Nature/Landscape

The 800,000 light bulbs across five sites glitter in a beautiful, dreamlike winter view of Sapporo. From Odori 1st to 6th streets, the differently themed light constructs are worth a look.

The Sapporo White Lightup started with just 1,048 light bulbs, back in December 1981. Today it spans from 1st to 6th street of Sapporo Odori Park, Sapporo Station’s south exit station front field, the Sapporo Station Pasage, the Sapporo City North Sanjo "Akapla"site, and Minami Ichijo Passage, for a total of 5 sites, making a massive event with 800,000 bulbs. The Odori Park site has themed light constructs from first to sixth streets, each with a different theme. Additionally, the Munich Christmas Market is held until Christmas in the Odori Site. In a recreation of the German Advent, Christmas goods, hot wine and German foods are sold from stalls. *The 19th Munich Christmas Market in Sapporo for 2020 was cancelled.

Borrow a bike to enjoy the blue lake and mountain view. From the oldest iron bridge in Hokkaido to observtion spotos, take a trip you could only have at Shikotsu Lake.

Borrow a bicycle at the Shikotsu Lake Visitor Centre, tour the tourist spots, and buy a souvenir at the gift shop. Shikotsu Lake is a caldera lake made by volcanic activity 40,000 years ago, with a circumference of 40km. It’s the second deepest in Japan, down to 360m at its deepest point. Its clear waters are also famous, with a colour the residents call Shikotsu Lake Blue. The Yamasentetsu Bridge, with its eye-catching red, is laid across the Chitose river that flows from Shikotsu Lake. Cross the oldest still-working iron bridge in Hokkaido, to the highest observation spot on the lake edge. The view of the lake and the mountains beyond it is breathtaking. Past that, you can go to the source water field that descends to the side of the lake, to touch the water of the lake itself.

A vast panorama with nothing in the way. A view of a snowy Hokkaido town from the observation room of the produce hall.

The Namporo Hometown Produce Hall Bureau stands in the middle of Namporo as a base point of tourism information, and sale of Namporo specialities. The observation room on the 5th floor gives you a 360 view of the town. Since there are no tall buildings around, the view is a refreshing, massive panorama. After it snows, the view becomes a magical white-covered world. The building also offers a light meal corner with mutton barbecue, ramen using Namporo’s own cabbage kimchi, and more. There’s also an area selling local specialities, such as parilla juice, tomato juice, mushroom products and the hit Namporo Cabbage Kimchi.

8,800 roses and rugosa roses, across 630 varieties or so, bloom in succession from early summer till autumn.

The 40,000 square metre plot is filled with organically grown roses and rugosa roses of many varieties. The best times to view them are twice per year, from mid-June to mid-July, and from mid-September to mid-October, and in autumn, the autumn leaves on the mountain make them all the more beautiful. The repeated blossoming of the shrub roses, hybrid musk roses and floribunda roses make up the Welcome Rose Garden, while hybrid tea roses and grandiflora roses are the centrepiece of the Formed Rose Garden, and the slopes of the mountain also have the Rugosa Rose Hill, where rugosa rose varieties from all over Hokkaido are grown. Depending on the variety, the blossoming timing differs, so you’ll see different sides of the garden depending on when you visit.

A roadside station where you can feel the openness and surrounding nature, enjoying eye-catching Eniwa-made cosmetics and sundries, and savouring gourmet meals made with local ingredients

Road and riverside station Flower Road Eniwa sits at the intersection of the busy route 36, and the river that salmon climb up. The bright and wide-open interior lets you take in the surrounding flowers, greenery and river, and provides food and sundries unique to the local Eniwa area - it’s popular not only with tourists but with local people as well. The must-tries are the special curry at Pork Powder Snow Skillet Curry, made with Eniwa ranch pork; the Enipan bakery that makes over 40 breads from local ingredients; TEA STAND goasis which sells a selection of tapioca drinks and more, and Ra-no, a store which sells a selection of Eniwa-made natural soaps. The souvenir corner offers sweets made using Eniwa’s speciality, the Ebisu pumpkin!

Think of yourself as one of the athletes going to the top of the ramp, and overlook a view of Sapporo streets and the Ishikari plains

The Mt. Okura Ski Jump Stadium is the site of the Sapporo Olympics 90m ski jump (current large hill). The ramp built along the curve of the mountain is very imposing when its slope is viewed up close. Ride the two-person lift used by athletes on the way to the peak of the ramp. The feeling of being this far off the ground is quite thrilling, and within 5 minutes of enjoying the feeling of an athlete approaching the slopes, you’ll be at the top. There’s an observatory lounge that gives a view of Sapporo and the Ishikari plains from a height of 307,. After enjoying the view, settle down for dinner. Nouvelle Pousse Okurayma, which opened in 2020, offers creative French cuisine with a view of the night.

A dreamlike view of Sapporo city centre on the other side of 7,000 lavender plants

Lavenders in Sapporo, and in the middle of it too?! You might be surprised, but it’s true. The southwest of the centre has two mountains, Mt. Moiwayama and Mt. Maruyama, and Horomitoge is situated right in between them. At the top of the peak is a parking lot, and since it’s not as high up as Mt. Moiwayama, you can enjoy an impressive view of the city; the night view is especially popular. The Lavenders started with the owner of this land planting 120 of them in 1987, and now that’s expanded to 7,000. They bloom in July to cover the ground in a violet carpet, filling the air with their refreshing scent. The parking lot is one of the rare spots where you can look across it at the city. For a fee, you can also try your hand at cutting some lavender - why not try it?

The entire blue carpet here is flax flowers, grown to squeeze oil from them

Flax has been grown for fabric from the 1890s in Hokkaido. Tobetsu started in 1893, growing them until the 1960s. Natural disasters and the spread of synthetic fabrics put a stop to cultivation, but since 2001, flax oil has started a resurgence of growth. The flax cultivation committee and the Flax Public Company Ltd. have teamed up to manufacture flax oil, soaps and other related products. From late June to early July, the blossoming blue flowers make for a beautiful scene, and a source of tourism as people flock to see it. Flax blooms early in the morning and scatters before noon. Its transience is part of its appeal. The fields flax is grown in differ by the year, but in early summer, some part of Tobetsu Town will always be covered in a blue carpet. Since it’s a crop, please watch from the sides without entering the field.

A Hokkaido-designated tangible cultural property, this building will teach you the history of the golden days of herring fishing

Built at an impressive height overlooking the sea, the Otaru Nishin-Goten was built in Tomari village in 1897, and moved to Shukutsu in 1958. The two-floor construction covers a total area of 611 square metres, and at the height of herring fishing, a full 120 fishermen stayed here. To compare it to modern society, this would be something like a herring-fishing company combining its office, the CEO’s house, and employee dorms, and the result is designated a Hokkaido tangible cultural heritage. Built from luxurious lumber like local ash and Sakhalin fir, as well as hinoki cypress brought in from Aomori, its bulky and sturdy construction gives it great value as a structure already, but it also offers exhibits or herring fishing tools and photos, giving insight into a part of Hokkaido’s history.

Coming from the sea is one of the more interesting ways to approach Shukutsu,
with a 20 minute boat ride that lets you take in the salt breeze and majestic view

For the second day, go towards Shukutsu, once a hub of herring fishing. You can go by car as well, but a boat trip is more entertaining. The Otaru marine tourism boat Aobato lets you enjoy a taste of boating trips while watching the Otaru streets and Mt. Shokanbetsu. From Otaru port to Shukutsu port is a 20 minute trip, with 5 round trips per day. The seating inside is spacious, giving you a relaxing journey. There’s also the Otamoi route, spanning about an hour with two round trips per day between Otaru and Shukutsu port (3 round trips during summer holidays and days off). It offers an incredible view of the Niseko Shakotan/Otaru Coast National Park’s rows of cliffs. Try to be ready 15 minutes before boarding, or a little earlier during crowded periods like holidays. Alternatively, a reservation will let you take it easy.

A magnificent worship space created by the world-famous architect, Tadao Ando.

The Great Buddha enshrined in Makomanai Takino Cemetery in Sapporo city. It's called "Atama Daibutsu (Head Great Buddha)”. Although it's a cemetery, it has become a famous place where tourists from all over the world visit. The Great Buddha itself was originally built outdoors as a "Great Buddha of spiritual commemoration". But an architect, Tadao Ando designed Hill of the Great Buddha as a commemorative project in 2016 which is the 30th anniversary year of the opening of the park. Now, it has tourists coming to visit its unique shape. As you can only see its head sticking out from the hole in the center of the dome-shaped roof, it's called "Atama Daibutsu (Head Great Buddha)”. Its appearance integrated with fresh green in spring, lavender in summer, and the snow-covered hill in winter has become a new famous place with its artistic charm in Sapporo. There is "Rotunda Cafe & Store” on the banks of the water garden. You can take a break with a light meal or tea, and also buy original souvenirs. In addition to this Atama Daibutsu, 33 Moai statues which are nearly 10 meters high are lined up, and there are also statues which were modeled on Stonehenge of an ancient English ruin, and Kannon statues. It's a mysterious art space, and you can enjoy its own view of the world. This vast site with a total area of 1.8 million square meters is a cemetery where graves of the deceased are lined up. But since it's a park cemetery regardless of denominations, welcoming a lot of people for sightseeing and leisure.

Apart from the hustle and bustle of the city, you can enjoy a blissful and relaxing time with nature, food and hot springs.

It's about 30 minutes away by car from JR Iwamizawa Station. "LOG HOTEL THE MAPLE LODGE" is located in a quiet place surrounded by forests. There are 15 guest rooms at the Log House Hotel. A lot of Canadian pine wood is used for the guest rooms. You can enjoy the feeling of a resort in a wonderful space of every room such as cottages where you can relax in the living room with a warm stove, and suites with a private sauna room. The massive site with a total area of 200,000 ㎡ is full of nature, and there are also a playground where you can play freely, and an indoor tennis court. How you spend time there is totally up to you. The restaurant offers delicious original dishes using special products and local fresh ingredients of Iwamizawa. We also recommend taking your time to enjoy the hot springs. There are three types of bathrooms with affluent amount of the 100% natural hot spring water - cypress, granite, and open-air bath. The spring quality is sodium hydrogen carbonate spring, and it's said to be effective for smooth skin. The Finnish low-temperature sauna, which energizes your body, has been introduced on magazines and TV. When water is thrown on the hot sauna rocks, steam and moisturized air will be generated - "Löyly″. You can relieve your daily fatigue and refresh yourself with Löyly. "LOG HOTEL THE MAPLELODGE" also has a plan of glamping. You can comfortably feel the rich nature with the plan. It's surrounded by vivid green trees during the day, and surrounded by the starry sky at night. You can spend a luxurious time.

With the activity, you can enjoy Lake Shikotsu which is one of the clearest lakes in the world.

Lake Shikotsu, the second deepest lake in Japan is located about 60 minutes drive away from Sapporo city, and about 40 minutes drive away from New Chitose Airport. It's surrounded by mountains at an altitude of 1,000 m such as Mt. Eniwa, Mt. Fuppushi, Mt. Tarumae. The caldera lake is about 40 km in circumference and the northernmost non-freezing lake in Japan. Even though it's surrounded by mountains, there is a hot spring area on the east side of the lake, and the road extends from there along the shore of the lake, so you can enjoy a lakeside drive with the spectacular scenery. Lake Shikotsu offers a variety of activities, and we particularly recommend the “Clear kayak”that enables you to fully enjoy the inside of “Lake Shikotsu” which is one of the clearest lakes in the world. The bottom of the clear kayak is transparent, and you can observe the underwater such as 10 meters long driftwood lying on the bottom of the lake, swaying aquatic plants, and sometimes you can even see fish swimming vigorously! When the conditions are met, its transparency can reach 50 m. The guide will explain about the nature and creatures around Lake Shikotsu from various angles. Aquatic plants grow thick around Chitose River where the kayak departs, and many creatures such as fish and shrimps can be observed. You can enjoy the different tastes of each season all the year round with this clear kayak. You can enjoy it without feeling cold by wearing a dry suit in winter!

Enjoy the feeling of becoming one with nature by jumping into a forest.

There is a nature-rich park with the theme of interaction between the city and rural areas, “Lulu Map Nature Park Fureland” in Eniwa City which is located about 40 minutes drive away from Sapporo. The park can be enjoyed across generations. Forest Adventure Eniwa opened on this site in 2018, and it's an outdoor park under the theme of coexistence with nature. The period of one year is divided into two seasons that are Green Season (mid-April to the end of November) and Winter Season (December to mid-April), and each attraction is designed to be enjoyable. In the Green season, you can enjoy experiencing exciting activities such as the one that you glide on trees like flying squirrels, “Zip Slide” that you slide down about 200 meters from the top of the tree to the ground, and “Tarzan Swing” that you fly in the air like Tarzan with the magnificent nature of Hokkaido. The highlight of winter is “Zip Trip Tour”. It's an activity where you can enjoy forest adventure. The guide staff bringing out the charm of winter will accompany you to the course. The charm is that you can enjoy an extraordinary experience that you can't experience anywhere else as gliding through a snowy field. You can also enjoy the survival game [Laser Tag] , and the [Snowshoe Tour] where you can take a walk while watching nature in the forest. Lulu Map Nature Park Fureland has a lot of facilities to enjoy such as a park golf course, a day camp, a soft-serve ice cream workshop, and a walking path. The whole family can enjoy the whole day.

Enjoy the nature, which is typical of Hokkaido, and Ishikari Lighthouse, a symbol of Ishikari City.

180 kinds of beach plants grow naturally on the coastal topography called sand spit, which was formed over a long period of time by the intersection of the Sea of Japan and Ishikari River. A part of the site is also designated as a protected area of Ishikari City for beach plants. Ishikari Lighthouse, which stands at the entrance of the park and features red and white stripes, is a proof that a vast sand spit was gradually formed over 100 years by the flow of the river and the waves of the sea. In the park of about 46 hectares, you can enjoy a variety of flowers in each season such as ramanas rose, which is the origin of the park's name, viola grayi, beach pea, bindweed, lilium pensylvanicum, and solidago virgaurea. The best time to see ramanas rose is from late June to early July. You can feel the expression of the seasons that change from season to season as well as early summer. Many locals frequently visit this park that is also popular as a bird watching spot and a wide variety of wild birds come to all the year round such as larks, Japanese bush warbler, and eagles. ''Hamanasunooka Park Visitor Center'', which has a resting space, sells Ishikari's special products and ramanas rose related products. What we particularly recommend is the Original Hamanasu Soft Serve, which is pale pink, and has an elegant scent of ramanas rose. Please enjoy the popular taste while feeling the booming of the sea and the pleasant sea breeze of Ishikari Beach.

Both kids and adults can be very satisfied with the snow festival. The beautiful fireworks that color the winter sky are breathtaking.

The winter big event of Tobetsu Town, "Asoyuki Square″, themed on interaction of parents and kids, is held in mid-February every year. It features events for kids such as experience events of snowmobiles and horse sledding, kid's fairs, and kid's rice cake making, etc. There is also a food section offering meals that use local ingredients. The place has a relaxing atmosphere where families can spend time comfortably. Kids are happy with playing the snow slide because there is no long queue unlike a snow festival in a big city. The experience of riding on a vehicle is also a very popular event, where you can enjoy a valuable experience. The even is cooperated by the Self-Defense Force, and held annually. The hight is beautiful fireworks that color the winter night sky. Usually fireworks remind us of summer, but fireworks look even more beautiful in winter because the air is clear. "Asoyuki Square″ is a popular event, where both kids and adults can enjoy. Please visit the event!

Don't have to bring anything! Enjoy smelt fishing, and tasting freshly fished smelt!

Lake Shinotsu is known all over Japan as a smelt fishing spot. One of the charm of the place is that people who don't have tools, knowledge, or even beginners and kids can enjoy smelt fishing. Lake Shinotsu has three fishing spots, "South Fishing Spot", "North Fishing Spot", and "Tappu Fishing Spot". At first, please sign in at "Tappu No Yu". There are several plans available. The one we recommend is cabin fishing, which includes rental equipment and hot spring bathing. There is a stove installed inside the cabin, and it's much more comfortable than finishing outside as you don't have to be affected by snow or wind. There is a guide staying too, so you can also ask them how to put bait, or tips of fishing. There are three options for smelt that you fished, "Sell", "Bring back home", and "Taste immediately". The one we recommend is of course "Taste immediately"! Bring freshly fished smelt to the restaurant of "Tappu No Yu”, and taste them by Tempura. The taste of crispy batter and slightly bitter smelt is amazing. It must be even more delicious as the smelt is fished by yourself! Finally, warm your cold body by soaking in hot springs. "Tappu No Yu″is a natural hot spring, where you can look out over the lake. Its alkaline springs flow directly from the source. There is also a private bath where you can spend time with your family. Please enjoy the very exciting winter activities with your friends, and family!

You can interact with many animals, and experience activities in the guest ranch.

Heidi Farm is where you can enjoy interacting with animals and a variety of activities. There are full of animals such as cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and rabbits in the animal zone where you get to see first when you enter the park. At the right time, you can see baby animals, or even a birth scene! The experiences that you can feed a baby goat or sheep with milk in a baby bottle, or milk a cow and feel the warmth of them are distinctive of a ranch. You can also experience horseback riding around the course in about 10 minutes on the shaking back of a horse at the horseback riding section. The staff will pull the horse, so inexperienced people can also enjoy it safely. I want to have fun by moving my body to the fullest! For you, there are a variety of activities such as archery, park golf, and fishing ponds where you can catch carp! If you like cooking, we recommend the experiences of making raw caramel, butter, and ice cream using special recipes. You can also experience digging potatoes in autumn. Of course, you can also bring back potatoes that you harvest home! Take a break with a light meal or a special soft serve ice cream at the "Café Train･Clara" after having fun to the fullest. The exterior / interior of the café is train-shaped. Let's also enjoy Genghis Khan, which is a speciality of Naganuma town, at "Genghis Khan Higashiya" to your heart's content on weekends.

The Hokkaido's rural landscape with vivid colors spreads out on a gentle hill.

When heading towards the direction of Higashioka from Route 337, you can see a gently undulating hill at an altitude of 60 to 100 m. This place is called Palette Hill. Flowers of brassica hirta bloom in early summer, and sunflowers planted for green manure bloom in autumn there. The agricultural products make a patchwork, and you can also look out over the mountains of Yubari from a distance ... You can enjoy the Hokkaido's beautiful and grand rural landscape with the contrast between the sky and the earth. Please be noted that because the sunflower field is a private property, entering there is not allowed.

The blessings of the seabed, which is gushing up, and reminds us of ancient times.

Banya no Yu, which became a hot topic even by the appearance of capybaras taking a bath. "Fossil Seawater", which has grown with ancient seawater pumped from several hundred meters underground, makes it hard to feel cold after taking a bath, heals the tiredness of the day, and warms your body from the core. The silky brown hot spring is rich in sea minerals, and its spring quality is sodium chloride strong salt spring. The rare "Fossil Seawater" hot spring can be effective for skin beautification, poor circulation, atopic dermatitis., joint pain, neuralgia, muscle pain, and fatigue recovery. You can enjoy a variety of hot springs such as a high-temperature bath, a low-temperature bath, and a jacuzzi as well as an open-air bath where you can feel the sea breeze of Ishikari Bay. The dresser room, which is also equipped with facial equipment, is appealing to female customers. The rest area for after taking a bath with plenty of meals. The accommodation facility is limited to only 10 rooms, and all the rooms have ocean views. The Japanese-style set menu meal that changes depending on the season with freshly cooked Kamado Rice is a privilege only for guests who stay the night. You can spend a relaxing and luxurious time by soaking in the hot springs while viewing the scenery.

It's a campsite that you can easily get to, and is also a spot for the spectacular scenery of the sunset.

It's a campsite that you can easily get to in about 30 minutes by car from Sapporo. Even though it's a lake, it is a small artificial lake. There are playground equipment such as slides and swings, which kids can enjoy on the shore, and you can also enjoy playing with water there. It is a park with a laid-back atmosphere that makes locals feel like coming to for a walk. The lake is a habitat of large Japanese crucian carps, and you can also enjoy fishing. In addition to the tent site, there are 6 bungalows which are equipped with basic campsite facilities such as a water place, toilets, and hot showers (only for guests staying in the administration building). There is also a farmer's market next to the administration building, so you can collect ingredients locally too.

The hot spring town and forest are colored by illuminations and projection mapping.

After 150 years since Jozankei hot springs opened in 1866, “Jozankei Nature Luminarie” was born in 2016. The event was created to enable people to enjoy the richness and charm of the nature on this land that we are proud of. The event that colors the hot spring town and forest with illuminations and projection mapping is produced by a Japan's leading creative company, “NAKED” which has worked on 3D projection mapping at Tokyo Station and such. You will be fascinated by the fantastic beauty of nature scenery such as the river of light, the suspension bridge colored with flowers, the bench surrounded by grains of light, and the trees and rocks that emerge brightly in the jet-black forest. The whole process that you can enjoy in about 20 minutes is free of charge! You can see stunning illuminations in various places such as footbath facilities in the hot spring town during this period. The night of Jozankei colored with mysterious lights. Why don't you relax in a yukata and enjoy the collaboration between the valley and the light?

Sapporo's Annex. A hot spring village in a beautiful valley.

Jozankei hot Springs is called an annex of Sapporo and loved by locals of Sapporo. It's accessible and just takes about 40 minutes to get by car from central Sapporo. The spring quality is colorless, transparent, sodium chloride spring that features mellow saltiness. It warms you from the core of your body. There are 56 hot spring sources, and most of them are concentrated near Tsukimi bridge and Takayama bridge on Toyohira River which runs through the hot spring town. Hot water of 60 to 80 °C springs out from cracks in the bedrock of the riverbank and the bottom of the river, and the amount of hot water springing out is 8,600litersper minute. Jozankei is also famous as a scenic spot. You can meet beautiful scenery during each season, such as Futami Suspension Bridge, Shiraito Falls, Yunotaki, and the Pool of Maizuru. A variety of elaborated seasonal events are also held. You can fully enjoy nature with plenty of experience-based activities such as rafting, canoeing and horse trekking. There are many spots where you can enjoy footbaths in the hot spring town such as Jozankei Gensen Park. It's recommended that you spend a relaxing day by walking in nature or soaking in the footbath while viewing the scenery.