Hokkaido Official Tourism Site HOKKAIDO LOVE!

This is an activity unique to snowy Hokkaido, where you can experience the powerful running of trained dogs. The content differs depending on the facility, from short courses that even small children can experience to full-fledged dog sledding, where you run while communicating with the dogs.

Ice fishing for wakasagi (Japanese pond smelt), which is usually held from mid-January to mid-March throughout Hokkaido, is a popular activity that even beginners can easily enjoy. Playing with wakasagi under the ice and tasting freshly caught fish in tempura or fried dishes is an exceptional experience.

The “empty-handed wakasagi fishing experience” is very popular at Baratogawa River, about 30 minutes by bus from Sapporo Station. Not only fishing equipment, but also tents, boots, and warm clothes are provided, so even beginners can enjoy the experience empty-handed. The wakasagi you catch will be made into hot tempura on the spot!

You can also go “wakasagi fishing” here!

Snowshoeing is a classic activity that allows you to enjoy Hokkaido's wilderness, which is covered with snow. Wearing Western-style snowshoes, you can walk on the snow while enjoying the scenery.

Biei has a strong image of hills decorated with colorful patchwork patterns, but not many people know that the scenery in winter is also beautiful. In the crisp air, the clear blue sky and endless white hills ...... create a world of nothing but blue and white, enveloped in silence. Why don't you put on snowshoes and go see the hills of Biei in winter?

*Snowshoeing in the hills of Biei requires an exclusive guide with special permission. Walking on the hills without permission is prohibited.

You can also “snowshoe” here!

Floating ice is one of Hokkaido's most popular winter attractions, appearing along the Okhotsk coast. You can walk on the drift ice wearing a special suit. This is a unique Okhotsk activity that allows you to experience the spectacular and beautiful drift ice field up close.

One of the best ways to experience Shiretoko's drift ice is to take a drift ice walk offered by SHINRA, a hands-on activity from late January to March where you can walk or lie down on the ice, a truly unique winter activity in Shiretoko. Even those who cannot swim can safely walk on the drift ice, as they wear a suit with integrated boots that provide high heat retention and buoyancy.

You can also have a “drift ice experience” here!

The Notsuke Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido, known as a famous producer of Hokkai striped shrimp, freezes over from mid-January to mid-March, when the weather turns bitterly cold. The “ice plain” appears at the end of the white plain covered with ice and snow. The “Todowara Ice Plain Tour” is very popular here.

The “Todowara Ice Plain Tour” is gaining popularity here. You will have a strange sensation of losing your sense of distance amidst the white snowfield as far as the eye can see in a 360-degree circle. Trick photos using this sense of perspective are very popular on SNS. Experience the fantastic and spectacular view only available in winter.

Jewelry ice can only be seen on the shores of Toyokoro Town during the severe winter season. It is made of ice that froze in the Tokachi River, flowed into the sea, and washed up on the beach. Visitors can witness a fantastic sight of large and small pieces of ice that look like sparkling jewels.

The ice that is washed up on the beach is highly transparent and comes in a variety of shapes. It is called “jewelry ice” because of its mysterious beauty. Samurai Produce offers this Jewelry Ice early morning experience tour (advance reservation required), departing from accommodations near JR Obihiro Station to see these icy gems glistening in the morning sun.

An activity to view the stars in the winter sky of Hokkaido. Please experience this natural planetarium where you can see beautifully shining stars in the clear air of the frigid season.

The Tokachi area in Hokkaido is characterized by vast plains and magnificent skies. Here, you can enjoy delicious sweets and drinks while gazing at the beautiful starry sky at the “Soratabi Cafe” provided by SAMURAI PRODUCE. In Tokachi, where the weather is so clear that it is known as the “Tokachi fine weather,” spend a special time gazing at the starry sky as if it were falling.

You can also take a “star tour/night walk” here!

Shikaribetsuko Kotan is a phantom village that appears in winter on Lake Shikaribetsu in the Tokachi area. The village is popular among tourists as a winter-only event where buildings called igloos made of ice blocks appear on the frozen lake.

The lake is filled with winter experiences that can only be experienced here, such as the famous open-air bath on ice and footbath on ice. The main ice igloo can be enjoyed as a cafe during the day and a bar at night. Fantastic candlelight nights with candles lit in the igloo and concerts in the ice hall are also held on weekends. Visitors can also experience various other winter activities such as ice glass making, cross-country tours, guided walks in the forest, and snowmobiling.

Hot air ballooning is another popular activity in Hokkaido in winter. The land of Hokkaido, covered with white snow, can be viewed from the sky in a hot-air balloon.

From late December to late March, the Furano Nature Club's hot-air balloon free flights take you on an early-morning aerial walk over the Furano Basin. These are not moored flights tied to the ground with ropes, but rather scenic flights in the sky at altitudes of 100 to 1,000 meters. Licensed pilots read the wind and control the balloon for your peace of mind. You can enjoy an exhilarating flight in the clear air of Furano. Free rental of clothing and boots are available to protect you from the cold (reservation required).

You can also have a “winter hot air balloon experience” here!

In addition to skiing and snowboarding, here are some spots where you can play in the snow to your heart's content. Tube sledding and snowmobiling are just a few of the activities available at Takino Suzuran Hillside Park in Sapporo. One of the most popular activities for tourists from inside and outside of Hokkaido as well as from overseas is tube sledding, which is one of the largest and longest courses in Japan at approximately 200 meters! The speed and power of the doughnut-shaped tube sleigh ride down the slope at a single bound is so fast that once you experience it, you will become addicted to it. Sledding slopes that even small children can play on and ski slopes with gentle slopes where even beginners can enjoy skiing are also popular. Snowshoeing is also a great way to enjoy the snow and nature, such as walking in the wilderness, sledding, diving in fresh snow, and bird-watching.

You can also “play in the snow” here!