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Hokkaido

Vast wildnerness and a winter wonderland

About Hokkaido
Photo: Atthle / Shutterstock.com

Top Attractions in Hokkaido

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Hokkaido Top 10

  1. Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival
    1

    Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival

    Activities
  2. Asahikawa Winter Festival
    2

    Asahikawa Winter Festival

    Asahikawa
  3. Sounkyo Onsen Ice Fall Festival
    3

    Sounkyo Onsen Ice Fall Festival

    Activities
  4. Hakodate Fish Market
    4

    Hakodate Fish Market

    Hakodate
  5. Daisetsuzan Ohachi-Daira Crater
    5

    Daisetsuzan Ohachi-Daira Crater

    Activities
  6. Sapporo Access Guide
    6

    Sapporo Access Guide

    Sapporo
  7. Hitsujigaoka Snow Park
    7

    Hitsujigaoka Snow Park

    Sapporo
  8. Higashimokoto Shibazakura Festival
    8

    Higashimokoto Shibazakura Festival

    Activities
  9. Shizunai Cherry Blossom Festival
    9

    Shizunai Cherry Blossom Festival

    Activities
  10. Otaru Snow Light Path Festival
    10

    Otaru Snow Light Path Festival

    Otaru

Upcoming Hokkaido Events

Takikawa Lantern Festival 2025
Culture

Takikawa Lantern Festival 2025

Saturday - Feb 22nd

The tradition of creating unique paper bag lanterns, made by the citizens of Takikawa, continues in its 11th year

1 Free Entry
Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival 2025
Activities

Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival 2025

Feb 1st - Feb 24th

Each year during the winter months, Hokkaido's Lake Shikotsu Ice Festival brings a dose of colorful magic to this corner of..

6 ¥1,000
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Where to eat in Hokkaido

Hakodate Fish Market
Food

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
Food

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
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Places to stay in Hokkaido

Hotel Pearl City Sapporo
Accommodation

Hotel Pearl City Sapporo

Valerie Kor

Stay in Hotel Pearl City Sapporo, which is conveniently located in the downtown and within walkable distance to many of the Sa..

Lake Toya
Accommodation

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.

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Latest Hokkaido Reports

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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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