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Hokkaido
Your Alternative
Japanese Experience
When it comes to tourism in Japan Hokkaido takes a
back seat. It’s more glamorous counterparts such as
Tokyo, Kyoto, and Osaka tend to be higher up on visitor wish
lists and unless you’re visiting for a second, third or fourth
time Hokkaido will rarely be mentioned.
Despite being the largest prefecture, Hokkaido is sparsely
populated, it’s in parts less developed, and has built a
reputation on its winter sports & natural beauty, probably
two of the least likely reasons people visit Japan. Scratch
the surface however, and you’ll find a beautiful Japanese
prefecture home to a long and varied history, welcoming
people, excellent seafood, exquisite cheese, stunning natural
landscapes, hot spring resorts, and a plethora of outdoor
adventure activities.
Getting to Hokkaido needn’t be a hassle, there
are plenty of domestic flights to Sapporo’s
Chitose Airport from Tokyo and Osaka, as well
as international arrivals from Hong Kong, China,
and South Korea.
Hokkaido is also connected to the mainland
via train (using an undersea tunnel) from Tokyo
to Hakodate, in Southern Hokkaido. There is a
limited train service on the islands that you can
use to get around. Although getting around is
best done by either bus or ideally by renting
your own car, for a more daring experience you
can try hitchhiking.
To bring your own car or rental to Hokkaido
you’ll need to use the ferry. There are sailings
between Russia and South Korea as well as
mainland Japan, it’s recommended to plan and
book ahead if you’re going to enter this way.
If you’re planning a trip to Hokkaido and aren’t
sure where to start then worry not, we’ve put
together a guide of three distinct destinations
on the island, perfect for first timers. The list
includes Sapparo, Asahikawa, and Niseko.
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