Northern Hokkaido

The northern part of Hokkaido, made up of Kamikawa, Rumoi and Soya, with the flower fields of Biei and Furano, Asahikawa and the Daisetsuzan mountains, and Cape Soya in the far north along with Rishiri and Rebun.

This region corresponds to Hokkaido's Dohoku area, i.e. the jurisdictions of the Kamikawa and Rumoi General Subprefectures and the Soya General Subprefecture. It includes Asahikawa, Biei, Furano, Kamikawa, Rumoi, Wakkanai, and the islands of Rishiri and Rebun. Under the official boundaries, Biei, Furano and Asahikawa belong administratively to Kamikawa and are therefore part of Dohoku; many Chinese-language guides count them as central Hokkaido, but no exception is made here.

Highlights: in Biei, the Patchwork Road, Shikisai-no-Oka and the Blue Pond; the lavender fields of Farm Tomita in Furano; Asahiyama Zoo and Asahikawa ramen in Asahikawa; Daisetsuzan National Park, Japan's largest national park, where the Asahidake Ropeway offers alpine plants and early autumn color, and Sounkyo has a gorge, waterfalls and hot springs; Cape Soya, the northernmost point of mainland Japan, and Wakkanai, from where Sakhalin can be seen on a clear day; Mt. Rishiri and the flower-covered Rebun Island, and the Sarobetsu wetlands; and the old streets of Mashike and the sunset coast along Rumoi.

Classic itinerary: in summer, 2–3 days from Sapporo covering Biei–Furano–Asahikawa; add 1–2 days for Asahidake and Sounkyo; go north to Wakkanai and take a ferry to Rishiri and Rebun for 3–4 days; about 6–8 days for the whole region. In winter, the Sounkyo Ice Waterfall Festival near Asahikawa is also popular.

Getting around: Asahikawa Airport is about 20 minutes by car from Biei, and there are also airports at Wakkanai and Rishiri. The JR limited express from Sapporo to Asahikawa takes about 1.5 hours, and the Soya Main Line continues to Wakkanai; in summer there is a seasonal slow train to Furano and Biei. Ferries run from Wakkanai Port to Rishiri and Rebun.

Good to know: the region is vast and sights are spread out, so driving is recommended in the flower-field areas; do not enter private farmland to take photos; and temperatures of −20 to −30°C in winter are not unusual.

Destinations

Itineraries