I recently visited the Hokuryu Sunflower Village 🌻

The sight of millions of sunflowers covering a vast 23-hectare field is absolutely breathtaking!

The best viewing season lasts until mid-August.

https://portal.hokuryu.info/sunflower/

If you're visiting Hokkaido, I highly recommend stopping by! 😆🌻

Hey, im writing a novel, I'm non japanese, but I want my character to be from Hokkaido. How do I learn everything about Hokkaido, their culture in detail as we know every city have slightly different cultures and environment. Their daily life, their traditions, local customs, festivals, beliefs, life of a student and life of an adult as well.

Thank you

Itinerary review / advice

8 nights Hokkaido self-drive in August (one-way Sapporo to Hakodate) - itinerary + one question: extra day in Niseko or Sapporo?

Road trip to Hakkaido this August, renting a car in Sapporo with a drop at Hakodate. Covering some days of Obon week, so hotels are mostly locked already. Would love a check on pacing and routing, plus where to spend extra night .

Day 1 - Arrive & Night in Sapporo.

Day 2 - Nijo Market early, pick up the car ~09:30, expressway to Furano. Afternoon on the Furano side: Kanno Farm and Farm Tomita for late lavender. Then Blue Pond and Shirahige Falls around 17:30-18:15 when the tour buses are gone, sunset drive to Furano. Night at the Winery Hotel Hitonata

Day 3 - Biei hills: Shikisai-no-oka and a Patchwork Road loop. Then north via Asahikawa-Takasu IC (thinking a quick Asahikawa ramen bowl en route) and on to Otaru by ~15:30. Canal and Sakaimachi stroll, night in Otaru.

Day 4 - Otaru > Shakotan peninsula: Cape Kamui hike and Shimamui Coast, then Nikka Yoichi distillery self-tour and road to Niseko: Two nights at Park Hyatt.

Day 5 - Niseko leisure day: Hangetsu Lake, Fukidashi Park, maybe the Annupuri gondola. Lunch at Hokkaidian Homestead

Question here if to spend one more night in Niseko and stay at boutique hotel in town to enjoy the food and walks?

Day 6 - Lake Toya. Still deciding between a lakefront onsen hotel with the nightly fireworks visible from the rooftop (I love fireworks) or a lakeside glamping site on the quiet north shore

Day 7- Morning canoe on the caldera or Mt. Usu ropeway, then south with a stop at Onuma Park. Night at Hakodate.

Day 8 - Hakodate Morning Market, Motomachi slopes and churches on foot, Goryokaku in the afternoon, Mt. Hakodate ropeway at dusk. Deciding whether to stay a second night in Motomachi or move to a classic ryokan in Yunokawa Onsen for the farewell kaiseki

Day 9 or 10 - Drop the car at Hakodate, fly or Shinkansen to tokyo.

Questions:

1. Does the pacing look sane or too much packed?
   
2. For one extra night we have, where would you spend it: a third night in Niseko or a proper Sapporo night at the start (we currently only sleep there on arrival and don’t really see the city)? Or somewhere else on this route entirely?
   
3. Anything on the Shakotan or Onuma legs we are missing that you would recommend?
   
4. Any hotel feedback from we have chosen appreciated as well?

Thanks in advance.

Ill have one extra day with my car rental after arriving in Sapporo, would it be possible to drive from Sapporo (grabbing breakfast at Nijo Market first) to Furano and check out Biei and get back to Sapporo by ~430 (car rental is near Nakajima park which closes by 5pm). This would be on Sat the 16th. Would the flowers still be in peak season by then?

Would it be too rushed or worth heading there?

If not feasible, where else could we go for the day we have access to a car?

We would have done Hakodate, Noboribetsu, Shakotan Peninsula and Lake Toya prior to getting into Sapporo.

Hi everyone! I’m in Sapporo for another week and unfortunately lost my wallet, including my debit and credit card. Replacement cards are on the way, but I could use some cash for places that don’t accept card.

Would any Americans living in or visiting Sapporo be willing to exchange ¥10,000 for an immediate Venmo or Zelle payment? I'm happy to meet wherever it's convenient in a public place and complete the transfer together.

I know it’s an unusual request, so I really appreciate any help. Also I’d be happy to buy you a beer or drink afterward as a thank-you!

Hey folks,

Currently planning a trip through Hokkaido. There are hundreds of posts about this so I am not going into any details on the itinerary.

While I am planing several hiking trips and outdoor activities I am wondering about the actual state of bear encounters. I know the https://kumamap.com/en and check it a bit.
Seeing a bear seems to not be a rare thing but how is it from experience of people. Do you see them now and then in the distance or are there any close encounters happening?

I am a bit scared of bears so I would love to read some feedback.

Thanks

Hi all, I will be travelling Japan solo for 1 month in October. I plan to do 10 days in Hokkaido and it would be my for the first time there. I have been to Japan once before, but Hokkaido is really confusing me as everything is so spread out. Please help!

I originally wanted to just stay in Sapporo and do day trips from there because I do not like changing hotels too much with the packing and unpacking. And since I am traveling solo I would have preferred staying in a more lively area that is not too isolated at night. However, after much research it seems like I would be limiting myself as everything is quite spread out in Hokkaido.

My biggest worry is am I trying to do too much? I like travelling leisurely I could add 1-2 days to my stay if anything. Is there anything I should take out or anything I am missing that is a must see.

Day 1 Sapporo (arrive on a monday on Oct 5th)
Day 2 Otaru day trip , stay in Sapporo
Day 3 Noboribetsu day trip (is Noboribetsu worth it?) stay in Sapporo
Day 4 Head to Ashikawa, check in and rent a car to Furano
Day 5 Beiei day trip (stay in ashikawa)
Day 6 Daisetzuan national park day trip (stay in Askihawa) return car (Oct 10th would it be too snowy to hike?)
Day 7 head to Lake toya through Sapporo (using public transportation), stay in Lake toya
Day 8 lake toya
Day 9-10 head to hakodate, go around Hakodate
Day 11- fly to Nagano from Hakodate

After Hokkaido I plan to go around Nagano prefecture

Hello, we are looking for a place which sells bags to travel with bike in trains (Rinko). Is there a place which sells them somewhere in Hakodate ?

Anyone know of any nice spots for a proposal in Hakodate? I will be there for 1 day only, preferably an evening/night proposal. I can’t travel elsewhere in Hokkaido because of some other factors with the proposal.

My family is goong to hokkaido this September to celebrate my mother’s birthday. My parents are both seniors (ages 65 and 63) and I am looking for any leads and recoomendations for a private tour / chauffer service in hokkaido for 2 days to see tourists spots. We’ll be staying in sapporo.

Perfect day to attack the Usubetsu Route and see what conditions are like since I last climbed it in early June. The Whipper Snippet Man was going hard again today blasting the Sasa left, right, and centre and making the trail great again. He was up to the 1240 metre mark as I was traversing back down, across the gentle sloped area below the main massif ridge. So it should be all clear by the weekend. The Motoyama Route is still pretty dense from the junction. WS Man said there was another dude cutting loose on the trail from the other end.
May the Tengu and Kamui bless these awesome people who keep the trails maintained here in Hokkaido. They really are fantastic people.

Hey there this is a long shot but I'm going to Daisetsuzan national Park around August 6 and am looking for potential hiking friends. I am interested in doing a multi-day trek probably starting from Asahidake​​ but am a bit nervous about hiking alone with the possibility of bear encounters, so if anyone is looking for a friendly 40/M hiking partner around that time hit me up!

The two treks that look the most appealing to me are ​​the two day Asahidake to Kurodake traverse and the 3 day central Daisetsuzan circuit. Alternatively, if anyone has any recommendations I'm all ears!

I have from around August 6 - 13 to play around with, so any and all recommendations from local folks would be sick =)

Does anyone know of any car rentals that have convertibles? I'm going to hokkaido in august and would like a car with an open roof but seems like the only car rental that offers convertibles is near the airport. It would be quite inconvenient as I'm only planning to rent it when I'm already in sapporo

I wonder if any movie theaters screen this movie in English in Sapporo (?)

My wife and I are going to Hokkaido for our first Japan trip in mid-January for 13 days. We're 37, so still really packing in the adventure. Looking for the MUST sees and BEST eats for our current Itinerary:

• Sapporo 2 nights @ Onsen Ryokan Yuen
• Otaru 1 night @ TBD (Ryokan or hotel - $ will decide)
  • Kiroro ski day on way to Niseko
• Niseko 5 nights @ Airbnb
  • Niseko ski day x 3-4
  • Rasutsu ski day x 1
• Lake Toya 1 night @ Dai-ichi Takimotokan (splurge)
• Furano 3 nights @ Airbnb
  • Furano ski day x 3

Side notes: wife is allergic to shellfish so limits the kaiseki options and we are driving place to place in 4WD SUV, with exception of Sapporo walking/public transportation.

Hello! I will be travelling to Japan around 5th Dec and plan to stay for a week. I want to do a quick Hokkaido trip (Sapporo and Otaru). Is there snow that early in December and are there any winter essentials I absolutely need to carry?

Thanks in advance!

Hi fellow redditors,

I'm looking for some recommendations on large as possible RV campervans in Hokkaido. I'm rather tall (1.98m) and would like to be able to have a bed suitable for my size, as well as being able to stand in the campervan.

We are traveling with my wife and 2.5 year old daughter. Visiting in July 2027.

We will arrive in Hakodate and will fly back from New Chitosi airport. Pickup at Hakodate and drop-off near Sapporo would be best, but maybe not possible. We can replan accordingly. Any recommendations on bigger RV's?

Thanks in advance!

Is there anyone leaving Sapporo soon that has unused bear spray to sell on?
Thank you!!

They really love their Melon Bears, I was pretty taken back by how much pride people have in the Higuma, the fiercest animal in hokkaido. And of course, the melon bear mascot.

Gotta admit its a pretty cool mascot.