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| Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaido, is the base for sightseeing in this island. The city is close to Chitose, a gateway to Hokkaido, and adjacent to the popular tourist city of Otaru, the resort area of Niseko, and also is home to Susukino, the largest entertainment district in this northern region. There are many places where you can enjoy sight, playing and eating! |
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| Clock Tower |
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| This is an extremely famous tourist spot, representative of Hokkaido. This historic building was used as a drill house for Sapporo Agricultural College, the forerunner of Hokkaido University, and is located in the downtown area of Sapporo (North 1, West 2, Chuo-ku, Sapporo). The clock, with large clockfaces on all four sides of the tower atop the building, has been telling the time through the clear sound of the ringing bell for more than 100 years and is loved by citizens. |
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| Old Hokkaido Government Building |
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| Constructed in 1888 as the second main building for the Hokkaido Colonization Commission, this brick building is affectionately called ﾒAka Rengaﾓ (Red Bricks). With slate-covered roofs and an octagonal dome, it is very beautiful and quite magnificent. Many large trees in the front garden lend themselves to the atmosphere of the history of Hokkaidoﾕs development. It is situated at the business center, near Odori Park (North 3, West 6, Chuo-ku, Sapporo). |
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| Mt. Moiwa |
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| If you want a panoramic view of Sapporo, you should not miss visiting this mountain. From the observatory on Mt. Moiwa, 531 m above sea level, which is located in the southwestern pat of the downtown area, you can clearly see streets stretching out along the Ishikari Plain and Ishikari Bay. In particular, the night view spreading below is beyond description. Moreover, because of the lush greenery on the mountain, you can enjoy a stroll along the walking path in the midst of nature. |
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| Takikawa and its environs in central Hokkaido feature natural magnificence, including the vast Ishikari Plain formed by the Ishikari River, and the Taisetsu Mountain Range, the roof of Hokkaido. It is adjacent to Furano which is famous for lavender, and Asahikawa which is the central city of northern Hokkaido. |
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| Lake Katsurazawa |
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| This star-shaped dame lake is located some 10 kilometers east of downtown Mikasa, and is full of water from several rivers originating in mountainous areas. You can enjoy seeing fresh green in spring, camping in summer, colored leaves in autumn and fishing pond smelt in winter. As the dinosaur monument by the lake indicates, its vicinity is famous as a place where fossils of Ezo Mikasaryu dinosaurs and ammonites were found. |
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| Sunflower Gardens in Hokuryu |
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| Hokuryu boasts the largest sunflower acreage in Japan. From late July to mid-August, sunflowers bloom all over the town. Why not enjoy the "taste of the sun" of processed sunflowers, such as confections and wine, after viewing the yellow, cheerful carpet to your heart's content? |
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| Rumoi and its environs can be said to be the center for port towns scattered along "the Sea of Japan Ororon Line." The view of the setting sun shining on the deserted endless coastline is another romantic scene of Hokkaido. |
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| Wakkanai and its environs are surrounded by the Sea of Japan extending westward and the Sea of Okhotsk extending eastward. The area, with the northernmost city of Wakkanai as its center, has many nostalgic places for the traveler to visit. |
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| Sarobetsu Gensei Kaen (natural flower garden) |
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| This natural flower garden extends along the Sarobetsu Plain. From late May to late September, more than 100 species of plants vie to show off the beauty of their noble flowers, including hiougi-ayame (a kind of iris), cotton sedges and day lilies. This flower garden which faces the Sea of Japan is unique because it is the only place where you can enjoy walking while feeling refreshing winds blowing across the large marsh and seeing Mt. Rishiri Fuji in the distance. |
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| Cape Soya |
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| As the northernmost place in Japan, Cape Soya is extremely famous. It commands such a clear view of Sakhalin, a foreign island, off the shore that you feel as if you could reach out and touch it. The vicinity of the cape is scattered with serene fishing villages and neglected monuments, which really make you feel that you are in the most remote place. Ice drifting off the shore, a messenger of winter, is also well worth seeing. |
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