Best Things to Do in Hokkaido, Japan

Hokkaido is separated from Honshu by the Tsugaru Strait, with a climate and landscape dramatically different from the rest of Japan: cold winters with heavy snowfall, short warm summers, and vast agricultural plains more like Montana than the dense urban Japan of popular imagination. The things to do in Hokkaido span winter and summer seasons with roughly equal appeal. In winter: Niseko (four interconnected ski resorts in the southwest) receives among the world’s driest, deepest powder snow (an average of 15m per season) from Siberian weather systems passing over the Sea of Japan; it has become one of Asia’s premier ski destinations, particularly with Australian visitors. The Sapporo Snow Festival (February) creates elaborate snow sculptures in the city’s Odori Park, attended by 2.5 million visitors. The ice floes off the Shiretoko Peninsula (UNESCO World Heritage, the most biologically productive marine area in the northern Pacific) can be walked on in February-March with a guided icebreaker tour. In summer: the lavender fields of Furano (late June-July) are spectacular; the blue pond at Biei is otherworldly; the brown bears of Shiretoko are viewable by boat; the red-crowned cranes of the Kushiro marshes are accessible year-round.

Best time to visit

Two peak seasons: December-March for winter sports and the Snow Festival; June-August for outdoor activities, flowers, and wildlife. The shoulder seasons (April-May and October-November) have their own appeal — April brings cherry blossoms to Matsumae and Hakodate; October-November brings autumn foliage. Note: Hokkaido has fewer tourists in the shoulders and many attractions remain open and enjoyable without summer and winter crowds.

Getting around

New Chitose Airport south of Sapporo is Hokkaido’s main gateway, with direct flights from Tokyo Haneda and Narita (90 minutes). The JR Hokkaido rail network connects Sapporo to Hakodate (bullet train, 4 hours from Sapporo via the Seikan Tunnel from Honshu), Asahikawa, and Kushiro. For Niseko, Furano, Biei, and Shiretoko, a rental car is recommended — distances are large and public transport infrequent outside the main corridors. The Hokkaido Expressway Pass offers rental car + expressway toll bundled deals for foreign visitors.

What to eat

Hokkaido is Japan’s food island. Sapporo miso ramen is the city’s signature: a rich miso-based broth with corn, butter, and seafood, developed in the 1950s. Genghis Khan (Jingisukan) is a grilled lamb dish cooked on a domed iron plate, a Hokkaido specialty. Kaisendon (fresh seafood rice bowls) in Hakodate and the Sapporo fish markets are extraordinary — sea urchin (uni), crab (kani), scallops (hotate), and salmon roe are all caught locally and consumed very fresh. Hokkaido dairy is exceptional: soft-serve ice cream, cream puffs, and butter confections from Shiroi Koibito cookies are the obligatory souvenirs. Yubari melon (a luxury cantaloup) and Hokkaido corn are the summer produce highlights.