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Three unmissable places you absolutely should visit in Hokkaido.
A famed night-view spot in Hakodate, awarded three stars by the Michelin Green Guide.
Mount Hakodate was once an island!
In fact, Mount Hakodate formed as a raised submarine volcano and used to be a true island called a tombolo until about 3,000 years ago.
Later, waves deposited sand and gravel to form a narrow 1-km-wide sandbar that connected it to the mainland.
Only about 40 such “islands joined by sandbars” exist worldwide, and Mount Hakodate is one rare example.
In 1854, Admiral Perry looked over Hakodate Port from here and praised it as “one of the world’s best harbors,” a remark that helped drive the city’s growth as a port town.
Sapporo’s iconic nightlife district — neon lights, local eats, and bar hopping galore.
The name comes from silver grass fields!
Long ago, this area was covered with swaying fields of silver grass (susuki), hence the name “Susukino.”
As city streets were laid out by the Hokkaido Development Commission, eateries clustered here, and the field’s name stuck as the name of the entertainment district.
Hard to imagine that today’s glow of neon was once a windswept meadow.
Beloved for “behavioral exhibits” that let you observe animals up close in their natural ways.
The penguin parade started as stress relief?
In the harsh winter, keepers walked penguins to help them exercise, and the birds naturally formed a line.
That became the famous “Penguin Walk” attraction.
It reduces stress while delighting visitors — a textbook win for behavioral displays.
Stone warehouses line this nostalgic canal — a timeless waterfront stroll.
Why is the canal so shallow?
Dug in the Meiji era for loading cargo, Otaru Canal was designed to be about 0.8 m deep for shallow-draft boats to work efficiently.
Deep-keeled vessels couldn’t enter; unloading relied on manpower and horse-drawn carts.
It’s a rare window onto pre-modern logistics.
An oasis running east–west through central Sapporo, bursting with flowers season by season.
It once served as a winter Olympic runway!
During the 1972 Sapporo Winter Olympics, the stretch from Odori Nishi 1-chome to 2-chome temporarily became a runway.
Ski planes ferried athletes — an ingenious solution where epic winter scenery met little-known history.
Today it’s a park again, but imagining those roaring takeoffs still thrills the mind.
Hokkaido’s marquee resort famed for world-class powder snow.
“Miracle powder” discovered by chance
In a heavy-snow year in the 1990s, trial runs drew raves of “the world’s best powder.”
Winds crossing Mount Yotei tend to create ultra-fine snow crystals; combined with local terrain, that yields exceptionally light powder.
Since then, Niseko has risen to global stardom.
Observation tower overlooking the star-shaped Goryokaku fort — stunning even by night.
Why a star shape? Gunfights shaped the design!
Built in late Edo as a Western-style fort, the star form reduced blind spots and improved defense against artillery.
In the 1869 Battle of Hakodate, it served as a formidable stronghold that vexed the new government forces.
When the star glows after dark, the historical drama shines again.
Factory tours and a chocolate-themed park by the beloved confection brand.
The name “Shiroi Koibito” was inspired by snowflakes
At launch, the snowflake-patterned package became a hit, and the brand was named to evoke “a pure, snow-white lover.”
Production retained artisanal steps to recreate true snowflake shapes in detail.
Parisian chocolatiers have praised its quality — confectionery as craftsmanship.
Grand caldera lake with onsen towns and lakeside promenades.
Higher than Mt. Fuji’s summit — say what?
Lake Toya’s surface sits around 839 m above sea level; with the vast elevation difference to Mt. Fuji’s 3,776 m summit, its deep, cool layers act like a “natural refrigerator.”
Multiple hot-spring vents dot the lakebed, offering a surprising variety of spring qualities rivaling Atami.
Directly connected to Sapporo Station; 160 m up with sweeping city views.
A subtle nod to a spaceship
The cylindrical enclosure evokes a “spacecraft” concept.
At night, fiber-optic lighting twinkles like stardust; locals dub it “the window to a future city.”
Controversial at first, it’s now a beloved landmark.
A top hot-spring resort famed for “Hell Valley” and its wide range of waters.
The ground shifts slightly every year!
Ongoing volcanic activity causes crustal movement; the onsen town’s ground rises and sinks by about 5 cm annually.
Foundations require periodic reinforcement.
Feel the breath of the volcano beneath your feet.
A cherry-blossom haven in spring; at night the star-shaped fort glows ethereally.
1,600 cherry trees — gifts from locals
From the Meiji through Showa eras, local benefactors and the Hokkaido Development Commission donated trees that still bloom gloriously each spring.
Beneath them lies a “Warriors’ Well,” supporting the mystic scene of illuminated blossoms.
Nature and history intertwine in this scenic spot.
Flagship with tasting counters and a café, plus main-store-only sweets.
Rumored “Premium Butter Sandwich” exists!
The main-store-only “Premium Marusei” uses 1.5× the butter and special raisins.
Only a few dozen are baked daily; even advance reservations are hard to secure.
A hidden favorite among dessert aficionados.
A dam-formed, otherworldly cobalt. Hues shift subtly with the seasons.
The secret: silica + microbes in harmony
Water pooled by a dam after volcanic eruptions contains abundant silica, scattering light into an unreal blue.
Seasonal changes in microorganisms tint the water from cobalt to emerald.
Science and nature paint a miraculous palette.
Five lakes within the Shiretoko UNESCO World Heritage site, with forest boardwalks.
The color of each lake mirrors its ecosystem
Spring brings clear blues from snowmelt; summer greens come from algae; autumn shifts to amber with fallen leaves and plankton.
Subtle differences among the five reflect distinct environments.
A luxurious stroll through raw nature.
Japan’s only beer museum — history exhibits and tasting tours included.
An original Meiji steam engine still on show
Housed in a preserved red-brick brewery, the museum features steam engines and coal-fired kettles.
“Japan’s oldest beer tank” is a Registered Tangible Cultural Property — with live demonstrations.
Touch the evolution of brewing tech across time.
A valley hot-spring retreat near Sapporo; gorgeous in foliage and snow.
Founded by a traveling monk named Jozan
In 1863, the monk Jozan discovered these healing waters while recuperating and praised them as a “blessed spring.”
The Hokkaido Development Commission later built up the town, and a shrine honoring him was established.
A storied hot spring with a legendary past.
Landmark at the east end of Odori Park; the deck looks straight down the park’s axis.
Designed by the same team as Nagoya TV Tower
Completed in 1957, Sapporo TV Tower shares its designers with 1954’s Nagoya TV Tower.
Cutting-edge steel techniques of the day influenced towers nationwide.
A meeting of tradition and innovation.
Famed lavender fields that turn into a purple carpet in summer.
Japan’s first commercial lavender fields
Seeds imported from the UK were trialed in the 1950s; Japan’s first commercial fields opened in 1961.
On clear days, some 300,000 plants create a sea of purple.
Its large-scale dried-flower production is rare worldwide.
Sapporo’s oldest covered arcade — packed with eateries and souvenir shops.
The raccoon statue is actually a parent–child duo
The street’s symbolic tanuki statues come as a pair: a parent holding a child.
The pose wishes for prosperity in business and family; local lore even claims the little one moves at midnight.
A charming mascot that brings smiles.
A grand shrine in Maruyama Park; huge crowds gather here for New Year’s visits.
Commissioned by the head of the Hokkaido Development Commission
In 1869, Commissioner Kuroda Kiyotaka ordered the shrine built as Hokkaido’s guardian.
Traditional shrine architecture blends with an avenue of Sakhalin spruce for a uniquely Hokkaido atmosphere.
Centuries-old spruces quietly tell the site’s history.