Originally Posted by
cockpitvisit
...Plus the public transport was quite limited and distances between attractions not pedestrian at all - I guess you need a car to enjoy it fully...
Are you talking about Shiretoko or Abashiri? I found it pretty easy to get around to the few attractions in Abashiri on the city bus but highly recommend walking or taxiing to the bus depot downtown to start. There is a good route map and schedule at the counter. The prison walking tour is pretty self-explanatory and brochures are available in multiple languages at the entrance. The Drift Ice Museum is interesting and informative but you are right that the video presentation is in Japanese.
I enjoyed the bus trip out onto Shiretoko but will admit that my Japanese language ability, basic as it is, helped a lot. It would be challenging with no Japanese at all. There are a couple of connections that are very tricky.