The Shimokita Peninsula (下北半島 Shimokita-hantō) is the remote northeastern cape of the Japanese island of Honshu, stretching out towards Hokkaido.Shaped like an axe pointing west, the peninsula has a thin “axe handle” connecting the mountainous “axe blade” to mainland. The coasts maintain a thin scattering of population but the interior is as remote a region as you can find in Japan. The largest population center is the drab town of Mutsu.

No matter how you look at it, Shimokita is a long way from anywhere.
By air

The closest airports are in Misawa and Aomori; from there you’ll have to take a train or bus. Misawa has direct service to Tokyo and Osaka; Aomori also has direct service to Nagoya and Fukuoka.
By ferry

Higashi-Nihon Ferry offers service from Hakodate on Hokkaido to Oma at the northwestern tip of the peninsula. There are between two and four services per day, depending on the season. Drivers and bikers are encouraged to make reservations in advance, especially in high season.

Shimokita Kisen offers service from Wakinosawa to Kanita, crossing Mutsu Bay.
[edit] By train

The JR Ominato Line from Noheji (on the Tohoku main line) travels up the axe handle to Mutsu. Direct Shimokita rapid service trains are available from Aomori and Hachinohe (the latter being the northern terminus of the Tohoku Shinkansen line from Tokyo). The private Shimokita Kotsu Railway stopped running in 2001.
By bus

Direct buses run from Tokyo to Mutsu, taking over 10 hours in the process.

A little video downtown Shimokita:

Mount Yotei

Niseko (ニセコ町, Niseko-chō?) is a town located in Abuta District, Shiribeshi, Hokkaidō, Japan. Although in Japanese, Niseko principally refers to a municipal area, overseas, the name has come to refer to a wider area of ski resorts encompassing Hokkiado’s Mount Yōtei and Annupuri ranges. It is one of the most famous ski resorts in Japan known for it’s powder light snow and spectacular mountainous outback.

Niseko is comprised of seven ski areas, in order of size:

* Niseko Mt. Resort Grand Hirafu, centered around the village of Hirafu is perhaps the best known field but is actually part of the neighbouring Kutchan township.
* Niseko Higashiyama is the less popular neighbor of Hirafu but has the best front valley skiing.
* Niseko Annupuri is hit with the strongest winds and worst weather in the area, causing occasional closures.
* Niseko Hanazono
* Niseko Moiwa
* Niseko Weiss

Niseko also has back-country ski-courses that are unofficially on the maps. To the furthest right of Annupuri lies Sannozaka, an area prone to avalanche but with high quality snow. To the far right of Hirafu lies Higashi One, also prone to avalanche but with a challenging back-country terrain. Near the lower half of Hirafu is a forest route called Strawbery Fields, which is perhaps the most famous run in Hirafu. Climbing Mount Yōtei also provides back country skiing.

Hirafu is the perhaps the most foreigner-friendly resort thanks to the many Australian skiers and snowboarders who have been frequenting their slopes. The town is like a western town within Japan where all menus are in English and imported food items are in abundance.

Because of its northern location, Niseko is fed by weather streams that come from Siberia rather than from Eastern Japan. The resort experiences a consistently high and light snowfall. The snow is not as dry as other areas in Hokkaidō, but the volume is high, with the average snow depth in March reaching 351cm.

Niseko was named as the world’s second snowiest resort in December 2007 with annual average snow fall of 595 inches (15.11 metres)/ First place went to the Mt Baker Ski Area in Washington State with 641 inches.

Niseko resort

I would liken this place to the Alcatraz Island in San Francisco where it’s main attraction is a prison museum. The Abashiri Prison a Meiji-era facility used for the incarceration of political prisoners. The old prison has been turned into a museum, but the city’s new maximum security prison is still in use. It is an important local port city and railroad terminal. This little city has some mini attractions that will make the trip worth your while. Since the area is a fishing port, you can expect to find some of the freshest catch, in particular crab. Gastronomically, Abashiri would be a great place to have seafood.

Also, like every city in Hokkaido, Abashiri has it’s own brewery that churns out bottles of Abashiri Beer. You can take a tour in the brewery and do some beer sampling.

There are two other museums around the city to check out Museum of Northern Peoples (北方民族博物館 Hoppō minzoku hakubutsukan) and Museum of Northern Peoples (北方民族博物館 Hoppō minzoku hakubutsukan). The latter is a museum devoted to pack ice, a strangely devoted skill which is oddly a subject of fascination for the Japanese.

To get to Abashiri, here are some options:

By plane
The nearest airport is Memanbetsu, 16 km south of Abashiri. Buses connect to/from the JR station before and after flights (25 minutes, ¥720).

By train
Abashiri is the terminus/junction of the JR Sekihoku Line (石北本線) from Asahikawa and the Senmo Line (釧網本線) to Kushiro via the Akan National Park.
Okhotsk Limited Express trains run from Sapporo to Abashiri. There are four daily departures, reaching Abashiri in 5 1/2 hours at a cost of ¥9440 each way. There is no charge for the service with the Japan Rail Pass.

By bus
Night buses from Sapporo (around ¥8000) are the cheapest way to get to Abashiri. Buses arrive and depart from Abashiri Bus Terminal, a short walk east from the JR Abashiri station.

Akan National Park (阿寒国立公園, Akan Kokuritsu Kōen) is a national park located on the island of Hokkaidō, Japan. Akan is a volcanic area with craters spread throughout the forest. The park is famous for its crystal clear lakes, its hot springs, and its large marimo - a type of algae that takes the shape of a ball, which only grow in the northern hemisphere. It is the only place where marimo of appreciable size are formed naturally in Japan.

There are many places in Japan that are beautiful, but none more beautiful than the wonders of nature.

Okurayama

When in Sapporo, you need to visit the Okurayama Observatory. This former Olympic ski jump stadium is about 90 Meters high and opens during winter time for the public. When the ski jump is not in used, you can go up via cable car on top of the ski jump for a spectacular view of Sapporo. Definitely a must visit.

Mount Moiwa
Another place to visit for a great view of Sapporo is Mount Moiwa. Go at night and you’ll see how beautiful the landscape of a city is from a bird’s eye view.

Pictures of the old buildings
Not too far off is the Historic Village of Hokkaido (kaitaku no mura). Basically, this tiny town is like an open air museum that features 60 buildings on a time continuum from Meiji to the Taisho periods.

The Historic Village of Hokkaido is located in the Nopporo Forest Park (Shinrin Koen) outside of Sapporo. From Sapporo Station, take a local train on the JR Hakodate Line to Shinrin Koen Station (about 15 minutes) from where the museum is a 5 minute bus ride or 15-20 minute walk.

Sapporo Botanic Garden
Botanical gardens is a popular place to visit whenever there is nothing else to see and in Sapporo, the Botanic Garden owned by the Hokkaido University is one such place. Although it’s not like the other gardens/parks around Japan, it’s still filled with greeneries and is pleasant. You can take a picnic in the area but because it’s privately owned you’d need to pay a small admissions fee. They have a cool green house that is open during the winter times when the rest of the garden is close.

Susukino
Nightlife in Japan is always something to shout about. And in Sapporo, the place you want to get to for a nice time with your buds would be at Susukino. It’s known to be the largest night district in the North of Tokyo. The place is literally packed with bars, clubs, shops, restaurants and karaoke joints. Oh and around the corner of Susukino, there is a little lane callen Ramen Yochoko where there is noting but sleets of ramen stalls selling the famous Sapporo Ramen.

Shiroi Koibito Cookies
You’ll also need to visit Shiroi Koibito Park; a kind of theme park owned by the Ishiya Chocolate company. This place reminds me of Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory. Do remember to get their well known souvenir which a type of cookie that is sandwich with a slice of thin white chocolate filling. I heard they are out of this world. I heard.

Within Sapporo there are some pretty interesting spots to check out when you’re there. The Sapporo Beer Museum is one of them as I have posted about it previously. But there are also other places hidden in nooks and corners for Sapporo like the Odori Park, Clock Tower (which incidentally is the symbol of Sapporo), and Nijo Market.

Let’s check out these three places around Sapporo.

Odori Park
Odori park lies in the center of Sapporo. It kinda reminds me of Central Park in US, a nice big patch of greenery in the midst of a bustling city. The park stretches 12 block and is the venue for the Sapporo Snow Festival during February, where you can see lots of ice carvings and frosty displays.

Tokeidai
The clock tower, or Tokeidai, is the symbol of Sapporo. It building was erected in 1878 and in 1881, a US made clock was added to the architecture. The clock tower is today a museum and is an important cultural property in Japan.

Nijo Market

Now, Nijo Market is definitely a spot for the gastronomically interested. You can find the freshest salmon roes, sea urchins and whatever seafood you want at Nijo Market. This hotspot if a place for both tourist and locals to shop. One of the attractions of Nijo market is having a seafood breakfast to start your day. And by golly, you WILL have the FRESHEST seafood served up to you, with all the choices for you to pick from.

The market opens from 7am to 6pm all week. :)

Shiretoko National Park are one of the few remaining unspoiled natural reserves in the world. It is under UNESCO World Heritage Site and it is definitely a must see. It’s not for those who are not into nature stuff though because you cannot drive through the park for most part of it. Lot’s of trekking will have to be done to be able to take in the beauty of the park.

The peninsula is home to a variety of wildlife such as bears, foxes and deers. And because Shiretoko is in Hokkaido, the northern most part of Japan, Shiretoko is the only place where you can see drift ice. Which is a sea of ice drifting. It’s is not the usual sight you get to see around normally.

One of the major attractions of Shiretoko park aside from it being a world heritage is the Kamuiwakka Fall - a hot spring waterfall. n order to reach the waterfall, bathers first have to hike up a warm mountain stream for about 20-30 minutes, wading through the water and climbing minor waterfalls. Once you reach the top, you can take a hot spring bath in the natural basin at the base of the waterfall. Unlike in most other Japanese hot springs, people use swimming suits.

How to get to Shiretoko?
Read this link.

Source: Japan Guide

Click Hokkaido to learn more about it.

Rishiri’s view from Rebun

Rishiri and Rebun are islands situated at the northern most tip of Japan. Just off the tip of northern Hokkaido.

Rishiri Island
Rishiri Island a remote island about 20 kilometres off the island of Japan and has a circumference of 60kilometres. What it lacks in size is made up for a spectacular view of its scenery. In the middle of the island is Mount Rishiri, a dormant volcano. Together with its neighbouring island Rebun, Rishiri belongs to the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park. Many of the island’s 6000 inhabitants are making a living from tourism and fishing.

Rebun Island
Visiting these islands is a sure way of interacting with nature. Visitors who come here hike, camp, fish and mountain climb. These islands are popular during the summer months when the weather is not too hot and nature basically takes your for a walk. It is absolutely beautiful.

How do you get to Reshiri and Rebun Island?
Takes an airplane to Sapporo and then drive your way to the port to take the ferry to either of these islands.

Higashi Nihonkai Ferry operates the following ferry routes:

* Wakkanai - Rishiri (Oshidomari Port)
100 minutes, 1980 Yen, 2-4 round trips per day
* Wakkanai - Rebun (Kafuka Port)
115 minutes, 2200 Yen, 2-4 round trips per day
* Rishiri (Oshidomari Port) - Rebun (Kafuka Port)
40 minutes, 780 Yen, 1-2 round trips per day
* Rishiri (Kutsugata Port) - Rebun (Kafuka Port)
40 minutes, 780 Yen, 2 round trips per day in summer only

Bringing a car from Wakkanai to Rishiri or Rebun by ferry costs around 17,000 to 18,000 Yen one way. Between Rishiri and Rebun the cost is about 6000 Yen. Reservations for cars should be made at least one day in advance.

Wakkanai can be reached from Sapporo by train (5.5 hours, 10,000 Yen), airplane (1 hour, 10,000 to 20,000 Yen) or highway bus (6 hours, 5500 Yen) and from Tokyo by airplane (2 hours, 15,000 to 40,000 Yen).

To read more about how to get there click HERE.

Source: Japan Guide

Click on Hokkaido for more about its travelling info. :)

Noboribetsu is Hokkaido’s most famous hot spring resort. It is a city located in Iburi, Hokkaidō, Japan. Part of Shikotsu-Toya National Park, it is located SW of Sapporo, W of Tomakomai and NNE of Hakodate.

The mountains dominate the west and north while the plains dominate around five km within the coastline. There are three towns along the Pacific Ocean: from northeast to southwest, Noboribetsu, Horobetsu and Washibetsu. These betsu are derived from river in the Ainu language. Noboribetsu is on the Noboribetsu River. Horobetsu and Washibetsu are on the Iburi-horobetsu River and the Washibetsu River respectively.

The city office is located in Horobetsu. The town of Noboribetsu is located at the mouth of the Noboribetsu river and is therefore a much narrower area.

Six km inland from this is the smaller town of Noboribetsu-onsen (Noboribetsu hot-spring). Enjoying many hot springs of varying ingredients, Noboribetsu-onsen is one of many well-known resorts in Japan and the largest “hot spring town” in Hokkaidō.

Other attractions - bear park

Noboribetsu Town as a municipality was born in 1961 by renaming the former Horobetsu Town. It was given city status on August 1, 1970.

So, what can you expect to find in Noboribetsu? Well, hot springs is it’s major attraction. There are two types of hot springs - one is the volcanic activity called Jigokudani or Hell Valley in English. You will find hot steam vents, sulfurous streams and other volcanic activities there. The name is very aptly named for the valley. I don’t think I want to be there during summer..it must be really hot up there.

Another hot spring place in Noborrbetsu that is most suitable for public use is the one at the resort. The resort’s oldest hotel is the Daiichi Takimotokan, standing next to the Jigokudani. Established in 1858, it now consists of more than half a dozen modern buildings and includes Noboribetsu’s finest baths.

Accessible to hotel guests around the clock (for free) and to everybody else between 9:00 and 17:00 (for 2000 Yen), the Takimotokan’s bathing facilities feature seven kinds of hot spring waters in numerous baths, pools, rotenburo (”outdoor baths”), waterfalls and jacuzzis.

How to get to Noboribetsu?
You can check out this SITE. And it will tell you how you can get to and around Noboribetsu.

Source: wikipedia; Japan Guide

Other traveling Hokkaido posts on 3Yen.