Daisetsu Area – Nature and Snowshoeing 5-Day Tour

In the evening, we will meet at Asahikawa Station. After checking in at the hotel in the center of Asahikawa, we will walk for a nearby restaurant. During the dinner, we will have a brief meeting about our upcoming 5 days of adventure.

Accommodation

Y’s Hotel Asahikawa / Large public bath

Included meals

Dinner at a local restaurant

We will start this adventure tour from Kawamura Kaneto Ainu Memorial Museum in Asahikawa. Established in 1916, it is the oldest Ainu museum of Japan. Sitting in “Cise”, a traditional Ainu house, we will listen to the owner of the museum, an Ainu descendant of the Kamikawa family, tell us stories of the Kamikawa Ainu. We will learn about the culture and traditions of the Ainu, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. It is an opportunity to deepen our understanding of our upcoming trip such at Mt.Asahidake and Mt.Arashiyama.

After lunch in Toma, a local guide will lead us to the darkness of an ancient limestone cave. Equipped with headlights, we will explore this mysterious space that has been formed during the Jurassic period, 180 million years ago. We will learn about the discovering of this cave and the slow natural process of its formation.

After explore local limestone cave, we will drive up to Asahidake Onsen in the Daisetsuzan National Park, the largest national park in Japan. Asahidake Onsen is one of the popular Onsen resort. Relax and enjoy the Onsen stay.

Accommodation

Yumoto Yukomanso / Onsen spa

Included meals

Breakfast at Hotel, Lunch, Dinner at Onsen Ryokan (Japanese Kaiseki)

After enjoying a homemade Japanese style breakfast at ryokan, we will ride a cable car to Sugatami Station (1,600m / 5,294ft above sea level) on the foothills of Mt. Asahidake. We will put on our snowshoes and start hiking to the fumaroles. Mt. Asahidake, located in the National Park, is an active volcano that is said to have been formed about one million year ago. During the snow season, steam rises from several fumaroles, and we will truly feel the Earth activity !

We will taste Ezo-deer meat at a local restaurant in Higashikawa, running by a hunter. She will share with us the current situation regarding the increasing number of deer being an issue for agriculture and we will have the opportunity to think about the ecosystem of Hokkaido.

Then, we will travel to the nearby town, Biei, known for its beautiful patchwork hills and blue pond. In winter, we will be surrounded by a pure white landscape covered with snow. We will visit a local museum to learn about how local people have lived in harmony with volcanos. In the evening, we will stay at the small Shirogane Onsen, in the south of the Daisetsuzan National Park. At night, we will enjoy the illumination of Shirahige Waterfall.

Accommodation

Daisetsuzan Shirogane Kanko Hotel / Onsen Spa

Included meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner in Hotel

This morning, we will put on our snowshoes and walk to the Biei River through the lovely forest of birch and spruce that surrounds Shirogane Onsen. Biei River is famous for its beautiful blue color. It is said that water flowing from the Tokachi mountain range has a lot of sulfur in it, which give it this amazing cobalt color. We will enjoy a beautiful landscape with the contrast between the white snow and the blue river. After being healed by the beautiful nature, we will have lunch at a local restaurant in Biei before traveling back to Asahikawa.

In the late evening, we will enjoy last dinner at a local restaurant in the center of Asahikawa to celebrate the completion of our tour in advance.

Accommodation

Hotel WBF Grande Asahikawa / Onsen Spa

Included meals

Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner in a local restaurant

The last activity of our trip is snowshoeing tour at Mt. Arashiyama, located in the downtown of Asahikawa. Mt. Arashiyama was once a sacred place that connected humans with the gods, which the Kamikawa Ainu worshipped as “Chi-nomi-siri” (We, Pray, Mountain). At the summit (254m/830ft), we will enjoy a panoramic view of Asahikawa city.

After going down the mountain, the tour will wrap up at Asahikawa Station. From there, we can either take a train to Sapporo or the airport shuttle bus to Asahikawa Airport.

Included meals

Breakfast