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Hokkaido

Vast wildnerness and a winter wonderland

About Hokkaido
Photo: Atthle / Shutterstock.com

Top Attractions in Hokkaido

Hokkaido Top 10

Upcoming Hokkaido Events

Sapporo White Illumination 2024

Sapporo White Illumination 2024

Late Nov - Late Dec

The Sapporo White Illumination event started back in 1981 with a fairly modest 1048 lights. Over the years, the event has expanded..

Free Entry
Asahikawa Winter Festival 2025

Asahikawa Winter Festival 2025

Feb 6th - Feb 11th

The Asahikawa Winter Festival is a large scale winter festival in Hokkaido, occurring around the same time as Sapporo’s Snow F..

2 Free Entry
Sapporo Snow Festival 2025

Sapporo Snow Festival 2025

Feb 4th - Feb 11th

The Sapporo Snow Festival is a festival held annually each winter up in Sapporo, Hokkaido, attracting visitors from all over Japan..

7 Free Entry

Where to eat in Hokkaido

Hakodate Fish Market

Hakodate Fish Market

Bonson Lam

If the thought of eating a still alive squid will make you squirm, there are other alternatives to get close to the freshest seafood..

6
How to Cook Genghis Khan

How to Cook Genghis Khan

Bonson Lam

Cooking your own dinner can be a fun experience for two people but sharing one skillet amongst four adults may test your mettle...

12

Places to stay in Hokkaido

Lodge Nutapukaushipe

Lodge Nutapukaushipe

Nicole Bauer

Wonderful wooden log cabin in Daisetsuzan National Park, with a warm and comforting atmosphere and full of amazing woodwork everywhere...

1
Hoshino Resort Tomamu

Hoshino Resort Tomamu

Bonson Lam

Tomamu Resort is like being on centre stage in Nature’s amphitheatre, playing and resting in peace and solitude.

12
Lake Toya

Lake Toya

Matt Stormont

A camping trip on the shores of stunning Lake Toya, site of the 2008 G8 Summit and one of Japan's natural treasures.

Latest Hokkaido Reports

Ristorante Otto Sette

Ristorante Otto Sette

Bonson Lam

Previously known as Tsubaki Salon, Otto Sette celebrates the culinary calendar of Hokkaido, with riches from the sea, land and sky...

6
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About Hokkaido

Okinawa Nagasaki Fukuoka Saga Kumamoto Kagoshima Miyazaki Oita Ehime Kochi Tokushima Kagawa Yamaguchi Hiroshima Okayama Tottori Shimane Hyogo Kyoto Osaka Wakayama Nara Shiga Mie Fukui Ishikawa Toyama Gifu Aichi Nagano Shizuoka Niigata Yamanashi Kanagawa Tokyo Saitama Gunma Tochigi Chiba Ibaraki Fukushima Miyagi Yamagata Iwate Akita Aomori Hokkaido
Region Hokkaido
Island Hokkaido
Capital Sapporo
Population 5,506,419
Area 83,424.22 km²

In 2014, Hokkaido (北海道, Hokkaidō) defended its number 1 position on the annual Prefectural Attractiveness Ranking (conducted by the Brand Research Institute) for the 6th year running, virtually making it a must-visit if you have time. First inhabited by the Ainu people, Hokkaido has its own very unique culture.

Some of the most delicious food in Japan can be found in Hokkaido, including seafood, miso ramen, agricultural products, and meat (especially mutton and lamb).

In terms of places to visit, Hokkaido isn’t just the winter resort many believe it to be, although the slopes in the Niseko area are among the best ski resorts in the world. Escape the heat and enjoy the beautiful lavender fields in Furano in the summer, while the fun Asahiyama Zoo and stunning Shiretoko Peninsula are just two of the many popular tourist destinations of Hokkaido.

Around Hokkaido

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