Japan’s northernmost island offers world-class powder snow, summer lavender fields, extraordinary seafood, and wide-open landscapes unlike anywhere else in the country. Hokkaido is Japan’s second-largest island and its most different.
While the rest of Japan is dense, ancient, and intricately cultivated, Hokkaido is open, young (settled by the Japanese only in the 19th century), and dramatically natural. Summers are cool when Tokyo and Osaka are sweltering. Winters bring some of the world’s best powder snow. King crab, sea urchin, scallops, and salmon are the finest in Japan.
Search interest in Hokkaido jumped 476 percent in 2026, according to Skyscanner data. The destination is having a genuine moment. Here is what to actually do when you get there.
Getting to Hokkaido
- By plane: Around 90 minutes from Tokyo (Haneda or Narita) to New Chitose Airport near Sapporo is the fastest and most practical option. Domestic flights run frequently and are covered by JR Pass exchange voucher holders using certain airlines.
- By Shinkansen: The Hokkaido Shinkansen connects Tokyo to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto in around 4 hours. From there, a further 2 to 3 hours by local train to Sapporo. Covered by the JR Pass, but very slow compared to flying.
New Chitose Airport is well connected to Sapporo (37 minutes by Airport Express, 1,150 yen, covered by the JR Pass).
What to Do in Hokkaido
Sapporo
Hokkaido’s capital is a modern grid-planned city with excellent food, a famous beer culture (the Sapporo Beer Museum is free to tour), and Odori Park running through its centre. The Sapporo Snow Festival in early February turns Odori Park into a gallery of enormous illuminated snow sculptures, one of Asia’s great winter events. The Susukino district is the nightlife heart of northern Japan.
Niseko – World-Class Skiing
Niseko is internationally known as one of the best ski resorts in the world, thanks to its consistently deep powder (the resort averages over 15 metres of snowfall per season). The Grand Hirafu area is the most developed, with the widest range of accommodation and après-ski. Rusutsu and Furano offer excellent skiing with fewer international crowds and lower prices. Ski season runs from December through April.
Book early: Niseko accommodation sells out fast for January and February, especially around Christmas and New Year. Book 3-4 months in advance for peak dates.
Furano and Biei – Summer Lavender
In July and August, the hills around Furano and Biei turn purple with lavender and vivid with patchwork flower fields in every colour. Farm Tomita in Furano is the most famous destination – lavender ice cream, dried lavender, and views over rolling fields. Biei’s Blue Pond (the vivid turquoise pond fed by mineral-rich spring water) is one of Hokkaido’s most photographed spots.
Noboribetsu Onsen
One of Japan’s most dramatic onsen towns is built around an active volcanic valley called Jigokudani (Hell Valley). The sulphurous steam vents and boiling grey mud pools surrounding the town are genuinely otherworldly. Most hotels and ryokan here have their own onsen baths fed directly by the volcanic springs.
Shiretoko Peninsula – UNESCO Wilderness
The remote northeastern tip of Hokkaido is one of Japan’s two UNESCO Natural World Heritage Sites. Brown bears, Steller’s sea eagles, drift ice in winter, and one of the few truly wild places left in Japan. Accessible by road in summer; boat tours from Utoro run along the rugged coastline. Not a quick day-trip plan; at least two nights.
Hakodate
The gateway city to Hokkaido from the Shinkansen, Hakodate, is worth a stop in its own right. The morning fish market (Asaichi) is one of the best in Japan for fresh seafood eaten on the spot. The night view from Mount Hakodate is often cited as one of the three best in Japan. The 19th-century Western-style buildings in the Motomachi district are unlike anything else in the country.
When to Visit Hokkaido
- Summer (June to August): The best time to avoid Japan’s heat. Furano lavender peaks in mid-July. Temperatures sit around 20-25 degrees Celsius while the rest of Japan swelters, wildlife and hiking at their best.
- Winter (December to March): Ski season. The Sapporo Snow Festival runs in early February. Drift ice tours at Shiretoko in January and February. Cold (Sapporo averages -6 Celsius in January), but dry and clear.
- Autumn (late September to October): Hokkaido peaks before the rest of Japan. The red maples and birch forests at Daisetsuzan National Park are extraordinary in late September.
- Spring (April to May): Late cherry blossoms (Sapporo blooms in late April). Off-season prices are quieter and have lower prices. Many attractions reopen after winter closure.
Practical Notes
Getting around Hokkaido: The island is vast. Renting a car is strongly recommended for anything beyond Sapporo. The JR Hokkaido rail network is extensive but slow and infrequent outside the main Sapporo-to-Hakodate corridor. A Hokkaido Rail Pass covers all JR Hokkaido trains and is worth buying if you plan to travel by rail across multiple days.
Food to eat: Sea urchin (uni) on rice at any market in Hakodate or Otaru. King crab in Sapporo’s Tanuki Koji arcade. Soup curry (a Sapporo invention). Jingisukan mutton barbecue. Yubari melon (the most expensive melon in the world, grown locally). Soft-serve milk ice cream from any roadside farm stand in Furano.
