Course IRONMAN Japan South Hokkaido

Hokkaido has many country farm roads which are narrow, poorly marked, and arrow-straight. These often run parallel to highways and tend to be much less crowded. Be careful of farm vehicles backing out of sheds with no warning, and especially careful of bicycles in the summer, as there are no shoulders. 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.

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).

The current name Hokkaido was only given following the Meiji Restoration in 1869.

Major cities and towns

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 2030, the line from Hakodate to Sapporo is expected to be finished. Hokkaido is accessible by plane from all major airports in Japan to New Chitose Airport near Sapporo, with international flights from Shanghai and Seoul.

Hitchhiking is a viable option in Hokkaido, and due to the limitations of the public transport network it’s not unheard of to see Japanese with their thumb out (a very rare sight in the rest of the country). The major caveats are that even private car traffic can be minimal on some roads, and for half the year the weather is colder than the rest of the country. Hokkaido is vast in size, so allow plenty of time to get around and don’t try to do too much if your time is limited. Many Japanese maps (including the generally excellent Japan Road Atlas) show Hokkaido with a larger scale than the rest of the country, which may make distances appear deceptively small. The Seikan Tunnel, the world’s longest rail tunnel, is the only land link that Hokkaido has to Japan’s main island of Honshu.

Sapporo Snow Festival

1. Visitors can rent snowshoes at various locations across Hokkaido, including ropeway stations and tourism associations, with some offering rentals for free or at a nominal fee.
2. Hokkaidō is one of eight prefectures in Japan that have subprefectures (支庁 shichō).
3. Combined with high winds that occur during winter, this frequently brings air travel and maritime activity to a halt beyond the northern coast of Hokkaidō.
4. Add in marginal agricultural land and increasingly unprofitable mining and industry, and the result is long-term population decline, especially in rural areas.
5. Very little sand or salt is used on the roads, and the heavy snow in many areas means that the roadways and mountain passes turn into packed snow, then solid ice.
6. 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.

Very little sand or salt is used on the roads, and the heavy snow in many areas means that the roadways and mountain passes turn into packed snow, then solid ice. Look for overhanging center line (中央線 chūosen) signs above the roads at intersections. Highways have arrow signs pointing downward at the shoulders of the road, which will also be invisible. Because speeds are lower, there are less fatalities, but there are more accidents in the winter.

If you’re engaging in outdoor activities like snow play or walking through snowy streets, avoid heavy denim, which takes time to dry. Instead, opt for water-resistant trousers or snow pants, especially for skiing or snowboarding. However, most of the snow from the clouds that develop above the Sea of Japan falls before reaching the area, resulting in relatively little snowfall and frequent fair weather, even during the winter months. 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 (bata-kon ramen)? Ferries are mostly popular among people bringing their own cars to Hokkaido.

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. With its unspoiled nature, many national parks and rural landscapes, Hokkaido attracts many outdoor lovers, including skiers and snowboarders in the colder seasons and hikers, cyclists and campers from June to September. The economic development of Hokkaido includes iron, steel, wood pulp, dairy, and fishing industries. Rice, soy and kidney beans, oats, barley, hay, and white potatoes are important crops. Construction of the Seikan Tunnel, which was dug under the Tsugaru Strait in order to link Hokkaido with the main Japanese island of Honshu, was begun in 1964 and was completed in 1988.

Hokkaidō and beyond

Every day we spend hours slowly simmering chicken bones to create a rich and flavorful soup. The finishing touch is made with a blend of bonito and mackerel all brought together with subtle umami from 100% Hokkaido kelp. We use a special blend of flour that includes Hokkaido wheat to make our noodles richly textured and satisfyingly firm. Topped with a generous helping of aosa seaweed to evoke the aroma of the Hokkaido sea. Our carefully selected team of professional ski and snowboard instructors have a passion for teaching and powder guiding.

1. Home to Japan’s native Ainu people, Hokkaido continues to represent the untamed wilderness with many great national parks.
2. Many turboprop flights operate out of the tiny Okadama Airport in central Sapporo.
3. If you’re engaging in outdoor activities like snow play or walking through snowy streets, avoid heavy denim, which takes time to dry.
4. It’s that customers who come to Hokkaido food fairs also tend to buy other things at the department store and not only that, but these customers also tend to buy higher-end goods than visitors for other events.
5. 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 1999, Hori was supported by all major non-Communist parties and Itō ran without party support. Before 1983, the governorship had been held by Liberal Democrats Naohiro Dōgakinai and Kingo Machimura for 24 years. In 1959, Machimura had defeated Yokomichi’s father Setsuo in the race to succeed Hokkaidō’s first elected governor, Socialist Toshibumi Tanaka who retired after three terms. Tanaka had only won the governorship in 1947 in a run-off election against Democrat Eiji Arima because no candidate had received the necessary vote share to win in the first round as required by law at the time. Hokkaidō has 34 universities (7 national, 6 local public, and 21 private universities), 15 junior colleges, and 6 colleges of technology (3 national, 1 local public, and 2 private colleges). There are three populations of the Ussuri brown bear found on the island.

The snowfall usually commences in earnest in November and ski resorts (such as those at Niseko, Furano, Teine and Rusutsu) usually operate between December and April. Hokkaidō celebrates its winter weather at the Sapporo Snow Festival. Hokkaidō has the third-largest population of Japan’s five main islands, with 5,111,691 people as of 2023update.353 It has the lowest population density in Japan, with just 61 inhabitants per square kilometre (160/sq mi). Major cities include Sapporo and Asahikawa in the central region, and the port of Hakodate facing Honshu in the south. Sapporo is Hokkaidō’s largest city and the fifth-largest in Japan. It had a population of 1,959,750 as of 31 July 2023update and a population density of 1,748/km2 (4,530/sq mi).

Its picturesque canal, lined with historical red-brick buildings and illuminated during winter, creates a magical atmosphere. The old warehouses and former shipping company offices also give Otaru’s city center a unique character. Famous for its world-class powder hokkaidu snow, Niseko is a top destination for skiers and snowboarders. You can stay at luxury ski-in and ski-out resorts such as The Vale Niseko or opt for cozy lodges and Airbnb rentals with mountain views. As the capital of Hokkaido, Sapporo serves as an ideal base for winter travelers.

Sapporo, in the southwest on the Ishikari River, is the administrative headquarters. The largest city on Hokkaido is its capital, Sapporo, which is also its only ordinance-designated city. Sakhalin lies about 43 kilometres (27 mi) to the north of Hokkaidō, and to the east and northeast are the Kuril Islands, which are administered by Russia, though the four most southerly are claimed by Japan.