Hikers on the trail around the ropeway's upper station at Asahi-dake Mountain (Mt. Asahidake). 1296863200 active volcano, activity, adventure, asahidake, beauty in nature, crater, daisetsuzan, daisetsuzan national park, footpath, green, high mountain, hike, hiking, hillside, hokkaido, japan, japanese, lake, land, landscape, mountain, mountain peak, mt. asahi, mt.asahidake, national park, nature, nature trails, outdoor, outdoors, park, path, peak, photography, relaxation, snow, steam, sulphur, summer, trail, trekking, valley, vents, volcanic landscape, volcano, walkway

©varandah/Shutterstock

Hokkaidō

Check out this year's Best in Travel winners

Hokkaidō (北海道) is the Japan of wide-open spaces, with 20% of the country's land area but only 5% of its population. There are large swathes of wilderness here, with primeval forests, tropical-blue caldera lakes, fields of alpine wildflowers and bubbling, in-the-rough hot springs. In the summer, all this (plus the cooler, drier weather) draws hikers, cyclists and strollers.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Cityscape of Sapporo at odori Park, Japan

    Ōdōri-kōen

    Sapporo

    This haven in the heart of the city is fully 13 blocks (1.5km) long, with the TV Tower at its eastern end. Among the green lawns and flower gardens are…

  • Japan, Hokkaido, Lake Mashu-Ko, Lake surrounded by mountains

    Mashū-ko

    Hokkaidō

    Considered by many to be Japan's most beautiful lake, Mashū-ko once held the world record for water clarity. The island in the middle was known by the…

  • Hakodate-yama

    Hakodate-yama

    Hokkaidō

    Mention you've been to Hakodate and every Japanese person you know will ask if you took in the night view from atop Hakodate-yama (334m) – it's that…

  • Sapporo Beer Museum

    Sapporo Beer Museum

    Sapporo

    This legendary Sapporo attraction is in the original Sapporo Beer brewery, a pretty, ivy-covered brick building. There's no need to sign up for the tour;…

  • Ainu Kotan

    Ainu Kotan

    Hokkaidō

    This collection of shops and households is actually the largest Ainu village in Hokkaidō. Residents make a living promoting their culture: dancing on the…

  • Hakodate Morning Market

    Hakodate Morning Market

    Hokkaidō

    With crabs grilling over hot coals, freshly caught squid packed tightly in ice-stuffed styrofoam and the sing-song call of vendors, Hakodate Morning…

  • Kussharo-ko

    Kussharo-ko

    Hokkaidō

    Japan's largest caldera lake is a rich blue on sunny days. A small volcano peeks out from the centre, creating the island Naka-jima – best viewed from the…

  • Japan, Hokkaido, Farm Tomita, Field of flowers. (Photo by: JTB Photo/UIG via Getty Images)

    Farm Tomita

    Hokkaidō

    Until snow falls in October, Tomita's fields are covered in a rainbow array of flowers. With the mountains of Daisetsuzan National Park as a backdrop,…

View more attractions
  • placement: fullWidth
  • path: destinations/top
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "destination": "Hokkaidō",
  "region": "Hokkaidō",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Japan"
}

Plan with a local

Articles

Latest stories from Hokkaidō

Filter by interest:

2155172199 alpine, blue, cap cloud, clear, cloud, cold, downhill, frost, frosty, frozen, hanazono, hill, hirafu, hokkaido, holiday, ice, japan, kutchan, mount, mountain, nature, niseko, outdoor, panorama, peak, recreation, resort, ski, skier, sky, snow, snowboarder, snowboarding, snowy, sport, sunny, tourism, travel, view, volcano, white, winter, yotei Snowy volcano with cap cloud viewed from a ski resort (Niseko, Hokkaido, Japan)

Activities

The 7 best places in the world for snowboarding

Sep 23, 2024 • 6 min read

Read more articles

in partnership with getyourguide

Book popular activities in Hokkaidō

Go Beyond

Hokkaidō and beyond

Beyond Hokkaidō
  • placement: fullWidth
  • path: destinations/bottom
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [300, 250], [320, 50], [1, 1],
  • targeting: 
    {
  "destination": "Hokkaidō",
  "region": "Hokkaidō",
  "continent": "Asia",
  "country": "Japan"
}