北海道 ( H O K K A I D O )
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The island as a total is a should visit. Sightseeing spots like temple, shrines and castles are not that much. The only shrine that is worth a visit is in Sapporo. But Hokkaido has a lot of landscape für hiking. 6 national parks are located here: green plains and mountains, cliffs at the coastline, landscape formed by active vulcanos.
[I’m a fan of japan-guide.com. This pic is a URL-Link to the website.]
I recommend the island for everyone who prefer a lot of nature and only a few Japanese. The island is thin populated. 2 million people are living in Sapporo and another 4 million in the other 82.200 km^2 of Hokkaido. Bavaria (without Munich) has 13 million people and is a little bit smaller that Hokkaido. Even Sapporo is „empty“: 1737 people/km^2. In the city center of Tokyo living 15.073. people/km^2.
There are no prefectures on Hokkaido because the whole island is a prefecture itself. There are subprefectures. But I don’t understand the systemic. Getting to Hokkaido has changed in 2013. The shinkansen is now going up to Hakodate. The reduces travel time far below the 10 hour limit. I am not sure of the night train Hokutosei is still running. With him it still saves a day of travel. Here the sum up (Rule: SHOULD is MUST if CAN):
- MUST VISIT: Hakodate
- SHOULD visit: Sapporo, Toya (day trip), Rebun (during blossom), Daisetsusan (Hiking)
- can visit: Wakkanai, Soyamisaki, Otaru, Yoichi, Sounkyo
札幌 : Sapporo, Ishikara — SHOULD, 1 Tag
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There is not much to see in Sapporo. All important spots can be visited within a day: clock tower, Hokkaido Jinja and beside that the botanical garden, the fish market and the park at Sapporo Tower. For a night view I suggest the T38 at the train station that provides a nice view over the city. The only favor for Sapporo is its location in the railroad network of Hokkaido.
小樽 : Otaru, Shiribeshi — can, 1/2 Tag
Otaru: wikipedia DE / wikipedia EN / japan-guide
Otaru and Yoichi are easy accessable as a daytrip from Sapporo. Otaru is a small town with a nice shopping street at the water. Here are also some warehouses that were built after the opening of Japan. There is a small brewery with a brewing copper from Bamberg. Be careful: overdose of Bavaria.
余市 : Yoichi, Shiribeshi — skip it (except whisky fans), 1/2 Tag
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The Nikka destillery is located in Yoichi. The site can be visited, but the running factory is (maybe) only accessable during a guided tour. I didn’t took the tour. Sum up therefore: boring. But both places are maybe better for winter holidays (skiing).
函館 : Hakodate, Oshima — MUST, 1 Tag
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If you stay on Hokkaido and don’t need to spend the night in Sapporo I highly recommend Hakodate, my personal number 1 of Hokkaido. The train station is between the two big sightseeing spots: the old fortress Goryōkaku and the old city area Motohakodate. This place should be your priority. Here old Japan meets the victorian England. There are churches, temples, governer buildings and old japanese houses. The steep narrow streets (slopes) are reminding of San Francisco. The top of Mt. Hakodate provides a good (night) view of the city. The contrast between city lights and the surrounding sea is unique. Since 2013 the shinkansen terminates in Hakodate.
稚内 : Wakkanai und 宗谷岬 : Soyamisaki, Soya
skip it, 1/2 Tag
Wakkanai: wikipedia DE / wikipedia EN / japan-guideSoya Misaki: wikipedia DE / wikipedia EN /
japan-guide
This town is only for changing from train to the ferry boat to Rebun or Rishiri. Beside that there is nothing that justifies a 6 hour train trip from Sapporo. The attraction is a park with a tower. Both are not that special. I spend a night in Wakkanai because it thought the time between train arrival and departure of the boat was to short. Everyone who follows my example can visit Wakkanai at the day of arrival and try a trip to Soyamisaki (the northernmost spot of Japan) before the afternoon ferry leaves for Rishiri.
Rebun und Rishiri
The trickiest part of Rebun and Rishiri is to get there. There are only three trains a day (information from 2010) and it takes 6 hours. Then you have to add the travel time of the Heart Land Ferry. More information are found here: Getting to Wakkanai, Rishiri and Rebun.
A hotel only on one island with a daytrip to the other island is difficult and needs some compromising because on the very limited amount of ferries a day. I suggest: 5 days for Wakkanai, Rebun and Rishiri. On day 1 try to get the train and the ferry to Rebun. Spend day 2 (and 3) on Rebun. Daytrip or move to Rishiri on day 4. Day 5 is for travelling to the following destination. Maybe with a brief stop in Wakkanai or Soya Misaki.
利尻 : Rishiri, Soya — can, 1 Tag
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There is a bus roundtrip the is scheduled to the arrival of the ferry boats. The trip covern all the attrachtions of the island. But it is nohing more that a crash course. Without the bus you need a bicycle and very good stamina. There are two spots totally worth a visit: the two lakes. You really spend more time there than the bus trip allows you to. The rest isn’t worth to mention. But then there is Mt. Rishiri, the Fuji of Hokkaido. 1700m of height and hiking starts at sea level. You need more than a day to do it.
礼文 : Rebun, Soya — SHOULD (MUST for Hiker), 1-2 Tage
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Rebun is for Hiking. It is said to by amaizing during spring time when all the wild flowers are blooming. The nature starts right behind the harbour. I was there in late summer. No blossom but also no tourist. But be aware that during spring this place is packed with tourists. If you plan a visit to Rebun, plan to stay over night.
洞爺 : Toya — SHOULD, 1/2 Tag
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Toya itself is a boring place and looks a little bit run down. Many hotels seemed to be closed for good. I didn’t visited the lake and the island in the lake. In my opinion there are only two reasons for Toya: Showazan (the young and still growing lava dome) and the old vulcano field. Getting there is a little bit tricky and needs time. Therefore the rating „should“ mease that you should visit this place when you are in the neighborhood.
- SHOULD VISIT: Showazan, the old vulcanic field
- can visit: the destroyed city area with museum
- unknown: Lake Toya und Island
大雪山国立公園 : Daisetsuzan NP, Kamikawa
SHOULD (MUST for Hiker), 1-5 Tage
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If you want to hike in the mountains, then you must visit Daisetsusan. it is a bizarre landscape formed by vulcanic activity. There a routes for a day trip and the great traveserse that needs 5 days to walk. For a daytrip i recommend Sounkyo Onsen or Asahidake as a starting point. For a longer trip you need a tent, food and water. There are some huts but no supplies.
層雲峡温泉 : Sounkyo Onsen, Kamikawa — can, 1/4 Tag
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Sounkyo Onsen is (or was?) a famous onsen place and maybe has seen better times. After a taifun a few years ago (I am writing this in 2010) there are many closed hiking trails. The are two water falls and a rock formation, but from my point of view they are not worth the trip. There are only two reasons to go to Sounkyo Onsen: the ropeway to Kurodake (entry point to Daisetsuzan) and the winter festival.
| an Hauptlinie | abseits | Nationalparks | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hakodate * | Tomamu | Lake Shikotsu * | Rebun Rishiri NP ** |
| Onuma * | Kutchan | Matsumae | Daisetsuzan NP ** |
| Toya * | Biei | Rebun | Akan NP * |
| Noboribetsu * | Asakikawa | Rishiri | Shiretoko NP ** |
| Niseki * | Abashiri | Utoro | Kushiro Marschlands NP |
| Furano * | Kushiro | Sounkyo Onsen | |
| Otaru * | Kawayu | ||
| Saporro * |
Following places that are mentioned in the may are no sightseeing spots but train/bus changing points: Muroran, New Chitose (Flughafen), Obihiro (Flughafen), Nemuro, Kitami, Wakkanai, Shin-Hakodate-hokuto (Shinkansenterminal).