A travel guide to enjoy Sapporo and its surrounding areas

Area introduction

• Sapporo

  

  The center of politics, economics, and culture of Hokkaido. It has over 1.9 million population with the harmony of a city and nature. It is an international city that has plenty of tourist events such as the internationally famous "Sapporo Snow Festival", and many tourists visit from inside and outside of Japan.

• Otaru

  

  A town of history, culture, nature and food. It's developed as a base for the development of Hokkaido mainly around the ports. There are the Hokkaido's first railway, Otaru Canal, and remained sites of the Bank of Japan and other bank buildings. The distinctive scenery is popular. The town is surrounded by rich nature of the sea and mountains. You can enjoy it through the four seasons as cherry blossoms in spring, golf and marine leisure in summer, autumn leaves in autumn, and skiing and snowboarding in winter. There are plenty of delicious foods such as sushi with traditional techniques, sweets, and Ankake fried noodles of B-grade gourmet.

• Iwamizawa

  

  Iwamizawa City is about an hour's drive away from central Hokkaido, Sapporo City and New Chitose Airport. Apart from the hustle and bustle of the city, you can experience the rich and typical nature of Hokkaido such as "Hokkaido's largest rose garden" and "Vast rural scenery". You can feel the charm of each season such as fresh green in spring, fully bloomed flowers in summer, autumn leaves and harvest in autumn, and an all-sided snowy world in winter. In Iwamizawa City, there is a winery produced by one of Japan's leading brewers, and it's gathering attention as a major wine-producing region in Hokkaido. In addition, Log Hotel The Maple Lodge - a hotel with forests around and rich nature is a hot spot where you can enjoy cooking with local ingredients, and various activities.

• Ebetsu

  

  Although Ebetsu City is next to Sapporo City which is a great city in Hokkaido, it's blessed with abundant nature such as Nopporo Forest Park and Ishikari River. About 40% of the city area is farmland where various farming such as rice farming, upland farming, and dairy farming is carried out. There are a farmers market that sells fresh vegetables, and plenty of delicious foods utilizing local ingredients such as bread, noodles, pizza and sweats. Furthermore, Ebetsu has a history of bricks that has continued for more than 130 years, and "Ebetsu brick" has been certified as a Hokkaido heritage site. There are still brick buildings throughout the city, and you can enjoy the warm scenery.

• Chitose

  

  Chitose City is the city where New Chitose Airport which is a gateway to the sky in Hokkaido is located. The national park, Lake Shikotsu which has one of the best water transparency in Japan is about 40 minutes drive away from the airport. In addition to activities such as the Clear Kayak and the Underwater Sightseeing Boat, you can soak in a hot spring called Bihada no Yu (hot spring of beauty skin), and enjoy the special product, Lake Shikotsu Chips (kokanee). In the city, please enjoy Chitose Outlet Mall Rera, Roadside station Salmon Park Chitose where you can find popular restaurants in Hokkaido, Salmon Hometown Chitose Aquarium where you can directly observe the water of Chitose River from the riverbed window and such. You can also enjoy the agricultural experience such as harvesting vegetables and fruits, the ranch experience, and the agricultural area where you can eat gourmet sweets using local ingredients.

• Eniwa

  

  Eniwa City is a beautiful garden-like city blessed with flowers, water, and greenery. You can have a wonderful experience in the vast land where beautiful scenery spreads no matter what season you visit all the year around. During spring and summer, you can enjoy touring the garden, experiencing the harvest of vegetables on the farm, and interacting with the soil and greenery. In autumn, you can enjoy walking through the forest colored with autumn leaves, and the scenery of the waterfall that looks like swaying white silk. In winter, when the land is covered with snow, you can enjoy snowball fights, snow banana boats, and other activities unique to snowy countries. It is located around the midpoint between New Chitose Airport and Sapporo City, and is an attractive town where you can feel the blessings of nature right next to the city center.

• Kitahiroshima

  

  Kitahiroshima City is located between Sapporo City and New Chitose Airport, and it's surrounded by abundant forests. The population of the city is less than 60,000, and it's blessed with transportation access such as railroads, national roads, and expressways. Its history began in the Meiji era. People with a pioneering spirit in Hiroshima prefecture started to pioneer a primitive forest and proceeded with village development after struggles. It is the place where Dr. Clark left the saying, "Boys, be ambitious". The place also succeeded in growing rice, which people believed to be impossible in cold regions. Since Hokkaido Ball Park F Village which is the home of The Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters will open in the city in 2023. The city is currently gathering attention from all over the country.

• Ishikari

  

  Ishikari City is located next to Sapporo, and it stretches from north to south with a long coastline facing the Sea of Japan. Although it's also thriving with agriculture, Ishikari City is a city of the sea. There is a scenic coastline with cliffs in the north. The south is connected to Otaru, and a sandy shore with a beach extends there. There are three fishing ports, and the morning market which is held every day in each port from spring to autumn is lively with many tourists. You can enjoy delicious and fresh seafood on the spot. Along the coastline, there are many attractions such as Hamanasunooka Park where the Hokkaido's flower, Ramanas rose blooms spectacularly, and Atsuta Park Observation Deck, the lovers' holy land.

• Tobetsu

  

  Tobetsu Town has one of the longest history in Hokkaido, and it's a garden city reminiscent of Scandinavia with nature that is typical of Hokkaido. It's highly convenient for transportation, and located next to Sapporo City. It takes about 40 minutes by JR train or car from the center of Tobetsu Town to the center of Sapporo City. There is one of the largest comprehensive forest integration use facilities in Japan (11,000 ha), and you can experience various nature, education and cultural activities and such. There are also recreational facilities such as golf, skiing, and horseback riding. The key industry is agriculture. It's known as a treasury of edible wild plants, so it's easy to get edible wild plants as well as seasonal vegetables. Although the city function is available nearby, you can fully enjoy dynamic nature, clean air, high sky, agricultural products that are fresh, safe, secure and delicious, and the "country life" surrounded by the magnificent rural scenery of Ishikari Plain and mountains in the town.

• Shinshinotsu

  

  Shinshinotsu Village is the closest "village" to Sapporo. The terrain is flat, and there are rural landscapes in summer, and snowfields spreading out as far as you can see in winter. It is one of the attractions of Shinshinotsu Village that you can enjoy the scenery that is "typical of Hokkaido", even though it's accessible as about 50 minutes drive away from Sapporo. At "Shinotsu Park" and "Shinotsu Lake" located around the roadside station, camping during the period from spring to autumn, and ice fishing for Japanese pond smelt in winter are very popular. There is also a plan that you can rent a set of equipment for each activity, so you can easily enjoy the activities. There is also a hot spring in the roadside station, so you can relax after enjoying the activities.

• Nanporo

  

  Nanporo Town is located around the central part of Hikari Plain. Even though it's about 40 minutes drive away from Sapporo, it is a town where the four seasons change beautifully, and the rich nature and the rural scenery spread out. Regarding agriculture which is a key industry in the place, besides maximizing the effectiveness as a flat land and developing large-scale management centered on rice, also working on clean agriculture which is environmentally and human friendly such as reducing the amount of pesticides used. There are also many special products such as "Pure White Corn" that can be eaten raw, and "Cabbage Kimchi" that uses local agricultural products. Please come to see and enjoy the nature and ingredients of Nanporo.

• Naganuma

  

  Even though Naganuma Town is a highly convenient suburb of the city as about 25 minutes drive away from New Chitose Airport, and about 50 minutes drive away from Sapporo, it is a city where you can enjoy a trip typical of Hokkaido with rice fields, ranches as well as cafes, campsites and hot springs on hills and such. It is also known as one of the leading rice fields in Hokkaido, and many other agricultural products such as soybeans and broccoli that are cultivated and sold. Furthermore, you can fully enjoy locally-grown and locally-consumed ingredients such as "Genghis Khan" which has a history of more than 50 years and multiple stores in the town, and "Doburoku" which is manufactured by self-polished rice.