Experience the Grandeur of Hokkaido's Seasonal Landscapes: 18 Must-See Scenic Spots

There is no better attraction than the natural landscape of Lake Toya in Hokkaido. The area around a caldera lake, Lake Toya , and an active volcano, Mt.Usu, was designated as the Toya- Usu Unesco Global Geopark in UNESCO Global Geopark.

The Mt. Hakodate Observatory is the final stop of Mt. Hakodate Ropeway. The first floor features an inside lounge, the Ryoubi Park popular among locals as a less-crowded area to enjoy the night sceneries. The second floor features a summit shop, and restaurant selling Mt. Hakodate original goods. The third floor features a tea lounge, and the fourth floor features an observatory lounge.

Located within the Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park, this cape stretches out from the northwestern part of the Shakotan Peninsula into the Sea of Japan. It's approximately 770 meters from the parking lot to the tip of the cape, with a scenic 20-minute walk along a trail that has some ups and downs. The natural beauty of the surrounding area and the clear, azure waters known as "Shakotan Blue" make the journey truly breathtaking. At the tip of the cape, you can find the Kamui Rock and the Cape Kamui Lighthouse, offering a 300-degree rounded horizon view.

Lake Akan is Hokkaido's fifth largest freshwater lake and is known as a habitat for marimo moss balls. Marimo moss balls can be found in freshwater lakes all over the world, but the ones in Lake Akan have international significance due to their beautiful spherical shape with a diameter of more than 15 cm.

From Shari machi through Utoro, Hokkaido, there is a long straight road, which looks as if it stretches into heaven. Thus, named “Road to the Sky.”
Stop by at observation spots “Start Chiten (Starting Point)” or “Namonaki Tenbodai (Nameless Observatory)” near the highest point of the road.

One of the iconic attractions of the Biei Shirogane Onsen area, Shirahige Falls lives up to its name as white streams cascade down a rugged cliff like a "white beard”, dropping approximately 30 meters into the Biei River. This waterfall is classified as a rare "subterranean stream waterfall" (senryu-baku), where water flows directly from cracks in the rock face.

Goryokaku, a Western-style fortress, was built in 1866 and served as the political capital of Hokkaido until the new Meiji government took over. It later became a popular tourist attraction after it was opened to the public as "Goryokaku Park" in 1914 and was designated as a national special historic site.

Maruyama Park is located north of Maruyama Virgin Forest, known for its beautiful cherry blossoms since ancient times. The park boasts about 120 cherry trees such as Sargent cherry and Somei-Yoshino, which attract many visitors in spring.

Moerenuma Park, an art park, was created as part of the Circular Greenbelt Concept, which aims to surround Sapporo's urban area with a belt of parks and green spaces. Sculptor Isamu Noguchi designed the entire park as a sculpture artwork, and visitors can see the park's various faces as the seasons change.

Located in Nakafurano Town, Hokkaido, this tourist farm is famous for its large-scale, elegant lavender fields. In addition to the grand lavender fields, the farm is known for its "Irodori Field," a canvas of gently sloping hills adorned with vivid bands of flowers such as purple lavender, white baby's breath, and red poppies. There are also various flower fields throughout the park, such as the "Hanabito Field" with colorful blooms like violas and marigolds, and the "Hanabito Garden," where nearly 120 different plant species coexist in a small space, delighting visitors' eyes.

This tourist farm, spread across 247 acres of rolling hills, allows visitors to enjoy a variety of colorful seasonal flowers. The flower fields on the slope showcase a range of flowers, starting with cherry blossoms in spring. There is a diverse selection of flowers, from those that can be enjoyed for a relatively long period, like salvia, marigold, and goldfish grass, to those that can only be seen for about a month, such as lupines and cleomes.

The park is renowned for its lavender fields, which span approximately 4.2 hectares. From late June to late July, the entire hilly area is covered with lavender, offering visitors a chance to enjoy the vibrant purple flowers swaying in the wind and their refreshing scent. A late-blooming variety called "Okamurasaki" is mainly planted, making it possible to appreciate the lavender even if you visit towards the end of the season. In addition to lavender, the park is also adorned with a variety of seasonal flowers such as catmint and marigold.

In July 1958, Onuma Quasi-National Park was designated as the 13th in the nation and the only quasi-national park in southern Hokkaido.
The Park is at the center of Oshima Peninsula, about a 20-min drive from Hokkaido Shinkansen’s Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station. It covers a green marshy area with Onuma Lake, Konuma Lake, Junsai Swamp, etc. which were created by Mt. Koma-ga-take’s eruptions.

“Asahidake”, the highest peak in the Daisetsuzan mountain range, is a series of 2,000-meter-high peaks. Asahidake, which rises 2,291 meters above sea level, is popular for its easy access to the 1,600-meter-high ropeway, making it an easy way to enjoy the spectacular view.

A famous hot spring located in the "Iburi" region in south-west Hokkaido. It has been known since the Edo period as an extremely rare place with many different types of springs in one hot spring. Many of the springs gush from all over the place, many of them from Jigokudani, which was created by volcanic activity some 10,000 years ago, and boast an abundance of 10,000 tonnes of hot water per day, which can be enjoyed in a variety of bathtubs and tubs elaborately designed by ryokans and hotels.

The Shirogane Blue Pond in Biei is famous as the top tourist attraction in the area, captivating visitors with its vivid blue. This man-made pond unexpectedly formed when water accumulated behind a dam that was constructed to prevent volcanic mudflows from Mt. Tokachi. The surreal blue of the pond, combined with the surrounding lush nature and dead larch trees, creates an enchanting atmosphere reminiscent of a fairy tale.

From late January to late March, the Sea of Okhotsk is covered in drift ice and Abashiri turns into a silver world. You can experience this magical scene up close with a cruise aboard the drift ice sightseeing icebreaker ship "Aurora."
During the roughly one-hour cruise, you can comfortably admire the drift ice from the heated interior of the ship. From the free seats on the first floor, you can get a close view from the sea-facing sofas, and from the side deck, you can enjoy the beauty of the drift ice from the closest point to the water.

Otaru Port, which developed as a gateway for Hokkaido's settlement, saw an increasing volume of cargo over the years. To streamline its transportation, the "Otaru Canal" was completed in 1923 (Taisho 12). The canal, created by reclaiming the offshore coast, is characterized by its gentle curves rather than a straight line.