【Hokkaido Cities: Wakkanai】Walking through an arcade shopping street with eye-catching Russian signage

Wakkanai Station is the terminus of JR Hokkaido's Soya Main Line and is Japan's northernmost station.

Central Shopping Street (Central Arcade Street) in Wakkanai City

I visited on July 11. Tokyo was experiencing a hot summer day with temperatures over 30 degrees Celsius, but the thermometer at Wakkanai Station showed 18 degrees.
I was wearing a T-shirt but felt chilly. It's beyond cool—it's cold.
What I want to introduce is a shopping street about a 5-minute walk from Wakkanai Station. It's called Wakkanai Central Shopping Street, and locals apparently call it Central Arcade Street.

Isn't it unusual to have signs in Russian?
Apparently, it's a remnant from the 1990s when ferries from Russia came here.
Was it more lively then than now?

If you watch the video, you'll see I walked through every corner of the shopping street, but I only passed a few people.

There seem to be few open shops, and the impression was of shutters and flyers for tenant recruitment pasted on shutters.

Among them, outdoor shops stood out, but maybe that's because it's a port city for ferries to popular trekking and hiking destinations like Rishiri Island and Rebun Island.

Wakkanai citizens' soul food "Shio Chamen"

The timing didn't work out, so I couldn't eat "Shio Chamen," said to be Wakkanai citizens' soul food.
It seemed like they were closing when I was filming.
In the video, someone who appears to be the owner is pulling down the noren (curtain).
Looking at food photos on Tabelog and such, this definitely looks like something that would warm you up and seems really delicious. I want to try it next time.

Roadside station "Wakkanai" is almost full

The shopping street is desolate, but many cars, including campers, seem to be using the roadside station for car camping.

It's only about a 5-minute walk to the shopping street, but I wonder if people using the roadside station don't visit it. I felt a bit disappointed about that. I hear there are many restaurants around Minami-Wakkanai Station, but I hope Wakkanai Central Shopping Street near Wakkanai Station also becomes more lively.