Hokkaido
Ice flows in winter, lavender, melons in the summer and beer & Chocolate all year round…
Hokkaido is the Northernmost and second largest of the four main islands that make up Japan.
It is separated from Honshu by the Tsugaru Straits but joined by a railway tunnel, the Seikan Tunnel which is the world’s longest railway tunnel which travels undersea.
Other Cities and areas worth visiting are Otaru, Asahikawa, Nemuro, Abashiri and Lake Toya.
Hokkaido has a number of National and Prefectural Parks,
including the Shiretoko National Park on the Eastern side of the island..
★★★★★ 5/5
Other Notable Places
01 Otaru
a historical city not far from Sapporo. Once being the commercial center of Hokkaido it has many historical building.
02 Nemuro
on the far eastern side of the island, Nemuro faces both the Sea of Okhotsk and Pacific Ocean. A fishing port famous for Sautry, the area is also famous for the many birds that populate the sea, lakes, forests and dunes in the area.
03 Abashiri
a port town on the Sea of Okhotsk, it is famous for the drift ice in the winter. It has a number of nearby lakes, including Lake Abashiri and is a good base for the Shiretoko National Park.
04 Lake Toya
With Mount Usu in the middle of this large lake and the surrounding country, Lake Toya is a popular resort with many onsen in the area
05 Wakkanai
Wakkanai station is the most northern railway station in Japan, 396km from Sapporo. The daily limited express train from Sapporo takes 5 hours each way. The city is actually closer to Russia than Tokyo. From Wakkanai you can take ferries to Rebun and Rishiri.
Interesting Rail Routes
01 JR Hakodate Line ~ JR Muroran Lines (Hakodate~Sapporo)
02 Hakodate Trams
03 JR Senmo Line (Abashiri~Kushiro)
In winter it is famous for the ice flows
in the Sea of Okhotsk and
in summer lavender and flows
in the Furano area is popular with tourists.
Explore Japan by Train…Explore Japan’s Railways…
