Prefecture guide
Hokkaido
北海道
Japan's largest prefecture covers the whole northern island: Sapporo's snow festival, Otaru's canal, Hakodate's night view and wild national parks.
Advisories (minor): Strong wind, High waves · Alerts for all of Japan
- places to see
- 45
- town guides
- 3
- protected local foods
- 11
- traditional crafts
- 2
- Japan Heritage stories
- 9
Map of Hokkaido
Tap a pin to see the place, or a town name for its guide. You can switch on places to eat and stay too.
Places to see in Hokkaido
Edwin Dun Memorial Museum
エドウィン・ダン記念館A museum in Hokkaido, Japan.
Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles
キウス周堤墓群A historic site in Hokkaido, Japan.
Pirika Site
ピリカ遺跡A historic site in Hokkaido, Japan.
- Chuo Ward, Sapporo
Hokkaido Museum of Modern Art
北海道立近代美術館A museum in Hokkaido, Japan.
Yubari Rokumeikan
夕張鹿鳴館A museum in Hokkaido, Japan.
- Chuo Ward, Sapporo
Hokkaido University Museum
北海道大学総合博物館A museum in Hokkaido, Japan.
Harutori Park
春採公園A park in Hokkaido, Japan.
- Chuo Ward, Sapporo
Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens
北海道大学植物園A garden in Hokkaido, Japan.
Temiya Cave
手宮洞窟A natural sight in Hokkaido, Japan.
Fugoppe Cave
フゴッペ洞窟A natural sight in Hokkaido, Japan.
- Hakodate
Hakodate Park
函館公園A park in Hokkaido, Japan.
- Asahikawa
Hokkaido Gokoku Shrine
北海道護國神社A Shinto shrine in Hokkaido, Japan.
Town guides in Hokkaido
The towns with the most to see, each with its own guide.
Taste of Hokkaido
Foods whose names are protected in Japan. If the label carries the name, it really comes from here.
Traditional crafts of Hokkaido
Officially recognised crafts that are still made by hand. A good place to start when you look for souvenirs.
Weather in Sapporo this week
Today
24 Oct
Sunny
High 19°CLow 7°C
Sun
25 Oct
Cloudy
High 17°CLow 10°C
Rain 10%
Mon
26 Oct
Sunny
High 13°CLow 5°C
Rain 20%
Tue
27 Oct
Cloudy
High 13°CLow 4°C
Rain 70%
Mild: long sleeves or a light cardigan. Bring a thin jacket for the evening.
Explore by interest
Japan Heritage stories
Local history told as a route you can follow, with the places that go with it.
- Esashi: the herring town that outshone Edo
- Gyoda: the town of tabi storehouses
- Kitamaebune: the merchant ships that made Japan's port towns rich
- Masuda: a medieval masterpiece of Japan
- Sacred land of salmon: 10,000 years on the Nemuro Strait
- Takaoka: the castle town that became a merchant town
Good to know
- New Chitose Airport is the main gateway, with fast trains to Sapporo.
- The Sapporo Snow Festival is held in early February. Rooms fill up months ahead.
- Try seafood rice bowls at a morning market and miso ramen in Sapporo.
Questions travellers ask
How do I get to Hokkaido?
Most people fly. New Chitose Airport near Sapporo is about 90 minutes from Tokyo and also has international flights. By train it takes around eight hours from Tokyo: the Tohoku and Hokkaido Shinkansen to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto, then the Hokuto limited express to Sapporo. The Japan Rail Pass covers the Shinkansen.
When is the best time to visit Hokkaido?
Winter and summer are both peak seasons. Winter brings famous powder snow at resorts such as Niseko, Rusutsu and Furano, plus the Sapporo Snow Festival. Summers are mild and less humid than the rest of Japan, good for hiking the national parks and seeing Furano's lavender fields.
What should I eat in Hokkaido?
Seafood comes first: order kaisendon, a rice bowl topped with crab, scallops, sea urchin, salmon roe and more. Then try Sapporo's soup curry, Hakodate's light, salty seafood-based ramen and Ishikari nabe, a salmon and miso hot pot.
More of Hokkaido
Sources
We checked the facts on this page against these sources.