Hokkaido

Understand

Hokkaido is by far Japan's largest prefecture, consisting of Japan's entire northern island and its surrounding islets. For many visitors the scenery resembles a mix of northern Europe and the American West, with rolling fields, grazing cows, and pioneer cottages replacing the rice paddies and concrete warrens of 'mainland' Japan. However, the ubiquitous hotspring resorts in much of the island serve as a reminder that you are still in Japan.

History

Hokkaido was for millennia the home of the Emishi people, whose descendants are today's Ainu. While loosely ruled by Japanese feudal lords since the 1500s, direct Japanese control was limited to the Oshima Peninsula around Hakodate. Mass migration from mainland Japan began only after the Meiji Restoration in 1869, with the Hokkaidō Development Commission (開拓使 Kaitakushi) created to settle the island and exploit its resources. Lacking the thousand-year-old temples and visible traces of history so plentiful in the rest of Japan, to this day the island retains a bit of a frontier feel, with planned cities with neat grid layouts and plenty of log cabins. As part of the settler colonial policy implemented by the Meiji government, the Ainu were dispossessed of their land and forced to assimilate into Japanese culture.

Hokkaido was particularly hard hit by the end of the Bubble in the late 1980s, with the collapse of local lender Takushoku Bank taking down many local businesses. Add in marginal agricultural land and increasingly unprofitable mining and industry, and the result is long-term population decline, especially in rural areas. Projections indicate the prefecture may lose half its population by 2050. The one bright spot in the economy is winter sports, with Sapporo hosting the 1972 Winter Olympics and ski hotspot Niseko in particular booming. Hokkaido used to be known as Ezo (蝦夷), in earlier times pronounced Yezo, whence modern Latin yezoensis in the scientific names of local species. The current name Hokkaido was only given following the Meiji Restoration in 1869.

Climate Hokkaido is colder than the rest of Japan, and the merciful lack of Japan's muggy summers and monsoon season makes it a very popular domestic destination between May and August. In the winter season, Hokkaido's central mountains boast some of the best powder in the world and its numerous ski resorts attract millions of domestic and international skiers and snowboarders in winter. Spring and autumn, on the other hand, tend to be cold and wet, and are very much the off season for tourists. Some of Hokkaido's inland areas have a cont

Getting there

The Seikan Tunnel, the world's second longest rail tunnel, is the only land link that Hokkaido has to Japan's main island of Honshu. Trains through the tunnel, ferries, and airliners are the only means of reaching Hokkaido. The only way to enter Hokkaido by car is to ship it across on one of the many car ferries.

By plane Sapporo's 1 New Chitose Airport (新千歳空港) (CTS IATA) is Hokkaido's sole international gateway of significance, with flights from Hong Kong, Taipei, Kaohsiung, Shanghai, Beijing, Honolulu, Seoul and Busan. However, there are only limited international flights and most visitors will need to transit through hubs such as Tokyo and Osaka. The route between Tokyo and Sapporo is, in terms of capacity and planes flown daily, the busiest in the world. If transiting via Tokyo, beware that most Sapporo flights use Haneda (HND IATA), and you'll need at least 3 hours to travel there from Narita (NRT IATA). In addition, there are a few international flights (mostly from Seoul and Taipei) to Asahikawa and Hakodate.

By train Hokkaido was finally linked to the national shinkansen high speed network in March 2016 with the opening of the segment between Aomori and Hakodate via the undersea Seikan Tunnel. A one-seat trip from Tokyo to Hakodate now takes just four hours using the Hayabusa service. By 2038, the line from Hakodate to Sapporo is expected to be finished, although the opening has already been pushed back by eight years from 2030. The terminal station in Hokkaido for the shinkansen is Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station (新函館北斗). From here, travelers can take a 15- to 20-minute shuttle train ride down to the center of Hakodate city, or take a 3½ hour limited express train up to Sapporo. There are car rental facilities just outside the station.

Seishun 18 Ticket Since the Seishun 18 Ticket does not allow travel using bullet trains, users who want to go to Hokkaido from Honshu must purchase a separate option ticket for ¥2300. The special ticket allows trips in any available standard class seat on Hokkaido Shinkansen trains between Okutsugaru-Imabetsu (the last bullet train stop in Honshu) and Kikonai (the first such stop on Hokkaido). It also covers travel on the private Isaribi Line between Kikonai and Goryokaku, where the rest of the local JR network can be accessed. You must be in possession of a valid Seishun 18 Ticket to purchase and use the option ticket.

By ferry Ferries are most popular among people bringing their own cars to Hokkaido.

Ferries from Hakodate link to northern ports in Tohoku, including Aomori and the Shimokita Peninsula.

Getting around

Hokkaidō wa dekkai dou (北海道はでっかいどう), said a famous airline commercial in the 1970s, meaning roughly "Hokkaido is huuuuuge". Allow plenty of time to get around and don't try to do too much if your time is limited. Many Japanese maps show Hokkaido with a larger scale than the rest of the country, which may make distances appear deceptively small.

By plane Due to its vast size and numerous outlying islands, Hokkaido has a fairly well-developed commuter airline network. The main regional carrier is JAL subsidiary Hokkaido Air Commuter, which operates its turboprop flights out of the tiny Okadama Airport (OKD IATA) in central Sapporo, not the main Chitose airport (CTS IATA) well south of the city.

By train The train network in Hokkaido is (by Japanese standards) limited, although it's more than adequate for travel between major cities. However, access to many of the more interesting sites, such as Hokkaido's many national parks, will require either relying on infrequent and expensive buses, renting your own car, or trying your luck at hitchhiking. Some convenient express trains include the Hokuto between Sapporo and Hakodate (3½ hours, ¥8,830 each way); the Kamui and Lilac between Sapporo and Asahikawa (1½ hours, ¥4,810 each way); the Tokachi between Sapporo and Obihiro (3 hours, ¥7,220 each way); the Ōzora between Sapporo and Kushiro (4 hours, ¥9,370 each way); and the Soya and Sarobetsu between Sapporo and Wakkanai (5½ hours, ¥10,450 each way). JR offers a special Hokkaido Pass, separate from the Japan Rail Pass, which allows the bearer to ride all JR trains in Hokkaido, as well as most JR buses for seven days.

By bus A cheaper if slower and less comfortable option than the train is using buses, which also cover all the areas not accessible by train. Sleeper services radiate from Sapporo to most corners of the island. Note that local bus schedules can be very sparse, so check them carefully to avoid being stranded.

By car

Hokkaido is among the few places in Japan where renting a car is worthwhile, since access to many national parks and onsen resorts without one can be quite difficult. Major cities are covered by a good network of expressways. However, speed limits are low, with many expressways capped at 70-80 km/h and even the straight, wide and flat highways of Tokachi limited to a poky 50 km/h. Speeding is thus quite common, but so are speed traps and heavy fines. In winter, the same snow that makes the island a ski haven can also mean dangerous driving conditions, and speed limits drop even lower. Winter tires are mandatory from November o

See

Castles Hokkaido did not become a part of Japan until late in the nation's history, so in spite of its size, it never had the number of castles that other prefectures had. Matsumae Castle in Matsumae is Hokkaido's only Japanese-style castle with a donjon. Other castle sites are more akin to forts, such as Hakodate's Goryokaku. The Ainu people had their own forts, as well, known as Chashi. None of the structures of any chashi remain, but Nemuro has the highest concentration of chashi ruins.

Gardens Hokkaido is known for its gardens and even has a group of 8 gardens known as the Garden Kaido (ガーデン街道, Garden Path) stretching 250km. The gardens from north to south are Forest Garden (Mt. Daisetsu area), Ueno Farm (Asahikawa), Windy Garden (Furano), Tokachi Millenium Forest (Shimizu), Manabe Garden (Obihiro), Tokachi Hills (Makubetsu), Shichiku Garden (Obihiro), and Rokka no Mori (Nakasatunai). There are combination tickets to visit some of the gardens: ¥2300 for the first 3 gardens and ¥3300 for the last 5 gardens (¥2000 if you choose 3 out of 5).

Nature For many visitors Hokkaido's numerous National Parks are number one on the agenda, offering near-unlimited hiking opportunities.

Do

Winter sports

Hokkaido has some of the best powder in the world and skiing has really taken off, with resorts like Niseko, Furano and Rusutsu drawing visitors from far and wide.

Hiking Hokkaido has countless hiking opportunities, ranging from challenging multi-day treks across Daisetsuzan National Park to casual strolls in Shiretoko National Park.

Hot springs Hokkaido is volcanically active and has countless hot springs, with Noboribetsu particularly famous.

Eat

Much of Hokkaido's population lives by the sea, and consequently seafood figures heavily in Hokkaido fare. Check out the hairy crabs (毛蟹 kegani), king crabs (タラバ taraba) and the delicious sushi. Akkeshi's oysters, Saroma's scallops, and the northwest coast's sea urchin (うに uni) are considered to be among Japan's very best seafood. More unexpectedly, Hokkaido produces most of Japan's dairy products and particularly in the east you will run into many creative uses for them. Ever had cream cheese in your curry, or butter in your noodle soup? How about asparagus, corn, or squid ink ice cream? In Hokkaido, you will. Other Hokkaido classics include:

miso ramen (味噌ラーメン) noodle soup, often with butter and/or corn (バターコーンラーメン batākōn ramen). Hokkaido's most famous ramen chain Santouka, now franchised around the world, hails from Asahikawa. soup curry (スープカレー), a hearty curry-flavored soup chock full of veggies, particularly popular in Sapporo Genghis Khan (ジンギスカン jingisu kan), sliced lamb and vegetables that you grill yourself, the Japanese version of Mongolian BBQ (hence the name) chanchanyaki (ちゃんちゃん焼き), a stir-fry of miso, salmon and vegetables zangi (ザンギ) deep-fried chicken, made with a soy/ginger/garlic marinade corn on the cob (とうきび tōkibi or とうもろこし tōmorokoshi) cantaloupe melons (メロン meron) from Yubari, fantastically expensive in Tokyo department stores but practically given away in season

Drink & nightlife

Hokkaido is home to some of Japan's finest sake, the most famous of the bunch being Asahikawa's Otokoyama (男山). Beer is also big in Hokkaido, the most famous brand being Sapporo Beer (naturally from Sapporo), but the many microbrews found in nearly every town are also worth sampling. Last but not least, famed Japanese whisky makers Nikka have their main distillery at Yoichi.

Sleep

Hokkaido is one of Japan's best places for camping, but beware of the nighttime chill - even in the summer months you'll need a good sleeping bag. In particular, the southwest coast can be surprisingly cold, due to the ocean currents. Many of Hokkaido's cheaper accommodations slap on an extra fee for winter heating (冬期暖房 tōki danbō), as Japanese houses even in the north are notoriously poorly insulated and chew up vast quantities of fuel when the temperatures fall. This shouldn't be more than ¥500 or so. If you are coming for the mountains, be sure to stay in one of the many mountain huts (山小屋 yamagoya) in Hokkaido. Most are free, and they're both a cheap sleep and a good cultural experience. You'll be sure to make Japanese friends as well.