If you're visiting Hokkaido, check out this list of top tips and things to do to make the most of your time there.
Hokkaido as whole remains uncharted territory for many visitors to Japan, and even fewer make it out to the real countryside beyond the tourist hubs. Head east and into the snowy peaks and unexplored forests of Akan-Mashu National Park, you cannot help but feel like you are leaving the world you know long behind.
Buddha Hill is a complex designed by the Pritzker-winner architect Tadao Ando in Makomanai Takino Cemetery near Sapporo, Hokkaido.
Akan National Park is truly a wonder in all seasons. In winter the lake shines as the water freezes over and the ice-covered crater lake can be traversed in numerous ways.
Hokkaido Port City with Canal Zone, World Famous Sushi, Glassware, Breweries, Museums, Mt Tengu View, and shopping.
Children celebrate the shichi-go-san festival with their families at Hokkaido Jingu in Maruyama Park in Sapporo.
I visit the Hokkaido Museum of Northern Peoples in Abashiri and learn about Ainu culture
Farm Tomita is a fascinating flower farm near Furano in central Hokkaido, focussing on the cultivation of lavender and all kinds of related products.
Chill out at Sapporo's annual Snow Festival in February. With gigantic ice sculptures, hot drinks, and local food, the snow sculptures attract tourists from all over.
