Japan is that part of Asia that’s being added on to more people’s travel bucket lists year on year. I’ve been intrigued with the idea of visiting this popular business and tourist hub for a couple of years now; so, it was my pleasure to say yes to Singapore Airlines when they invited me to be a part of this six-day-long trip. Unlike the mainstream options, we opted to Fly Scoot, their sister airline and head to Sapporo in Hokkaido, with a quick pit-stop in Taipei from Singapore. I spent my days in Hokkaido exploring one city each day, and today I’m giving you a detailed breakdown of what you absolutely must not miss! I hope you find this list helpful if you’re looking to visit any time soon. By Aanam Chashmawala
All Things Floral
This northern state of Japan is known for its Lavender expanse. So, being here meant visiting some floral fields for sure. Furano’s Tomita Farms is really famous for its flower fields. It transforms beautifully into a snow-clad patch in the winters, but that’s something you would never guess off the bat! When you do visit this place, be sure to have their native Lavender Ice Cream too – it’s locally produced and signature to the region.
If you’re really into the flower fields, the Shiki Sai area could probably be added to your itinerary as well. This location has more to do around the area with a little organic market that’s just at the entrance of it.
Asian Temples
Asian temples are a beauty of their own kind. I love how each temple has traditions truly unique to itself, and even across different cities, you get to see a vast difference in how their individual faiths are practised. Hokkaido Shrine is one such place for me that kept a little piece of my heart behind. Maintained beautifully and with utmost care, being a tourist here was equal parts of being fascinated by the rituals of the locals, while equal parts of making sure you didn’t offend anyone with photos inside the temple.
Mount Okura
Mount Okura is an absolute delight! Located atop a little hill, this was the venue for the Winter Olympics in 1972. If you’re lucky, you might get the chance to see a few athletes practising (we did!). You should absolutely make sure of going right to the top of the hill in the open cable cars to take in the view of Sapporo – it’s so stunning!
River Biei
If you fancy water bodies, River Biei is something you should definitely include as well. Not too far from the Tomita Farms in Furano, the ground properties make the water here completely blue. It’s known for the rich minerals it carries from the soil of the area. I suggest you make your trip here first thing in the morning if you want to avoid the crowd.
Tip: Follow the stream on foot through the path for as long as you can. It’s a beautiful sight to see the mouth of the river, which is less populated by the tourists. Plus, you can hike around here too!
Another popular area is the Otaru. With its very modern-day-meets-doll-house architecture, this is a place that truly left me longing for more. If you are a sushi enthusiast – be sure to note that this city has some of the nicest Conveyor Belt sushi restaurants in Japan! This was one of the most fun dining experiences I’ve had!
One main tip I’m going to give you about visiting this side of Japan is: station yourself in Sapporo. Picking a hotel in the middle of all the cities, that too a more exposed city compared to other parts of Hokkaido (which are much less diverse or populated by tourists as compared to the more commercially acclaimed places like Osaka, Tokyo and Kyoto) was the best travel move we made on this trip. Moving hotels each day is never convenient, so look up a safer option right at the beginning, from where you can pick an area each day to hop into. Travel is relatively expensive in Japan (as compared to India), so make sure you do some research on that front as well. We opted for a private car booked through the days, but there are several public transport options and regular use passes out there for you to pick from as well.
Got any questions? DM me! I’m on Instagram @aanamc
Related: Here’s Why You Should Explore The Wintry Delights Of Hokkaido In Japan!
