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Central Hokkaido is filled with a wide
variety of attractions, including Sapporo, a wonderful
and beautiful city with history dating back to the
early days of the development of Hokkaido. Otaru
the canal port city, once thrived as a city of finance;
Shakotan with its beautiful shorelines, hot spring
resorts, and all year round resorts in the Niseko
area and Iwanai area.
Niseko Area - is
renown for its mountain resorts including Grand Hirafu.
A popular powder skiing and snow boarding area. It
is also the home of Mt Yotei, Mt Fuji's twin. Niseko
offers year round activities. Read
more
The Usu Crater - located
in Funka Kinen (Eruption Memorial) Park on Nishinodejima
Island in the Lake Toya Hot Spring Resort, this park,
with its surrounding nature trails, is famous for
viewing the beautiful sun rising.
Otaru - features rows
of old stone warehouses, canals and impressive antique
gas lamps. It is an exotic port town developed during
the Meiji and early Showa eras. It is a major tourist
destination with exquisite glassware shops and a
large shopping complex.
Okurayama Jump Hill -
was used during the 1972 Olympic Winter Games held
in Sapporo. The top of the hill commands a panoramic
view of the city, and the adjoining museum provides
several opportunities to experience simulated winter
sports.
Muroran - offers sightings
of whales and dolphins during the months of May and
June. The rugged shorelines are well worth a visit.
Eniwa - has remnants
of pit dwellings in the Satsumon period and around
300 grave pits in the Jomon period have been excavated
in this area. Among all these finds 35 grave pits
in the ground, which are thought to date back to
the second half of the end Jomon period (about 3,000
years ago) have been discovered. Numerous samples
of lacquer ware items and beads have been discovered
in 35 grave pits and includes combs, bracelets, waist
decorative strings and hair rings.
Mikasa city - is
blessed with an abundance of greenery and pure water.
The area is world renowned for its ammonite fossils,
which are frequently found in the stratum of the
Mesozoic Cretaceous period. Incredibly rare ammonite
fossils that are preserved and on display in the
Municipal Museum of Mikasa. There are plenty of fossils
that are preserved in excellent condition. There
is also an exhibition that includes fossils of large
carnivorous reptiles and various types of historical
documentation. An open-air museum allows one to actually
see a cross-section of earth that is 100 million
years old. Also worth a visit is the Mikasa Railway
Memorial Village & Museum which was created to
preserve the historical and cultural heritage of
the Horonai Railway Line. This is a great place for
the steam train enthusiast to visit.
Yoichi - herring fishing
in Yoichi began in the Edo era. The Yoichi Fishery
Museum
displays the history of herring fishing and the people's way of life in the
old days. The i Space Museum also called the "Space Dome" was opened
in 1998 to commemorate Mamoru Mohri, from Yoichi who boarded the Space Shuttle "Endeavor" as
the first Japanese scientist in September 1992.
Rusutsu Resort - is
situated 79km west of Sapporo and an hour from the
famous Niseko Hirafu. A spectacularly scenic resort
it caters to all levels of skier and boarders.
There is plenty of other activities apart from world class skiing including
dog sledding, snowmobiling, snow rafting and tubing.
Sapporo - is Japan's
third largest city and offers great shopping opportunities
in large malls that travel both above and below ground.
Snow and Ice Festival
The Sapporo Snow Festival held in early February is one of the most famous
events in Japan. Winter in Hokkaido is represented by this snow festival.
Several hundreds of snow statues of various sizes are displayed at Odori
Park, concerts and other events are held during the festival. At night time
the snow and ice statues are illuminated at night to create a dreamy world.
Lilac Festival
Late May sees the blooming of Sapporo's official tree, the lilac, and Odori
Park awakes from the long winter with a variety of lilac-related attractions
at the Lilac festival.
Beer Festival
The beer festival transforms Odori Park into a beer drinker's paradise for
two weeks in summer as major domestic breweries, foreign makers, and local
micro-breweries set up beer gardens in central Sapporo
There are also many small local village
festivals which praise everything from the bountiful
squid harvest to religious festivals.
Shin-Chitose Airport is 1 hour 30 minutes
from Tokyo Haneda Airport, and 2 hours 10 minutes
from Osaka Itami Airport. Around 17 hours by sleeping
car from Tokyo to Sapporo.
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