Tokyu Department Store Sapporo

Daiichi Takimotokan

Noboribetsu’s oldest hot spring hotel (established in 1858) located next to Jigokudani. The hotel is rich in hot spring water and has access to wide variety of spring types. The spacious 5,000 m2 bathhouse has a variety of bathtubs of different qualities and temperatures — 35 in total: 18 for men, 17 for women — […]

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 […]

Don Quijote Sapporo Store

Sabo Kikuizumi (Japanese Cafe)

Originally built as a villa 100 years ago for a  sake wholesaler. The exterior and interior both have a nice retro ambience. Sit on tatami mats in their Japanese room, or be entertained by the view of the sea sitting on western seats. Various kinds of sweets, tea, and coffee and even a food menu […]

New Chitose Airport Hot Spring

Unbelievable! A real hot spring in an airport! The outer appearance and interior are both very Japanese, and sensible in taste. For a separate fee you can order food, go for a bedrock bath, get a massage or beauty treatment. If you pay for the extra late night bath(same price as entry fee), you can […]

Tsubetsu Pass Observation Facility

Tsubetsu Pass is the highest of the four passes around Lake Kussharo, at 947 meters above sea level. It offers a 360-degree panorama with an unobstructed view of Lake Kussharo below, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Shiretoko Mountain Range, and Daisetsuzan. If your timing is right, be sure to see the sea of clouds and […]

Yunohana Hotel

A total of 5 baths including cedar and rock bath are located on the 1st floor; the open air bath is on the 2nd floor. Both are right next to the sea boasting great views.

Ice Breaker Garingo

Get up close and personal with the drift ice on this sightseeing boat from/to Monbetsu Port. The 1 hour cruise runs from mid-January to the end of March. Originally built for oil field development in Alaska, the Garingo II is a beautiful red-bodied icebreaker. The two special screws at the bow of the ship break […]

Tea Lounge Legato (at the Summit station of the ropeway)

At the summit station of the ropeway there is a restaurant called “Genova” on the 2nd floor and a lounge (Legato) on the 3rd floor. You can have dinner while taking in the evening view, or drink some tea and relax. If you make a dinner reservation at Restaurant Genova, with 2 or more people, […]

Hanayoshi Sushi

Popular sushi restaurant

Lake Mashu Observatory No.1

There are three observatories on Lake Mashu, but this one is the most popular and famous. Located at the top of Lake Mashu’s outer rim at an elevation of about 520 meters, the observatory offers a panoramic view of the deep blue waters of Lake Mashu, Mt. Oakandake, the Kushiro plains, the Pacific Ocean and […]

Hokkaido Ramen Dojo

10 of Hokkaido’s famous ramen shops from all over the island are here, and you can even have taste of “Hokkaido’s 3 pillars of ramen flavor”: Sapporo-style Miso base with plenty of vegetables, Hakodate-style Salt but light ramen base, and Asahikawa-style Pork belly and bones base with seafood dashi base.

Hakodate Magistrate’s Office

Located within Goryōkaku Park, the former Magistrate’s Office was restored completely in 2010. Recommended to those who are interested in history and Japanese architecture

Lake Akan Ainu Kotan

In a corner of the Lake Akan hot spring resort, there is the Ainu Village, the largest Ainu village in Japan, where about 30 houses and 120 people live. The Ainu Theater Ikoro (where Ainu dances are performed), two museums introducing the culture, souvenir stores selling wood carving goods, and restaurants that serve Ainu local […]

Mt. Hakodate

The view from Mt. Hakodate is simply magnificent; so much so that it received the highest accolade – 3 stars – from global travel guide book Michelin Green Guide Japan.

Sweets Avenue (New Chitose Airport)

13 of Hokkaido’s popular sweets shops can be found here. A few of the shops have an area where you can sit and enjoy just baked sweets!

Kushiro City Marshland Observatory

The Kushiro City Marshland Observatory is the best-maintained observatory near the city and the airport, and is located at the western edge of Kushiro Marsh. From the observation deck on the third floor and the rooftop, you can enjoy a panoramic view of the marshland, Kushiro city, and the Pacific Ocean. The first floor has […]

Kottaro Marsh Observatory

This observatory is located at the northeastern edge of Kushiro Marsh on a small hill. Compared to other observatories in Kushiro Marsh, the view from this observatory is “inferior”. However, if you are lucky, you can see beautiful Japanese cranes. The nearby road is a narrow gravel road, so be careful when driving.

Ishimame

A soba (buckwheat) noodle restaurant that serves only 30 to 40 servings a day.

Kamimura

A Michelin starred modern French restaurant.

Goryōkaku Park

If you look at Fort Goryokaku from right above, you’ll see it is shaped like a pentagram. It is the first western style castle and where the last samurais fought the new government army 150 years ago. Today it exists as a park. It’s open from 5am and entrance is free (too generous)! When spring […]

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 […]

Furano Hotel Restaurant

Hilton Niseko Village

This spacious, beautiful, and resort-like onsen facility is located in the large-scale luxury hotel, Hilton Niseko Village. The open-air baths offer an outstanding view of Mt. Yotei, the symbol of Niseko. It also faces a large pond with many colorful carp swimming in it, giving the baths a spacious feel. The water flowing directly from […]

Sakanatei Kihachi

Hello Kitty Happy Flight

This mini theme park is about catching a flight with the cabin attendant Hello Kitty and together flying all over the world on the Kitty Jet, visiting the Sanrio characters in different countries along the way. There is a shop and cafe too.

Yojo Hormone

Kumanoyu Hot Spring

This is an open-air bath built by the local people on the side of the Rausu River. Two separate rock baths are available for men and women in a primeval forest. The men’s bath is very spacious and has no enclosure, so visitors can enjoy bathing while viewing the mountain stream and virgin forest. The […]

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 […]