dependent, of course.)

The section known locally as the “clay walls” had been free of major logjam issues on this particular visit. That said, river conditions change year to year — always seek current information before your trip, and when in doubt, hire a local guide who runs the river regularly.

On this trip, Kokubu-san from Kai Packrafting Hokkaido kept us updated on conditions throughout, which made the whole experience genuinely relaxed.

Arriving at Canoe Port Mashu Bridge

We reached the Day 1 campsite — Canoe Port Mashu Bridge — by late afternoon.

After stripping out of river gear and hanging drysuits to dry, we set up tents and settled into the evening.

As the light faded, we headed to Mashu Onsen Virao-no-Yu — just steps from the campsite — to rinse off the day. Then, on the guides’ recommendation, we spent the evening at a local izakaya in Teshikaga with deep ties to Kushiro River canoe culture. Conversation drifted through Hokkaido outdoor history, old trips, the river scene then and now.

Back at camp, with the sound of the Kushiro flowing nearby, we turned in early ahead of Day 2’s stretch from Mashu Bridge to Shibecha. That evening reinforced something I keep feeling on packraft trips like this: combining a river journey with local towns, local food, and local people dissolves the boundary between outdoor adventure and genuine travel in a way that’s hard to replicate any other way.

Day 2 — Walking Through Teshikaga Before Re-Entering the River

The 6km stretch below Mashu Bridge is a no-navigation zone (due to concrete riverbed infrastructure, it’s currently unsuitable for paddling in any case — though local guides and authorities are reportedly working toward reopening it). So Day 2 began on foot, walking through the town of Teshikaga to reach the next put-in.

We stopped at a low-key natural spring just across from the Michi-no-Eki Mashu roadside station, picked up food at a local convenience store, and strolled through the shopping street. There’s something genuinely enjoyable about walking through an unfamiliar town mid-trip — and that kind of impromptu local exploration is exactly what guided river travel makes possible.

Back on the Kushiro River

Shortly after the Day 2 put-in, we reached the portage point at the Minami-Teshikaga Sanpekotan district. A combination of riverbank construction and subsequent collapse of those concrete blocks has created a hazardous shoot-like feature — one where a flip could lead to serious trouble.

On Portaging

When the combination of hazards — artificial structures, structural failure, and limited ability to self-rescue — stacks up like this, skill level becomes irrelevant. This is exactly the kind of situation where you portage, no debate required. Follow your guide’s instruction and carry around without hesitation.

The Unhurried Pace of the Lower Kushiro

Below the portage, the river broadens significantly. The wide eastern Hokkaido sky opens up above you. We floated, drifted, and paddled at our own pace — even eating lunch on the water. (Keep situational awareness and paddle occasionally to stay oriented, but the flow is gentle enough to relax.)

On this trip, we stopped short of the full wetlands section — our finish line was Shibecha.

Finish: Shibecha Canoe Port Fujiekimae

After pulling out and packing down the packrafts at the Shibecha riverside, a couple out for a walk stopped to chat. When we mentioned we’d come down the river, they said, “Thank you for visiting Shibecha.” It was a small exchange, but it spoke to something real — the Kushiro River has been a place of river travel culture for generations, and the locals feel it. A pair of cranes on the riverbank, standing still in that distinctly eastern Hokkaido way, added the perfect punctuation.

We cleaned up at Fuji Onsen in Shibecha — a local morimoto (dark peat) hot spring — and went our separate ways. (Note: Fuji Onsen unfortunately closed in 2024.)

For Anyone Thinking About Starting Packraft River Touring

My personal approach to packrafting leans toward river-as-travel — using the river as a route connecting towns, mixing outdoor adventure with local experiences. It doesn’t have to be fully self-sufficient wilderness travel. If anything, I think of it as closer to long-distance hiking than mountaineering — the barrier to entry is real, but when someone starts to see the river as a form of travel, packrafting suddenly becomes a lot more approachable.

(That said — whitewater is its own kind of fun, and fully self-supported backcountry packrafting is genuinely incredible too. 🙌)