Singapore Hokkaido Ramen

Hokkaido is colder than the rest of Japan, and the merciful lack of Japan’s muggy summers and monsoon season makes it a very popular domestic destination between May and August. In the winter season, Hokkaido’s central mountains boast some of the best powder in the world and its numerous ski resorts attract millions of domestic and international skiers and snowboarders in winter. Spring and autumn, on the other hand, tend to be cold and wet, and are very much the off season for tourists. As of April 2010update, Hokkaidō has nine General Subprefectural Bureaus (総合振興局) and five Subprefectural Bureaus (振興局).

It is available only to foreigners visiting Japan with a “Temporary Visitor” status in their passports. You can choose between the Ordinary Car pass as well as a first class seat type called a Green Car Pass. Unlike the regular full JR Pass, the JR Hokkaido Pass may be purchased once in Japan.

How cold is Hokkaido in winter?

1. Typically coinciding with the Sapporo Snow Festival, it allows travelers in Hokkaido to experience both festivals in one trip.
2. The economic development of Hokkaido includes iron, steel, wood pulp, dairy, and fishing industries.
3. Rice, soy and kidney beans, oats, barley, hay, and white potatoes are important crops.
4. Sapporo, in the southwest on the Ishikari River, is the administrative headquarters.

Hokkaido is vast, so allow plenty of time to get around and don’t try to do too much if your time is limited. Many Japanese maps show Hokkaido with a larger scale than the rest of the country, which may make distances appear deceptively small. Ferries are most popular among people bringing their own cars to Hokkaido. Since the Seishun 18 Ticket does not allow travel using bullet trains, users who want to go to Hokkaido from Honshu must purchase a separate option ticket for ¥2300. The special ticket allows trips in any available standard class seat on Hokkaido Shinkansen trains between Okutsugaru-Imabetsu (the last bullet train stop in Honshu) and Kikonai (the first such stop on Hokkaido). It also covers travel on the private Isaribi Line between Kikonai and Goryokaku, where the rest of the local JR network can be accessed.

For 2024, the season is warmer than expected, so winter in Hokkaido starts from mid-December 2024 to mid-March 2025. For more winter wonders, learn about the best things to do for winter in Japan, try out winter in Tokyo (along with some heartwarming foods), and visit Japan’s best winter landscapes. In Abashiri and Monbetsu, you’ll sail on powerful icebreakers that navigate through the ice.

ALL HOKKAIDO RESTAURANTS

1. Also there are many beautiful back roads to get you where you want to go.
2. The historical suffix 道 (-dō) translates to “prefecture” in English, ambiguously the same as 府 (-fu) for Osaka and Kyoto, and 県 (-ken) for the rest of the “prefectures”.
3. Now the largest winter event in Sapporo, it attracts over two million visitors annually.
4. None of the structures of any chashi remain, but Nemuro has the highest concentration of chashi ruins.
5. There are only eight lineages in the world.54 Those on Honshu died out long ago.
6. Matsumae Castle in Matsumae is Hokkaido’s only Japanese-style castle with a donjon.

The terminal station in Hokkaido for the shinkansen is Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station (新函館北斗). From here, travelers can take a 15- to 20-minute shuttle train ride down to the center of Hakodate city, or take a limited express train up to Sapporo. In addition, there are a few international flights (mostly from Seoul and Taipei) to Asahikawa and Hakodate.

Hokkaido to introduce lodging tax of up to 500 yen a night from 2026

Beware of black ice, leave yourself plenty of distance to brake and budget extra time to cover long distances. The main regional carriers are JAL subsidiary Hokkaido Air Commuter and ANA. Hokkaido was for millennia the home of the Emishi people, whose descendants are today’s Ainu.

Hokkaidō is one of eight prefectures in Japan that have subprefectures (支庁 shichō). However, it is the only one of the eight to have such offices covering the whole of its territory outside the main cities (rather than having them just for outlying islands or remote areas). This is mostly because of its great size; many parts of the prefecture are simply too far away to be effectively administered by Sapporo. Subprefectural offices in Hokkaidō carry out many of the duties that prefectural offices fulfill elsewhere in Japan. By far the most convenient way of getting around sparsely populated Hokkaido is by renting a car. This is especially so when visiting some of the national parks or onsen resorts.

Hokkaido Core has partnered with Explore Niseko to deliver a seamless booking experience and provide our guests with more access and lots of additional value. Starting with Tokyo in 2002, accommodation taxes have already been introduced in Osaka and Fukuoka prefectures and municipalities including Kanazawa and Kyoto. Among the municipalities in Hokkaido, Sapporo will request 200 yen a night for a room charge of less than 50,000 yen and 500 hokkaidu yen for fees more than 50,000 yen. This would mean a hotel guest with a 50,000 yen room charge would have to pay 1,000 yen in lodging tax. The imposition of a lodging tax is expected to generate around 4.5 billion yen for the Hokkaido government.

During this season, top ski resorts prepare their piste with groomed trails, and snowboarders and skiers from around the globe come to experience its world-class snow. Hokkaido, Japan’s northernmost and largest prefecture, turns into one of the coldest places in the country during the winter, as snowflakes blanket the ground in a thick, powdery coat and the temperature dips to sub-zero. A cheaper if slower and less comfortable option than the train is using buses, which also cover all the areas not accessible by train. Sleeper services radiate from Sapporo to most corners of the island.

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If you’re new to skiing, we recommend hitting the slopes in December before Christmas to avoid crowds and enjoy lower accommodation prices, with resorts like Niseko, Furano and Rusutsu opening mid-December. In Hokkai, a famous shabu-shabu branch, you can enjoy lamb as a hot pot, as well as other delicacies like snow crab legs and seafood tempura. Compared to Honshu, where it can take 4-5 hours to reach ski resorts from Narita or Haneda Airports, Hokkaido is much more traveler-friendly with its efficient access. Whether you’re seeking adventure or serene beauty from the illuminated snow festivals and “Jewelry Ice,” our 2024 guide to winter in Hokkaido has everything you need to make the most of the season. Within Japan, ANA and JAL have the most flights, however the least expensive flights are through low cost carriers like Jet Star, Vanilla Air, and Peach. ANA’s Experience Japan Fare, made for tourists, is also a cost effective air fare to quickly reach several of Hokkaido’s cities.

Nothing screams warmth and comfort like Hokkaido’s Ishikari nabe, a hearty hot pot dish made with salmon, vegetables and miso broth. Each area has its own variety, but Sapporo miso ramen is the most famous, with its rich, hearty broth, butter and sweet corn. Wakkanai, Hokkaido’s northernmost city, is renowned as the top location for catching this prized delicacy. To experience Hokkaido’s natural beauty and relax in hot springs, stay in an onsen town like Noboribetsu or Jozankei. For footwear, choose non-slip, snow-proof shoes to help maintain stability on icy paths. If visiting toward the end of winter, when the snow starts to melt, waterproof shoes will keep slush from getting in.