オススメ度
外国語対応
About Asahikawa
Asahikawa — a population of 330,000, the 2nd most populated and biggest city after Sapporo in Hokkaido — is the political, economic and cultural center of northern Hokkaido.
It is located in the center of the island, playing a vital role as the origin and terminal point for transport such as main roads and trains.
However, in terms of sightseeing, there aren’t many places worth seeing or visiting.
Since Asahikawa is located in a basin, it has a typical inland climate, meaning summers are pretty hot and winters are extremely cold.
※ Asahikawa holds the record for the lowest temperature ever recorded in Japan in January 1902 at -41.0℃ (-41.8℉).
Here’s a brief history of Asahikawa.
The area seemed to have prospered during the Jomon period, which lasted from roughly 14,000 – 1,000 BCE (from the Mesolithic to the Neolithic era), with discoveries of ornaments and stone tools during excavations.
In 1869 Asahikawa became part of Hokkaido, and with the construction of a railway and other transportation methods, it became an important transport and logistical center.
Furthermore, the city has a dark history as it was once referred to as a “military-based city.
” From the year 1869 – 1912 military settler colonists called tondenhei turned the area’s wasteland into farmland, and those tondenhei became the nucleus of army unit 1901 whose function it was to prepare for the Russian invasion.
The unit continued to exist until the mass gathering of troops for World War II.
It is also said that the unit had been the largest unit in Japan.
Both Biei and Furano are nearby Asahikawa, so save time by visiting them all at once.
From Sapporo it takes about 1 hour 30 min. by express train, and roughly 2 hours by car to reach Asahikawa so it’s an easy day trip as well.
Recommendations
Enjoy the zoo, garden tours, and food.
- Zoo
Asahiyama Zoo is one of the most popular and unique zoos in Japan, and if you are an animal lover or have children, you’re guaranteed to have a great time.
- Garden Tours
There are several nice western style gardens around Asahikawa. One in particular that is worth a visit is Ueno Farm, known as Japan’s “holy place” for gardening. - Food
When it comes to Asahikawa nothing beats Asahikawa Ramen.
Known as one of the “Big 3” ramen cities in Hokkaido, its name is well known across the country; even recognized by the famed Michelin Guide, 2 of the ramen shops in the city boast a Bib Gourmand award.
Access to Asahikawa / Data
Asahikawa, with its airport and railway station, is a fairly easy place to get to in Hokkaido.
By Air
From within Japan there are 5 – 7 flights per day from Tokyo (Haneda Airport) and 1 flight a day from Nagoya.
However, JAL and ANA are the only carriers that operate flights to Asahikawa so prices are not exactly cheap.
※ If you reserve a ticket 1 – 2.5 months in advance you can get a much cheaper “early reservation discount”.
And if you can’t get a discount ticket, it’s cheaper to fly to Sapporo via a budget airline or LCC, then take an express bus or train to Asahikawa.
International flights from Taiwan are available from budget airlines such as Tigerair Taiwan, operating 2 flights per week.
Asahikawa Airport
From within Japan there are 5 – 7 flights per day from Tokyo (Haneda Airport) and 1 flight a day from Nagoya. However, JAL and ANA are the only carriers that operate flights to Asahikawa so prices are not exactly cheap. ※ If you reserve a ticket 1 – 2.5 months in advance you can […]
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| Address | 2 Sen-16-98 Higashi, Higashikagura, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaido |
|---|---|
| Access | by Bus: Take the Asahikawa Ai[…] |
| Tel | 0166-83-3939 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
By Train
Asahikawa Station is a fairly large terminal station with four JR lines (Hakodate Main Line, Sekihoku Main Line, Sōya Main Line, and Furano Line) running through it.
From Sapporo
Take the Hakodate Main Line limited express train from JR Sapporo Station to Asahikawa Station.
Approx. travel time: 85 min.
Fare: ¥4,690.
※ There are 1 – 2 trains per hour between 6:00 – 23:00.
By Bus
Highway express buses run through Sapporo, Obihiro, Kushiro, Kitami, Monbetsu, Engaru, Esashi, and Onishibetsu, among others.
※In particular, there are 40 round-trip buses between Sapporo and Asahikawa (1 bus for every 30 min. between 7:00 – 22:00).
Additionally, the fee of ¥2,300 is half the price of a JR limited express train and takes about 2 hours, making it easy to use.
What to see
Entertainment
One of themost popular zoos in Japan
Asahiyama Zoo
It is one of the most popular zoos in Japan, with approximately 1.4 million annual visitors. Encompassing the 152,000m2 zoo are over 110 species of 650 different kinds of animals, but there aren’t any “superstar” or rare animals like pandas (although there are red pandas here). And while there are animals from Hokkaido, there is […]
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| Address | Kuranuma-11-18, Higashiasahikawachō, Asahikawa |
|---|---|
| Access | by Bus: - From JR Asah[…] |
| Tel | 0166-36-1104 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Sightseeing
In Asahikawa, there are several gardens that have a nice western feel to them.
The dry climate and lack of wind (producing a big difference in temperature) in Asahikawa is said to make the colors of the flowers more beautiful.
Ueno Farm
The garden is considered to be Japan’s “holy place for gardening” and is visited by tourists and gardening enthusiasts from all over Japan. Over 2,000 varieties of carefully selected flowers and plants suited to the northern climate have been planted on the 13,000 sq m site. The garden, which was created through a process of […]
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| Address | 16-186 Nagayamachō, Asahikawa, Hokkaido |
|---|---|
| Access | by Train: From JR Asahikawa S[…] |
| Tel | 0166-47-8741 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Food
Asahikawa Ramen, along with Sapporo Ramen and Hakodate Ramen, is one of the three major types of ramen in Hokkaido and is very popular not only throughout Japan, but also overseas.
Ramen shop Ramen Santoka, which has dozens of shops across the world in places such as the U.S., Canada, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand, is an example of this regional style noodle dish’s popularity reaching far and wide.
The roughly 200 ramen restaurants in Asahikawa City turns out to be one of the largest in Japan per capita.
Asahikawa ramen is characterized by its soy sauce and double soup of seafood base and pork bone base, as well as the medium-fine crimpy noodles.
Below you can read what makes the ramen so special in detail.
First, let’s look at the soup. The seafood broth is made with dried sardines and kelp, among other ingredients, and combined with the pork bone broth to make a mixed soup broth.
When you first have a taste, you will be hit with thick rich flavors but the seafood broth leaves you with a surprisingly refreshing light aftertaste.
The surface of the soup is covered with lard to keep the soup from cooling down.
This is a distinctive feature of Asahikawa ramen born from necessity and ingenuity to stay warm in the severe cold weather.
The noodles are white, medium-thin and wavy, with a low water content ratio.
Because of its low water content the noodles easily absorb the broth, and the curly noodles make it easy to entangle with the soup allowing you to experience the noodles and soup “as one”.
Now the toppings. They’re the usual leek, roasted pork filet and bamboo shoot, but there isn’t that much volume.
Although from the same Hokkaido prefecture, the amount of vegetables that come with the Sapporo ramen are on a different scale.
The below 2 restaurants have been awarded the Bib Gourmand from the Michelin Guide.
Hachiya Goju Sogyoten
Established in 1947, this is a famous ramen restaurant. Their original formula for the soup includes broth from pork bones and a seafood broth made mainly from dried horse mackerel. Both broths are cooled to remove impurities and finally blended together. In addition the soup comes topped with this shop’s original burnt lard. It is […]
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| Address | 7- Migi 6, 5 Jodori, Asahikawa, Hokkaido |
|---|---|
| Access | 10 min. walk from JR Asahikaw[…] |
| Tel | 0166-22-3343 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Ramen Yotsuba
Opened in December 2015, the restaurant is relatively new, but quickly gained popularity and has been awarded the Michelin Guide’s Bib Gourmand. The owner is very particular about his dried sardine ramen (niboshi ramen). No MSG is used, instead, several kinds of Japanese dried sardines, kelp, and dried bonito are used to create a deep […]
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| Address | 6-7-17 Toyooka 12 Jō, Asahikawa, Hokkaido |
|---|---|
| Access | From JR Asahikawa Station [旭川[…] |
| Tel | 0166-35-4313 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
Asahikawa Ramen Village
8 ramen shops representing Asahikawa are gathered together under one roof in the corner of a shopping center. Each ramen shop serves half-sizes or mini versions so you can compare between them.
[ See details ]
| Address | 4-119-48 Nagayama 11 Jō, Asahikawa, Hokkaido |
|---|---|
| Access | by Train: From JR Asahikawa S[…] |
| Tel | 0166-48-2153 |
| URL | [ Click ] |
