Hokkaido

Hokkaido is the second largest, northernmost and least developed of Japan's four main islands.

Hokkaido's weather is harsh in winter with lots of snowfall, below zero temperatures and frozen seas, while in summer, it does not get as hot and humid as in the other parts of the country.

With its unspoiled nature, Hokkaido attracts many outdoor lovers, including skiers and snowboarders in the colder seasons and hikers, cyclists and campers from June to September.

Jozankei Onsen Travel Guide

Jozankei Onsen is located inside Shikotsu-Toya National Park between the high cliffs of the Toyohira River. The town is only one hour from Sapporo, making it a popular side trip from the city for both residents and tourists. As a result, Jozankei is very developed compared to other, smaller onsen towns in Hokkaido.

The onsen waters of Jozankei were discovered in 1866 and the town now has dozens of ryokan, restaurants and shops catering to hot spring tourists. A small waterfall called Yunotaki, and the public foot baths in town, are also fed by the hot spring water.

Besides being an onsen destination, Jozankei is a popular fall colors destination. Visitors in the fall come to see the brilliantly colored Mount Asahidake to the east of the town, or to view the autumn leaves from the walking trails along Toyahira River. The best time to see the leaves is usually mid October.

Iwato Kannondo is a unique temple in central Jozankei, as most of the temple is located in a cave. Built for road workers who were killed during the construction of a tunnel, the temple's cave is 120 meters long with 33 statues of Kannon (Japanese Buddhist deity of mercy and compassion) placed at intervals along the way.

Rishiri and Rebun

Rishiri Island( 利尻島 ) and Rebun Island ( 礼文島 ) are two small islands near the northern tip of Hokkaido. The islands are part of the Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park and offer beautiful hiking trails, costal sceneries, alpine flowers and small fishing villages.

Rishiri is a round island with the 1721 meter tall Mount Rishiri at its center. Due to its appearance, the dormant volcano is also known as Rishiri-Fuji. Rebun is longer and flatter than Rishiri and most famous for its wealth of alpine flowers found at sea level due to the harsh climate

Rusutsu SkI Resort

Rusutsu Resort is considered one of the best ski resorts in Hokkaido. It has a large ski area that covers three mountains, each having a variety of long runs with a good mix of groomed trails, great powder and tree runs. It is located close to Lake Toya (Toyako) and is just on the other side of Mount Yotei from Niseko.

A large hotel complex sits at the center of the resort, consisting of the highrise Rusutsu Tower, the North and South Wings, the Highland Lodge and several trailside log cabins. A monorail connects the buildings with each other. A few independently run pensions can also be found in the nearby town center of Rusutsu.

Besides skiing, Rusutsu Resort offers numerous other attractions, including restaurants and shops, pool facilities and hot spring baths, as well as places catering to foreigners such as the Cricket Pub sports bar. Summer activities include golf and an amusement park with over 60 attractions and 8 roller coasters.

Sappora Snow Festival

The Sapporo Snow Festival (Sapporo Yuki Matsuri) is held during one week every February in Hokkaido's capital Sapporo. In 2010, the Snow Festival will be held from February 5 through February 11, 2010.

The Sapporo Snow Festival was started in 1950, when high school students built a few snow statues in Odori Park. It has since developed into a large, commercialized event, featuring spectacular snow and ice sculptures and attracting more than two million visitors from Japan and across the world.

The Snow Festival is staged on three sites across Sapporo City: the Odori Site, Susukino Site and Tsudome Site.

The main site is the Odori Site in Sapporo's centrally located 1.5 kilometer long Odori Park. The festival's famous large snow sculptures, some more than 15 meters tall and 25 meters wide, are exhibited there. They are lit up daily until 22:00.

Besides about a dozen large snow sculptures, the Odori Site exhibits more than one hundred smaller snow and ice statues and hosts several concerts and events, many of which use the sculptures as their stage.

A great view over Odori Park can be enjoyed from the Sapporo TV Tower, which stands at the eastern end of the park and is opened from 9:00 to 22:30 during the festival (from 8:30 on the weekend). Admission to the top observatory deck costs 700 Yen per adult.

The Susukino Site, located in and named after Sapporo's largest entertainment district, exhibits about one hundred ice sculptures. Susukino is located only one subway stop south of Odori Park. The ice sculptures are lit up daily until midnight (until 22:00 on the festival's final day).




The less centrally located Tsudome Site is a family oriented site with snow slides, snow rafting, snow golf and more snow sculptures. Inside the dome, there are many food stands and a stage for events. The Tsudome Site replaces the Sato Land Site, which was used in the previous three years.

Sapporo , Hokkaido

Sapporo (札幌市) is the capital of Hokkaido and Japan's fifth largest city. Sapporo is also one of the nation's youngest major cities. In 1857, the city's population stood at just seven people.

In the beginning of the Meiji Period, when the development of Hokkaido was started on a large scale, Sapporo was chosen as the island's administrative center and enlarged according to the advice of foreign specialists. Consequently, Sapporo was built based on a North American style rectangular street system.

Sapporo became world famous in 1972 when the Olympic Winter Games were held there. Today, the city is well known for its ramen, beer, and the annual snow festival held in February.

Noboribetsu , Hot Spring Bath , Hokkaido

Noboribetsu is Hokkaido's most famous hot spring resort, offering as many as eleven different kinds of waters, that are considered among Japan's best and most effective.

The resort town consists of numerous ryokan and hotels with hot spring baths. Several of them open their baths during daytime to non-staying guests for typically 700 to 1500 yen. But the best baths are found at Noboribetsu's oldest hotel, the Daiichi Takimotokan. Established in 1858 and located just below to the Jigokudani, the Takimotokan now consists of more than half a dozen modern buildings and includes one of Japan's finest indoor baths.

Hot Spring Bath

Noboribets-onsen has 11 different kinds of hot springs and you can enjoy 7 hot springs at Dai-ichi Takimotokan. This cannot be seen in any other part of the world, and we also have a hot spring that you can enjoy only at Dai-ichi Takimotokan.

The Beautiful Skin Spa

This contains sulfur and is also one of the best sulfurous springs in Noboribetsu. The particular smell comes from hydrogen sulfide. It will expand blood vessels, improve circulation and control skin. It is thought to ease hardening of arteries, high blood pressure, chronic skin diseases, chronic gynecological diseases and cuts.

The Beauty Spa

This bath contains sodium, calcium and magnesium and a less stimulant alkaline bath. When you take this one, it washes away the sebum, making your skin smooth. It is also good for cuts, burns, chronic skin diseases, neuralgia, and anemia. Since this prevents inflammation and allergies, it is good for nettle rash and atopic dermatitis

The Demon Spa

This bath contains sodium, calcium and chloride and is good for chronic diseases of the digestive organs, gynecological diseases, and recovery from fatigue. It also improves your health, bad circulation and reputedly heals cuts and skin burns.

The Panacea Spa

This acidic bath contains sulfur and iron oxides. This is one of the most remarkable hot springs in Noboribetsu. It is good for skin diseases including athlete's foot, or those caused by germs. It also improves both blood formation and circulation by expanding vessels. This bath can improve symptoms related to rheumatism and the menopause. But since this bath is rather acid, those with sensitive skins should wash with pure hot water when they get out

The Heat Spa

This bath contains sodium, calcium and chloride, and the mineral particles cover the skin surface filling the pores. This is why this bath is called the Warmth Spa, because it is good for rheumatism and those who are sensitive to cold.

The Healing Spa

This sulfate spring, equal in clarity to the famous Karlsbad spa in the Czech republic, famous for years as a bath to heal wounds and paralysis. It is also eases high blood pressure, hardening of the arteries and chronic skin diseases.

The Cure Spa

This bath contains sodium, calcium and chloride, and its water has a gentle quality, good for elderly people and those who are rehabilitating, and also good for rheumatism, incapability in the motor nerves, underdevelopment and menopause. The bath will make your skin smooth.