Usu Ropeway

Kushiro Zoo

Rausu Kunashiri Observation Tower

This observatory – located on a hill 167m above sea level — presents a great panoramic view of Rausu city, the Shiretoko mountains, the Nemuro Channel, and Kunashir Island (about 25 km away). Stationed telescopes are available, which is nice.

Lake Kussharo

Lake Kussharo, with a circumference of 57 km and an area of 79.3 km2, is the largest caldera lake in Japan. It was formed about 30,000 years ago inside the Kussharo Caldera, which is the largest caldera in Japan, measuring about 26 km east to west and 20 km north to south. Incidentally, the word […]

Fukugi Tree Road

Shiretoko Five Lakes

The Shiretoko Five Lakes are five lakes surrounded by lush primeval forests at the base of Mt.Rasau and Mout Iō. Shiretoko’s scenic mountains (1,500m class) and trees quietly reflect off the pristine surface of the lakes giving you a sense of healing; take in the wonderful views of the ocean, forests, mountains, and lakes all […]

Bihoro Pass

Bihoro Pass is a 525m high mountain pass located on the outer rim of the Kussharo Caldera. The view from here is an unbelievably brilliant panorama, and is one of the most spectacular views in Hokkaido. Not only do you have a panoramic view of the 57km-long Lake Kussharo, but you can also see Mt. […]

Lake Oyunuma

Oyunuma is a gourd-shaped swamp (1 km in circumference) formed after a volcanic reuption created this crater and hot water accumulated at the site. Such a large scale hot spring swamp is extremely rare in the world and is highly valued academically. Sulfur spring water as hot as 130 degrees Celsius gushes out from the […]

Seven Stars Tree

On the northern side of Highway 237 stands a single Japanese oak tree in the middle of the rolling hills. The tree suddenly earned fame in 1976 as the world’s 4th largest tobacco manufacturer, JT, used the tree as the package image of their Seven Stars cigarette brand. That’s pretty much all there is to […]

Mount Io

Mount Io is a 512-meter-high active volcano located between Lake Mashu and Lake Kussharo. Its other name is Atosanupuri, meaning “naked mountain” in Ainu. In the past, it was used as a mine to extract sulfur. With the blue sky in the background, the plumes of smoke and the sound of gurgling are quite impressive. […]

Shirogane Blue Pond

The pond’s crystal blue appearance, as though something had melted in the water, and the decayed larch surrounding it gives the pond a mysterious aura yet awesome vibe. The blue pond suddenly rose to international fame when it was once selected as one of Apple computer’s wallpaper. Now, this pond is by no means old. […]

Shinei no Oka Observatory Park

Typical of Hokkaido scenery, the simple sprawling view of Biei’s rolling hills can be seen from this observatory park. The view of the sunset is especially famous for its beauty. The observatory park can be found midway through Panorama Road and a convenient break spot with bathrooms, a rest area, a parking lot, and shops.

Lake Notoro

Lake Notoro – a massive saltwater lake spanning 580,000m2 connected to the Sea of Okhotsk – is home to primeval flowers along the lakeside, famous especially for the infinite sea of red from the Salicornia europaea (also known as Sangocho) in autumn. Mid- to late-September is the best time to visit, when the deep red […]

Lake Mashu

Lake Mashu is a caldera lake formed by the accumulation of water in a depression created by a huge eruption about 7,000 years ago. The lake is the second clearest in the world (the first is Lake Baikal in Russia). The reason for the high transparency is that there are no rivers flowing in or […]

Kanno Farm

The flower fields spread on a hill along Hanabito Kaido Road (Route 237), 2 km west of JR Bibaushi Station. More than 30 kinds of flowers, mainly lavender, are in full bloom from mid-June to mid-October Vivid flowers cover the entire hillside, and from the roadside you can look up to see the flower garden. […]

Lake Akan

Lake Akanko is a freshwater lake located in eastern Hokkaido with a circumference of 30 km and an area of 13㎢. The entire area is included in the Akan-Mashu National Park, which is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Hokkaido. The blue surface of the lake, the beautiful silhouette of Mt. Oakandake, Mt. […]

Akan Sightseeing Cruise

The Akan Sightseeing Cruise circumnavigates Lake Akan and operates 4 to 11 times a day between May and November. The boat departs from the pier on the south side of the lake and cruises for about 85 minutes, taking in the view of Mt. Oakan and Mt. Meakan, with stops at Churui Island (where the […]

Shikisai no Oka

Located atop a high hill, the garden is one of the must visit spots in Biei with a spectacular view. Enjoy in season flowers from spring to autumn. The garden takes up over 150,000 sq. m. of land and has roughly 30 kinds of flowers planted in stripes of red, yellow, pink, and white, so […]

Sugi no Baba

This is a 500-meter walkway leading from the Akizuki Museum to the Akizuki Castle Ruins. It was once lined with cedar trees and used by samurai warriors to practice horsemanship, hence the name “Sugi no Baba.” The cedar trees were replaced by a large number of cherry trees in celebration of Japan’s victory in the […]

Kushiro City Red-crowned Crane Natural Park

Mt. Moiwa Ropeway

Sapporo city is beautiful at night. In 2015 the city was selected as 1 of the 3 new top 3 cities with beautiful night views. Climb to the summit–altitude 513 meters–of Mt. Moiwa via ropeway, and once you reach you are welcomed with a panoramic view of a city twinkling like a box of jewels […]

Tree of Ken and Mary

Standing straight and tall towards the sky is this poplar tree. It measures 31 meters tall, and because there are no other tall trees it clearly stands out from a long distance.   The tree became famous when it was introduced as part of a 1972 commercial for Nissan’s Skyline sports car. In the ad was […]

Farm Tomita

Farm Tomita is a sightseeing farm with a vast flower garden boasting as many as 80 varieties of flowers, mainly lavender. It is one of Hokkaido’s main attractions, visited by approximately 1 million tourists every year from all over Japan and abroad (*before Covid19) for its beautiful flowers and spectacular scenery. Various flowers bloom from […]