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Nakashibetsu Town

Nakashibetsu Town

Nakashibetsu Town, in the Nemuro Sub-prefecture of eastern Hokkaido, is Japan's largest dairy farming region. The Kaiyodai Observatory (270 m elevation) is famed for its 330-degree panoramic view that makes you feel the actual curvature of the Earth — endless pasture, straight roads reaching the horizon, and open sky have made this a legendary destination for motorcyclists from across Japan. The combination of sunrise, sunset, and stargazing views from Kaiyodai is simply unmatched anywhere in Hokkaido. Yoroushi Hot Spring, a celebrated 'secret hot spring' hidden in deep nature, offers a tranquil retreat where steam rises into the forest air. With...

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Lake Miyajima

Lake Miyajima is a Ramsar-designated wetland and paradise for migratory birds, where up to 70,000 white-fronted geese (magan) gather each spring and autumn migration. The pre-dawn spectacle of tens of thousands of geese taking flight simultaneously from the lake surface — known as the 'magan scramble' — is one of Hokkaido's most profoundly moving natural events. Migration peaks in late March to early April and late September to early October, drawing birdwatchers and photographers from across Japan during these windows. The Miyajima-numa Waterfowl and Wetland Center on the lakeshore offers expert-guided insight into the ecology of these migratory visitors up...

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Shibetsu Town

Shibetsu Town in the Nemuro Sub-prefecture of eastern Hokkaido is celebrated as the 'Holy Land of Salmon' — a small fishing village with over 10,000 years of continuous salmon fishing history dating back to the Jomon period, recognized as Japan Heritage. The Shibetsu Salmon Science Museum is the world's largest salmon exhibit facility, where visitors can observe a spectacular variety of salmonids including sturgeon, Chinook salmon, and king salmon in massive tanks; in autumn, cherry salmon can be seen ascending the stream right outside the museum. Shibetsu is also a member of 'The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan' association, set...

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Mikasa City

Mikasa City, in the Sorachi region of central Hokkaido, is home to Mikasa Geopark — a registered Japan Geopark covering geological strata formed approximately 100 million years ago on an ancient seafloor. It is one of the world's greatest ammonite fossil sites, and the Mikasa City Museum displays impressive real fossil specimens. A fossil excavation program lets visitors dig up ammonite fossils themselves, a wildly popular hands-on activity for all ages. The ruins of the Sumitomo Betsubi Coal Mine, which preserves Hokkaido's largest coal mine headframe (hopper tower), have become a major draw for industrial heritage enthusiasts and urban exploration...

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Hoshino Resorts Tomamu

Hoshino Resorts Tomamu

Shimukappu Village, a mountain community of around 1,000 residents in the Kamikawa region of central Hokkaido, is home to Hoshino Resorts Tomamu — one of Hokkaido's most famous year-round resort destinations. Tomamu turns its famously misty, cloud-covered weather into an attraction: the 'Sea of Clouds Terrace' observation deck at 1,088 meters elevation offers breathtaking views when the right conditions produce a vast cloud sea below. In winter, Tomamu's abundant light powder snow draws skiers from Europe, North America, and across Asia. Summer programs include the spectacular 'Water Room' outdoor pool surrounded by forest, outdoor activities, and stargazing. This world-class resort,...

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Kitami City

Kitami City, in the Okhotsk region of eastern Hokkaido, is a proudly distinctive agricultural city — Japan's leading producer of both peppermint (hakkа) and onions. At its peak, Kitami peppermint once held a 70% share of the world market, earning the city the title 'capital of mint.' The Kitami Mint Museum traces this extraordinary history. Today, Kitami onions are Japan's top-yielding, and the autumn harvest season blankets vast fields in golden-yellow bulbs. Kitami is also 'Japan's curling city' — having sent athletes to three consecutive Winter Olympics (Turin 2006, PyeongChang 2018, and Beijing 2022). The city's fierce yakiniku (Japanese barbecue)...

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Erimo Town

Erimo Town, at the southern tip of the Hidaka region where the Hidaka Mountain Range plunges into the Pacific, is famous for Cape Erimo — a spectacular landscape of wind, waves, and rock. A reef stretches nearly 8 kilometers from the cape into the Pacific, and Erimo is one of Japan's windiest spots, with an average wind speed exceeding 10 m/s year-round. The 'Kaze no Yakata' (Wind Hall) lets visitors experience simulated 25 m/s gales in a popular hands-on exhibit. Around 600 spotted seals (Zenikataseal) inhabit the rocky reefs near the cape, visible through binoculars resting on the sun-warmed rocks....

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Esashi Town

Esashi Town, in the Hiyama Sub-prefecture at the far southwestern tip of Hokkaido, is a historic port town steeped in culture. Esashi Oiwake, one of Japan's three great folk songs, is a haunting, elegiac melody performed with great virtuosity, and the Esashi Oiwake National Competition held each September draws master singers from across the country. Esashi is part of Japan Heritage 'Ikimen' — the network of Kitamaebune (merchant ship) port towns that thrived on herring trade in the Edo period. The Kaiyo Maru Memorial Museum, housing a full-scale replica of the Boshin War-era warship, adds historical drama as the setting...

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Toyotomi Hot Spring

Toyotomi Hot Spring

Toyotomi Hot Spring is a rare 'oil spring,' discovered by accident during oil drilling. Known as Japan's only hot spring with petroleum content, its distinctive water — where dissolved oil forms a protective film on the skin — has become famous by word of mouth for its benefits for atopic dermatitis, psoriasis, and other skin conditions. Known as a 'miracle spring,' it draws long-term therapy visitors from across the country, many staying for extended periods of treatment. The hot spring town is lined with ryokan and hotels, allowing visitors to combine therapeutic bathing with sightseeing.

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Hamanaka Town

Hamanaka Town in the Nemuro Sub-prefecture of eastern Hokkaido encompasses the Kiritappu Wetland (Biwaase Wetland) — a Ramsar-designated wetland of approximately 2,800 hectares. Elevated wooden boardwalks wind through the marsh, and from June through July the wetland transforms into a spectacular sea of blooms: Ezo daylilies, yellow pond lilies, and iris put on a dazzling show. Red-crowned cranes, white-tailed eagles, and Blakiston's fish owls are among the rare wildlife residents. Hamanaka is also the birthplace of Monkey Punch, creator of the iconic manga Lupin III, and the town celebrates this heritage with dedicated exhibits. Fresh oysters, scallops, and kombu from...

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Date City

Date City, in the Iburi region of southwestern Hokkaido, is nicknamed 'the Shonan of Hokkaido' for its remarkably mild climate. The city was founded by the Watari-Date clan from the Sendai Domain, and its Edo-period heritage lends it a gentler, more refined atmosphere than much of Hokkaido. The Kitakogane Shell Mound (a national historic site) preserves Jomon-era traces. One of Hokkaido's few areas where plum trees thrive, Date stages a rare and delightful plum blossom season in spring. With Mt. Usu, Mt. Showa-shinzan, and Lake Toya visible on the horizon, the city enjoys one of the best panoramic positions in...

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Mt. Apoi

Mt. Apoi (810 m) is extraordinarily rare worldwide — one of very few mountains where mantle-derived peridotite (ultramafic rock) is exposed at the surface — and forms the heart of Apoi Geopark, a UNESCO Global Geopark. This unique geological environment sustains a remarkable 'flower mountain,' renowned as a treasure trove of alpine plant species found nowhere else. Endemic Hidaka Mountain Range species bloom in vivid color from May to July, drawing hikers and plant enthusiasts alike. Despite its modest elevation of 810 meters, the mountain's distinctive geology and climate create conditions where true alpine flora can thrive. Apoi Sanso lodge...

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Akkeshi Town

Akkeshi Town in the Kushiro region of eastern Hokkaido is Japan's only town that harvests oysters year-round, thanks to the rich nutrients and abundant plankton of Akkeshi Bay. Akkeshi oysters are renowned for their plump, meaty flesh and intense, complex flavor — widely hailed as 'Japan's finest oysters.' At the Michi-no-Eki Akkeshi Gourmet Park, visitors can feast on grilled, raw, and rice-dish preparations of the prized bivalve. Akkeshi Distillery's single malt whisky is another rising star, having earned high marks at international spirits competitions. Lake Akkeshi and the Bekanbeushi Wetland are Ramsar-designated, sheltering red-crowned cranes and a remarkable diversity of...

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Tsurui Village

Tsurui Village, in Kushiro District of eastern Hokkaido, is celebrated as 'the village where you can see red-crowned cranes closest in Japan' — home to the protected Special Natural Monument tancho (Japanese crane). Despite a population of just 2,400, Tsurui has international renown as a birdwatching mecca, with the Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary and Tsurumi-dai observation point offering breathtaking close-up views of Japan's most majestic birds. Adjacent to Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, the vast wetland landscape is dramatic year-round, and the sight of cranes landing in the frost-whitened wetlands from late autumn through winter is hauntingly beautiful. Local dairy farming produces...

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Yubari City

Yubari City, in the Sorachi region of central Hokkaido, was once a booming coal-mining town that fueled Japan's postwar economic miracle — at its peak, the population exceeded 120,000. After the energy revolution drove mine closures and left the city in financial crisis, Yubari has been rebuilding itself as a destination of resilience and reinvention. Yubari melon is world-famous as Japan's most luxurious gift melon, fetching extraordinary prices at auction. The Coal History Village and Coal Museum bring the mining era vividly to life, while film-related sites like the 'Yellow Handkerchief Memories Square' celebrate the city's long-running international fantastic film...

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Tomakomai City

Tomakomai City, an industrial port city in the Iburi region of southern Hokkaido, is home to Lake Utonai — a Ramsar-designated wetland and one of Japan's premier migratory bird staging areas, where over 300 species including whooper swans, geese, and ducks gather throughout the seasons. Tomakomai Port is Hokkaido's largest ferry terminal, welcoming visitors arriving from Honshu by sea. Beyond its industrial landscape, the city offers rich nature experiences: cycling and canoeing around Lake Utonai are popular with outdoor enthusiasts. Culinary draws include Hokki-gai (surf clam) curry and Hokki rice, showcasing the surf clam for which Tomakomai holds the world's...

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Hokuryu Town

Hokuryu Town, in the Sorachi region of Hokkaido, is celebrated as the Sunflower Village — a spectacular summer tourism destination. From mid-July through early August, approximately 2 million sunflowers bloom across roughly 23 hectares of hillside fields, creating a sweeping golden landscape that draws visitors from across Hokkaido and beyond. The contrast of sunflower-covered slopes against Hokkaido's vast blue sky perfectly captures the wide-open scale that defines the island's landscape. Local specialty products made from sunflowers — including sunflower soft-serve ice cream and sunflower oil — add a unique culinary dimension. The Sunflower Festival runs through the long blooming season...

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Nanae Town

Nanae Town, immediately north of Hakodate, is home to Onuma Quasi-National Park — one of Japan's New Three Views. The stunning landscape formed by three lake groups (Onuma, Konuma, and Junsainuma) with the active volcano Mt. Komagatake as backdrop is breathtaking in every season, offering cycling and sightseeing boat cruises. Spring cherry blossoms, summer canoeing, autumn foliage, and winter smelt fishing provide year-round natural experiences, making it a perfect stopover when visiting Hakodate. Onuma dango, a beloved sweet treat crafted since the Meiji era to resemble the lake's islands and waters, is a must-buy local specialty. Just 30 minutes from...

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Sounkyo

Sounkyo, within Daisetsuzan National Park, is one of Hokkaido's most spectacular gorges. Carved by the Ishikari River through lava plateaus of the Daisetsuzan massif, its vertical cliffs soar over 100 meters high and extend for some 24 kilometers, making it the largest gorge in Hokkaido. In spring and summer, visitors can stand face-to-face with two magnificent waterfalls — Ginga no Taki (Milky Way Falls) and Ryusei no Taki (Meteor Falls) — each plunging over 100 meters. In winter, the Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival illuminates breathtaking ice sculptures every night, drawing visitors from across Japan. A ropeway from Sounkyo Onsen carries...

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Lake Akan

Lake Akan, in the Akan-Mashu National Park of eastern Hokkaido, is a volcanic caldera lake globally recognized as the habitat of marimo — spherical algae designated as a Special Natural Monument of Japan. On the lakeshore sits Akan Ainu Kotan, Japan's largest Ainu settlement, where visitors can purchase handcrafted Ainu woodwork and embroidery, watch traditional Ainu dances, and experience indigenous cultural workshops. Kamuy Lumina, a world-renowned immersive night walk created by a leading digital art collective, brings Ainu spirit legends to life through enchanting forest projections. Sightseeing boat tours to observe marimo, walks along the volcanic Bokke mud pools, and...

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Lake Mashu

The mystical Lake Mashu is a world-renowned caldera lake within Akan-Mashu National Park. Once a record-holder for the world's clearest water, its deep indigo surface, often wrapped in ethereal mist, has earned it the nickname 'Misty Lake Mashu' — and local legend holds that those who see it too clearly from the viewing platform will find bad luck in love. The lake's appearance shifts with the seasons and time of day, and visitors may witness the mystical moment when its clear blue waters are suddenly veiled in white mist. Surrounding peaks such as Mt. Mashu and Kamuinupuri preserve a vivid...

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Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park)

Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park)

Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park), which opened in Shiraoi Town, Hokkaido in July 2020, is Japan's first national museum dedicated to an indigenous people — a government-backed hub for Ainu cultural revitalization comprising the National Ainu Museum, the National Park for Ethnic Harmony, and a memorial facility. The lakeside museum on the shores of Lake Poroto explores Ainu history through six thematic lenses, and visitors can enjoy live performances of traditional Ainu dance, embroidery workshops, and dugout canoe experiences. Shiraoi beef (Shiraoi-gyu) Genghis Khan barbecue and other local culinary experiences perfectly complement a visit to this landmark of Japanese...

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Shiretoko (Shari Side)

Shiretoko (Shari Side)

Shari Town, on the Okhotsk coast of eastern Hokkaido, is home to the Shiretoko Peninsula, designated a UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site in 2005. The remote tip of the peninsula — Cape Shiretoko — is reachable only by sea, a pristine wilderness where brown bears and rare birds roam undisturbed. In winter, the Sea of Okhotsk fills with drift ice and thrilling ice-walking experiences draw visitors from around the world. The Shiretoko Five Lakes trekking route, the panoramic views from Shiretoko Pass, climbing Mt. Sharidake, and cliffside cruises offer extraordinary outdoor adventures. The area is also celebrated as Japan's top...

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Mombetsu City

Mombetsu City, on the Okhotsk Coast of northeastern Hokkaido, is one of Japan's prime drift ice tourism destinations — 'Drift Ice and Garinko-go' has been designated a Hokkaido Heritage Site. Each year from around February, massive ice floes roll in from Siberia and blanket the Sea of Okhotsk in white, creating a landscape of breathtaking scale. The icebreaker Garinko-go III IMERU, which smashes through the ice with massive drill-like blades, offers one of the most thrilling sightseeing boat experiences in Japan. Ice walking (Axel Walk) on the frozen sea surface is another crowd-pleaser. The Okhotsk Tower provides an underwater window...

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