Best Things to Do in Hokkaido, Japan

The Barato River in Hokkaido flows through some of Japan’s most unspoiled northern wilderness, drawing fly-fishing enthusiasts, nature photographers, and outdoor adventurers who seek landscapes far removed from the island’s more famous tourist circuits. Hokkaido’s rivers are renowned for their exceptional water clarity, fed by snowmelt from volcanic mountains and filtered through dense boreal forests of birch, oak, and Yezo spruce. The Barato and its tributaries provide critical habitat for Itou — the Japanese huchen, a massive migratory salmonid that can exceed one metre in length and is increasingly rare across its historic range. Itou fishing is regulated to protect remaining populations, and permitted catch-and-release angling attracts dedicated anglers from across Japan and abroad. Beyond fishing, the river corridor supports a rich ecosystem: Steller’s sea eagles, red foxes, Ezo deer, and occasionally brown bears roam the riparian margins. The surrounding landscape transitions dramatically through the seasons — vivid green in summer, blazing amber and crimson in autumn, locked under deep snow in winter. Access is relatively limited by road, which preserves the river’s character and keeps visitor numbers low. For those willing to make the journey, the Barato rewards with the kind of raw natural beauty that Hokkaido does better than almost anywhere in Japan.

Cape Chikyu juts dramatically into the Pacific Ocean from the Muroran peninsula in southwestern Hokkaido, its sheer volcanic cliffs dropping over 110 metres to churning seas below and creating one of the region’s most breathtaking coastal vistas. The name means Cape Earth in Japanese, a reference to the cape’s storied geological significance — the International Ocean Discovery Program operated drilling vessel Chikyu is named for it, conducting deep-sea research that includes drilling into active seismic fault zones. The cape itself is a designated natural monument, and the viewing platforms positioned at the cliff edge offer sightlines along a coastline of extraordinary drama: columnar basalt formations, sea caves, and crashing waves stretch in both directions. On clear days, the distant outline of the Oshima Peninsula and even Mt. Komagatake are visible across the Uchiura Bay. The lighthouse at the cape’s tip has guided maritime traffic through these waters since the Meiji era. Muroran as a whole is an industrial port city not typically on the tourist trail, which makes Cape Chikyu all the more surprising — a world-class natural spectacle hiding in plain sight. The cape is accessible by car and a short walk along a coastal trail. Sunset visits, when the cliffs glow amber against the Pacific horizon, are particularly rewarding.

The Chitose River in Hokkaido is one of Japan’s most celebrated salmon rivers, threading through birch and conifer forest from Lake Shikotsu to the Pacific Ocean near New Chitose Airport. Each autumn the river becomes a spectacle of raw natural drama as tens of thousands of chum, pink, and chinook salmon return from the ocean to spawn in the gravel beds where they hatched years before. The Chitose Salmon Aquarium and the viewing platform at Chitose River Park allow visitors to observe the spawning run at extremely close range — at peak season, so many fish pack the river that the water appears to boil with silver bodies. Brown bears, Steller’s sea eagles, osprey, and great blue herons gather along the banks to capitalise on the salmon abundance, making autumn the finest season for wildlife observation. The river is also highly regarded for sport fishing: rainbow trout, Dolly Varden, and the native Miyabe char are found in the upper reaches, and regulated salmon fishing is permitted during designated seasons. Year-round the Chitose flows with the exceptional clarity characteristic of Hokkaido’s volcanic-filtered river systems. The river’s accessibility from both Chitose City and Sapporo makes it one of the most easily visited examples of Hokkaido’s spectacular aquatic ecology.

Choei Lavender Farm in Nakafurano is one of the most photographed landscapes in all of Japan. Established in 1970 by the Choeifarm family, this intimate hillside plot covers several hectares of fragrant lavender arranged in sweeping purple stripes that descend toward the Furano Valley. Unlike the vast commercial operations nearby, Choei retains a quiet, artisan character — the farm produces its own lavender oil, dried bouquets, and handmade soaps sold from a rustic timber shop. Peak bloom typically falls between mid-July and early August, when the air is thick with floral fragrance and the colours shift from pale lilac to deep violet depending on the variety. Rows of Yoichi, Okamurasaki, and Hidcote cultivars grow side by side, each releasing subtly different scents. A small café on the property serves lavender soft-serve ice cream that has become something of a regional institution. The farm's elevated position also provides fine views of the Tokachi mountain range, making it equally rewarding for landscape photographers as for perfume enthusiasts. Early morning light is ideal before tour buses arrive from Furano town.

Goryokaku Park in Hakodate is built around one of Japan’s most unusual and historically significant fortifications — a Western-style star-shaped fort whose distinctive five-pointed geometry, unprecedented in Japan when it was completed in 1866, was designed to optimise cannon angles in an age of modern warfare. The fort was the site of the Battle of Hakodate in 1869, the final confrontation of the Boshin War civil conflict in which Tokugawa loyalists made their last stand against the new Meiji government forces. Today the earthworks and moat survive intact, transformed into one of Hokkaido’s most celebrated cherry blossom destinations. Over 1,600 cherry trees line the ramparts and moat banks, creating a cloud of pink blossom each April and May that draws crowds from across Japan. Outside blossom season the park is a tranquil green space for walking, cycling, and picnicking; the geometric moat is popular with pedal boats in summer. An archaeology museum within the park grounds presents artefacts from the fort’s brief but dramatic history. The star shape of the fortification — most dramatically visible from the adjacent Goryokaku Tower — is a masterclass in 19th-century military engineering adapted to Japanese terrain. Few parks in Japan offer such a vivid layering of natural beauty and historical consequence.

Goryokaku Tower at 43-9 Goryokakucho in Hakodate rises 107 metres above the city and provides the definitive aerial perspective on one of Japan’s most remarkable historical sites. From the tower’s two observation decks, the perfect star-shaped outline of Goryokaku Fort is laid out below with geometric clarity — the five-pointed earthwork and its encircling moat forming a pattern that is immediately recognisable and strangely beautiful from above. The tower was originally built in 1964 to commemorate the fort’s centenary, with the current taller structure completed in 2006. The views extend far beyond the fort: on clear days the panorama takes in Hakodate Bay, the distinctive double-peaked silhouette of Mt. Hakodate, and the Tsugaru Strait separating Hokkaido from Honshu. Inside the tower, a well-designed museum traces the history of Goryokaku and the 1869 Battle of Hakodate with models, weapons, uniforms, and video reconstructions. Life-size figures of key historical figures, including the tragic loyalist commander Takeaki Enomoto, bring the story to human scale. The tower is most visited during cherry blossom season when the fort’s moat banks turn pink, but the view is compelling in every season. It pairs naturally with a walk through the park below and a visit to the Hakodate Morning Market.

The Hakodate Jomon Culture Center is an authoritative window into the lives of the Jomon people, the prehistoric hunter-gatherers who inhabited Hokkaido for over ten thousand years before the arrival of rice agriculture. Located near the Kakinoshima Shell Midden — a UNESCO World Heritage site component — the museum displays an exceptional collection of clay figurines, lacquered vessels, and bone tools recovered from coastal settlements that thrived as far back as 3,000 BCE. Star-shaped clay figures known as dogu are among the highlights; their elaborate incised patterns and exaggerated forms have fascinated archaeologists worldwide. Reconstructed pit-dwelling houses on the museum grounds give visitors a tangible sense of daily Jomon life, from sleeping arrangements to hearth construction. Bilingual panels in Japanese and English explain subsistence strategies — fishing, shellfish gathering, nut harvesting — that supported surprisingly large and stable communities without agriculture. The adjacent shell midden site itself can be walked on a short guided trail, revealing layers of discarded shells and animal bones that serve as a natural archive of ancient diets. The center makes an absorbing visit for history enthusiasts of any age.

Hakodate Morning Market, known locally as Hakodate Asaichi, is one of Hokkaido’s most animated and delicious daily rituals — a sprawling market of around 250 stalls and shops that has been feeding the city since the 1940s. Opening before dawn and winding down by early afternoon, the market operates on fishermen’s hours: the freshest seafood from the previous night’s catch arrives directly from Hakodate’s historic fishing harbour just minutes away. Hairy crab, squid, sea urchin, salmon roe, and Hokkaido scallops are among the signature products, sold both as ingredients and in the market’s many eat-in restaurants where donburi rice bowls are assembled to order. One enduring highlight is the squid fishing pond — a touch tank where visitors can catch live squid that are then immediately prepared as sashimi, an experience that is simultaneously entertaining and clarifying about the meaning of truly fresh seafood. The market atmosphere is boisterous and welcoming, with vendors who take pride in their product and are accustomed to international visitors. Hakodate itself is one of Hokkaido’s most historically layered cities, shaped by its early role as a treaty port, and the morning market captures the city’s working-port energy at its most authentic. Arrive before 9am for the widest selection and liveliest atmosphere.

Hoheikyo Onsen at 608-2 Jozankei in Sapporo’s Minami ward represents the quieter, more remote face of Hokkaido’s hot spring culture — a place where the forest crowds in close and the sense of immersion in nature is profound. The facility sits near the confluence of streams feeding the Toyohira River system, surrounded by the dense temperate rainforest of southern Hokkaido’s mountain hinterland. The outdoor rotenburo baths here are particularly celebrated, allowing bathers to soak in steaming mineral water while gazing into birch and maple canopy — an experience that becomes almost surreally beautiful during the autumn colour season. The spring waters are rich in sodium bicarbonate, traditionally valued for their skin-softening properties and their calming effect on the nervous system. Day-use bathing is available for visitors not staying overnight, making Hoheikyo accessible as an excursion from Jozankei or Sapporo. The drive up through the valley on Route 230 passes Hoheikyo Dam — a striking concrete arch structure that impounds a reservoir of extraordinary turquoise clarity. Winter visits bring a different kind of drama: snow piles deep on the surrounding peaks, the river runs dark beneath ice shelves, and the steam rising from outdoor baths creates a theatrical mist. Hoheikyo rewards those who venture beyond the more commercial Jozankei resort zone.

Jozankei is Sapporo’s celebrated onsen resort town, nestled in a steep river valley in the Minami ward just 30 kilometres south of the city centre yet feeling entirely worlds apart. The town has served as Sapporo’s therapeutic escape since the late 19th century, when hot spring waters were first developed by a Buddhist monk named Jozan Miyabe — the settlement’s name honouring his legacy. Geothermal waters here reach temperatures of around 60–80°C and are prized for their sodium chloride composition, considered beneficial for rheumatism, fatigue recovery, and skin conditions. Dozens of ryokan and hotels line the Toyohira River, most offering private and communal baths fed directly by natural springs. The autumn foliage season from late September through November is Jozankei’s most spectacular period: the surrounding maple and birch forests ignite in layers of crimson, orange, and gold reflected in the river below, drawing photographers and romantics from across Hokkaido. Free foot baths and hand baths are dotted along the riverside walkway, offering visitors a gentle introduction to the town’s thermal culture without requiring a full inn stay. Jozankei is also the gateway to Hoheikyo Dam and the wilderness trails of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park hinterland.

Kitami Mint Memorial Museum in Kitami City, eastern Hokkaido, celebrates one of the most remarkable agricultural success stories in Japanese history — the era when the Kitami Basin produced over 70 percent of the world’s supply of peppermint oil, making it the undisputed global centre of the industry. From the 1920s through the 1960s, the region’s cold continental climate and fertile alluvial soils proved perfect for cultivating Japanese peppermint, and the air over Kitami in summer was said to carry the unmistakable cool fragrance of menthol for kilometres. The museum occupies a beautifully preserved distillation facility from the peak of the industry, with original copper stills, processing equipment, and agricultural tools displayed in their working context. Interpretive exhibits trace the rise and decline of the peppermint industry — decline came swiftly as cheaper synthetic menthol and overseas cultivation undercut Kitami’s market position, leaving the city to reinvent itself as an agricultural and industrial centre. Hands-on exhibits allow visitors to smell various grades of peppermint oil and understand the distillation process from field to bottle. The museum is compact but genuinely specialist, appealing to those curious about the intersection of agriculture, global trade, and regional identity. Kitami is also notable as the home city of the Japanese curling team that won Olympic bronze in 2018, adding another unexpected dimension to this quietly fascinating northeastern city.

Lake Akan near Kushiro in eastern Hokkaido is celebrated throughout Japan for its pristine volcanic waters and the remarkable natural phenomenon of the marimo — spherical colonies of filamentous algae that slowly rotate and grow to the size of a tennis ball over decades. Found in only a handful of locations worldwide at this scale, Akan’s marimo are a designated Japanese National Special Natural Monument. The lake sits within Akan-Mashu National Park, cradled by the caldera rim of a complex volcanic system that includes the active Mt. Meakan and the steaming vents of Mt. Oakan across the water. The lakeside Ainu Kotan — an Ainu indigenous village — is one of Hokkaido’s most authentic cultural settlements, home to carvers, weavers, and performers who maintain living connections to the traditions of Hokkaido’s first people. Nightly fire and dance performances draw visitors into the spiritual world of Ainu culture with genuine depth rather than superficial spectacle. Boat cruises on the lake visit islands where marimo can be observed in natural conditions. Winter brings frozen lake surfaces, snowshoe trails, and the serene quiet of a landscape locked beneath deep Hokkaido snow. Lake Akan rewards those who venture to Hokkaido’s less-trafficked east — a region of volcanic drama, indigenous heritage, and extraordinary ecological richness.

Lake Shikotsu, or Shikotsuko, is Hokkaido’s southernmost ice-free lake and one of Japan’s deepest, plunging to 363 metres in places — second only to Lake Tazawa nationally. Formed by a caldera collapse, the lake occupies a dramatic basin within Shikotsu-Toya National Park, ringed by three prominent volcanoes: Eniwa-dake, Fuppushi-dake, and Tarumae-zan, the latter still visibly active with fumarolic venting on its summit dome. The water is of extraordinary clarity and purity, consistently ranking among Japan’s cleanest lake waters, and takes on a shade of blue so intense it has inspired its own colour designation in Japanese — shikotsu blue. Kayaking and canoeing on the lake are exceptional, allowing paddlers to explore the volcanic shoreline at close quarters and peer into waters of startling transparency. Trout fishing is permitted with a licence, and the lake’s cold, oxygenated depths support healthy populations of rainbow and brown trout, Dolly Varden, and the native Miyabe char. The lakeside resort area of Shikotsu Kohan provides hot spring accommodation and boat tours. Each January and February the Shikotsu Ice Festival transforms the lakeshore with ice sculptures illuminated at night, drawing visitors from across the region. The area’s volcanic drama and water clarity make it one of Hokkaido’s most compelling natural destinations.

Lake Toya, known in Japanese as Toyako, is a serene caldera lake in southwestern Hokkaido that offers a striking combination of volcanic geology, therapeutic hot springs, and exceptional natural scenery. Formed approximately 110,000 years ago when a massive volcanic eruption created a depression that gradually filled with water, the lake sits within Shikotsu-Toya National Park and reaches depths of over 179 metres. Four forested islands rise from its mirror-like surface — Ososhima, the largest, hosts a small population of deer that swim between the islands. Mt. Usu, a still-active stratovolcano, looms on the lake’s southern shore and last erupted as recently as 2000, a reminder of Hokkaido’s dynamic geology. The lakeside resort town of Toyako Onsen provides accommodation ranging from grand ryokan to modern hotels, all drawing on geothermal waters for their baths. Summer evenings bring spectacular fireworks over the lake, a tradition that continues for months. Cycling the lake circumference road, approximately 43 kilometres, is a popular activity offering constantly changing perspectives on the volcanic landscape. The nearby Volcano Science Museum documents the story of Mt. Usu’s eruptions with dramatic video and geological exhibits. Lake Toya rewards visitors with the kind of layered, unhurried experience that defines Hokkaido travel at its best.

Mt. Hakodate Ropeway whisks passengers 334 metres above sea level in under four minutes, delivering them to one of the most celebrated nighttime views in Japan. Hakodate's distinctive hourglass-shaped peninsula — pinched between two bays — creates an illuminated silhouette at dusk that has earned consistent recognition among the world's top night panoramas, alongside Hong Kong and Monaco. The gondola, which carries up to 125 passengers, departs from the Motomachi district every ten minutes and operates until 10 pm in peak season. The summit observation deck features heated indoor viewing areas and an open-air terrace where visitors can watch the city transform from golden twilight to a glittering tapestry of street lamps and harbour lights reflected in the water. Restaurants and souvenir shops on the mountaintop serve Hakodate specialties including fresh squid dishes and kelp-seasoned ramen. The lower station is a short walk from the city's historic Western-style buildings and the old foreign settlement, making a ropeway visit an easy pairing with an afternoon of heritage architecture. Winter conditions can be dramatic, with ice crystals forming on the observation windows and powdery snow covering the summit.

Mt. Moiwa, or Moiwa-yama, rises to 531 metres on the southwestern edge of Sapporo, offering what many consider the city’s finest panoramic viewpoint without requiring any mountaineering effort. A combination of ropeway and gondola whisks visitors from the forested base to a summit observatory in just minutes, revealing a sweeping 360-degree panorama that extends from the Ishikari Plain to the Pacific coastline on clear days. Sapporo’s distinctive grid-pattern street layout — laid out by Meiji-era American agricultural advisors in the 1870s — is perfectly legible from the summit, giving the city an almost architectural quality when viewed from above. The night view from Mt. Moiwa is recognised as one of Japan’s three great night panoramas, alongside those from Mt. Hakodate and Mt. Inasa; the city’s lights spread across the dark plain like a scattered constellation. The summit complex includes a restaurant and observation decks at multiple levels, with the uppermost platform offering unobstructed sightlines in all directions. In winter, the lower slopes host a small ski area popular with families and beginners. The mountain is part of Jozankei-Moiwayama Quasi-National Park, and hiking trails through the forested flanks are open in the warmer months. Mt. Moiwa is accessible by tram and a short taxi ride, making it one of Sapporo’s most rewarding half-day excursions.

Mt. Okura Observatory offers one of the finest panoramic views over Sapporo, Hokkaido's vibrant capital. Perched atop the ski jump hill made famous during the 1972 Winter Olympics, the observation deck sits roughly 307 metres above sea level and frames the city grid against a backdrop of distant mountains and, on clear days, the shimmering waters of Ishikari Bay. A short chairlift or walking trail brings visitors to the platform, where the scale of Sapporo's urban landscape stretches in every direction. Winter visits are especially spectacular: the surrounding slopes are blanketed in snow and floodlit ski jumpers occasionally train overhead. In summer, alpine wildflowers dot the hillside and the cool air provides welcome relief from the city below. The adjacent Ski Jump Stadium doubles as a small museum honouring Japan's long tradition of Nordic skiing, adding historical depth to the excursion. Hokkaido's renowned clear skies make sunset the optimal time to visit, when the city lights begin to flicker across the Ishikari Plain. A café near the summit serves warm drinks and local snacks, making this a relaxed half-day outing suitable for all ages and fitness levels.

Mt. Tarumae, or Tarumae-zan, rises to 1,041 metres on the southern shore of Lake Shikotsu within Shikotsu-Toya National Park, and is considered one of Hokkaido’s finest and most accessible volcano hikes. The mountain is active — a solidified lava dome sits within its summit crater and fumarolic venting is continuous, creating curls of steam that are visible from the lake below on still mornings. Despite its volcanic nature, well-maintained trail networks allow hikers to approach the crater rim and walk a partial circuit of the summit zone, taking in views across Lake Shikotsu, the Pacific Ocean, and on clear days, the city of Sapporo. The ascent from the seventh-station trailhead takes approximately 60–90 minutes for fit walkers, passing through alpine scrub and volcanic scree that gives the upper mountain an almost lunar character. Pumice fields and the stark absence of large vegetation near the summit contrast vividly with the dense boreal forest of the lower slopes. Wildflowers colonise the volcanic soils in summer, and the combination of biological resilience and geological drama is genuinely moving. Tarumae is typically snow-free from June through October and is combined by many visitors with kayaking on Lake Shikotsu or a soak in Shikotsu Kohan’s hot springs. It represents Hokkaido volcano hiking at its most rewarding and relatively uncrowded.

Mt. Tengu, or Tenguyama, rises behind the historic port city of Otaru in western Hokkaido, offering a combination of winter skiing and year-round panoramic views that make it a rewarding destination across the seasons. At 532 metres elevation, the mountain is modest in height but commands exceptional sightlines: from the summit observation point the famous Otaru Canal, the city’s terracotta-roofed warehouses, and the full sweep of Ishikari Bay spread below, with the distant ranges of the Hokkaido interior forming a dramatic backdrop on clear days. A gondola ropeway connects the base station to the summit in minutes, making the views accessible to visitors of all fitness levels. In winter the mountain hosts Tenguyama Ski Area, a family-friendly resort with a vertical drop of around 340 metres and runs suited to beginner and intermediate skiers — the proximity to Otaru and Sapporo (just 30 minutes by train) makes it a convenient day trip option. The name Tengu refers to a mythological Japanese mountain spirit, often depicted with a long red nose and wings, and a large tengu mask at the summit station has become one of Otaru’s most photographed quirky attractions. Spring and autumn visits allow walkers to explore forest trails on the mountain’s lower slopes while enjoying some of Hokkaido’s finest accessible coastal panoramas.

Mt. Usu in southwestern Hokkaido is one of Japan’s most closely monitored and dramatically active volcanoes, having erupted four times in the 20th century alone — in 1910, 1943–1945, 1977–1978, and most recently in 2000. Each eruption has reshaped the landscape in visible ways, and the mountain serves as both a sobering reminder of geological impermanence and a remarkable natural laboratory. Showa Shinzan, the 398-metre lava dome that grew explosively from a flat potato field during the 1943–1945 eruptions, sits on the mountain’s southern flank and remains a pillar of white steam. A ropeway ascends the outer crater rim to an observation area where fumarolic vents hiss sulphurous gases from the earth and the scale of volcanic damage from the 2000 eruption — buried roads, tilted utility poles, partially submerged buildings — can be walked through as a preserved disaster zone. The views from the summit area encompass Lake Toya, the Uchiura Bay, and the Noboribetsu volcanic plateau. Mt. Usu sits within Shikotsu-Toya National Park and is managed by a team of volcanologists who maintain 24-hour monitoring of seismic and thermal activity. The combination of accessible dramatic geology, extraordinary views, and genuinely active volcanic phenomena makes Mt. Usu one of Hokkaido’s most compelling destinations.

Ningle Terrace in Furano, Hokkaido, is a whimsical and beautifully crafted outdoor shopping village tucked into a birch forest on the edge of one of Japan’s most scenically celebrated valleys. The terrace takes its name from the Ningle — small forest spirits from Hokkaido’s indigenous Ainu mythology — and the architecture honours this folkloric inspiration, with wooden cottage-style workshops perched on stilts among the trees and connected by elevated timber walkways. Each cottage houses an independent artisan: glassblowers, woodcarvers, leather workers, candle makers, and textile artists whose crafts reflect Hokkaido’s natural materials and seasonal rhythms. The setting changes dramatically with the seasons — in summer the birch leaves create a dappled canopy overhead, while in winter the snow-laden branches and warm workshop lights create a fairytale atmosphere that is genuinely enchanting. Ningle Terrace was developed as part of the broader Furano tourism infrastructure and sits adjacent to the Prince Snow Resort. The valley itself is famous across Japan for its lavender fields — the purple summer bloom drawing visitors from across the country. Thoughtful design ensures the terrace integrates naturally with its forest setting rather than imposing upon it. Browsing the workshops and meeting the artisans gives the experience a genuine human warmth that mass-produced souvenir markets rarely achieve.