Planning a Trip to Sapporo, Hokkaido
Hokkaido (北海道, Hokkaidō) is the second largest of Japan's four main islands and it is home to approximately 2 million people. The weather in winter can reach below zero temperatures while in summer it's not as hot and humid as other areas in Japan which makes Hokkaido a perfect place to go to when you want a change from the city's humid and hot weather in summer. Hokkaido is mostly famous for its exquisite seafood, breathtaking nature, and its dairy product especially soft serve ice cream.
These are the top activities that you could do in Hokkaido this year:
1. Attend the Sapporo Lilac Festival in May or June 2017. This festival has been a tradition to local Hokkaido people since 1959. You can visit Odori Park in May 17 - May 28 and Kawashimo Park in Late May or Early June.
2. Try the Kaiten-Zushi (Conveyor Belt Sushi). The seafood in Hokkaido is very fresh so I recommend that you try their sushi. The place to eat conveyor belt sushi are usually always crowded so you can try to reserve in advance.
3. Visit Mount Hakodate (函館山, Hakodateyama)
Mount Hakodate is a 334 meter high, wooded mountain. At night, you can visit Mount Hakodate to see the view of Hokkaido. It is included among Japan's three best night views other than the views from Nagasaki's Mount Inasa and Kobe's Mount Rokko.
4. Relax and Unwind in Cape Kamui (Shakotan-cho). Shakoran has been called the prefecture's "underwater quasi-national park" where the beautiful clear blue ocean is known as Shakotan Blue. You would have to walk 20 to 30 minutes to see a 300-degree panoramic view of Shakotan. It's quite a long way to go but the view is worth it.
Business Hours:
5. Go to Farm Tomita. Hokkaido is also known for cultivating lavender. The best spot to view lavender fields is Farm Tomita, because you can see Tokachi Mountain in the background which gives a breathtaking view. Farm tomita is open everyday from 08.30 until 17.00. However, these opening hours may be shorter outside summer. The best thing is that there are no admission fee, it is completely FREE!
6. See the Beautiful Flowers in Takino Suzuran Hillside National Park. In summer time, there are more parks that you could enjoy rather than winter and there may be an additional fee to enter those park but it is usually not that expensive. There are also outdoor activities that you can do such as mountain bike riding and hiking, It is a good idea to have BBQ here with your family and friends.
7. Sapporo JR Tower Observatory T38. This place is directly connected to JR Sapporo Station. It is located on the top floor of JR Tower's tallest building in Hokkaido. It is 38 floors from the ground and 160m high. You can get a 360 degree view in all directions. It is open all year round and it is open from 10.00 AM - 23.00 (Last entrance 22.30).
8. Go Sightseeing at Biei-cho. In Biei-cho, you can savor the view of "Blue Pond". It takes about 5-10 minites walk through the forest in order to reach the blue pond. Here, you can take a relaxing stroll and take photos of this majestic view.
9. Go to Hokkaido Beer Garden. This is a famous restaurant that is located in Sapporo. It serves the freshest seafood in Hokkaido and it is also known for their lamb steak. It is a type of self service BBQ restaurant. They are open everyday and the opening hours is 5.00 PM - 12.00 AM
10. Visit Hakodate Morning Market. Here you can see a cluster of 300 shops and eateries selling fresh seafood and vegetables. If you can't go to Tsukiji Fish market in Tokyo, you can visit this market instead ;)
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| Sapporo Lilac Festival |
2. Try the Kaiten-Zushi (Conveyor Belt Sushi). The seafood in Hokkaido is very fresh so I recommend that you try their sushi. The place to eat conveyor belt sushi are usually always crowded so you can try to reserve in advance.
3. Visit Mount Hakodate (函館山, Hakodateyama) Mount Hakodate is a 334 meter high, wooded mountain. At night, you can visit Mount Hakodate to see the view of Hokkaido. It is included among Japan's three best night views other than the views from Nagasaki's Mount Inasa and Kobe's Mount Rokko.
Business Hours:
Everyday ( 10:00 AM ~ 03:30 PM ).
5. Go to Farm Tomita. Hokkaido is also known for cultivating lavender. The best spot to view lavender fields is Farm Tomita, because you can see Tokachi Mountain in the background which gives a breathtaking view. Farm tomita is open everyday from 08.30 until 17.00. However, these opening hours may be shorter outside summer. The best thing is that there are no admission fee, it is completely FREE!6. See the Beautiful Flowers in Takino Suzuran Hillside National Park. In summer time, there are more parks that you could enjoy rather than winter and there may be an additional fee to enter those park but it is usually not that expensive. There are also outdoor activities that you can do such as mountain bike riding and hiking, It is a good idea to have BBQ here with your family and friends.
7. Sapporo JR Tower Observatory T38. This place is directly connected to JR Sapporo Station. It is located on the top floor of JR Tower's tallest building in Hokkaido. It is 38 floors from the ground and 160m high. You can get a 360 degree view in all directions. It is open all year round and it is open from 10.00 AM - 23.00 (Last entrance 22.30).
8. Go Sightseeing at Biei-cho. In Biei-cho, you can savor the view of "Blue Pond". It takes about 5-10 minites walk through the forest in order to reach the blue pond. Here, you can take a relaxing stroll and take photos of this majestic view.
9. Go to Hokkaido Beer Garden. This is a famous restaurant that is located in Sapporo. It serves the freshest seafood in Hokkaido and it is also known for their lamb steak. It is a type of self service BBQ restaurant. They are open everyday and the opening hours is 5.00 PM - 12.00 AM
10. Visit Hakodate Morning Market. Here you can see a cluster of 300 shops and eateries selling fresh seafood and vegetables. If you can't go to Tsukiji Fish market in Tokyo, you can visit this market instead ;)
You can also watch this interesting video about Hokkaido
For further information, this is the Google map to Hokkaido
Lastly, here are several links about Hokkaido, you can open this for more information
http://www.japan-guide.com/list/e1101.html
http://en.visit-hokkaido.jp/
Thank you for reading my blog and I'll see you next time :)
It seems such a relaxing place to go. Kind of getting europe vibes there from the photos. I really want to try those seafood. I hope I can visit Hokkaido sometimes in the future.
BalasHapus