Hokkaido is the second largest, northernmost and least developed of Japan's four main islands.
The weather here 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. This is an area of unspoiled nature, where you can ski and snowboard in the winter and hike, cycle and walk from June to September.

The capital city, Sapporo is one of the nation's youngest major cities, is built on a North American style rectangular street system. The city hosted the 1972 Olympic Winter Games making it world famous and today, Sapporo is well known for its ramen, beer, and the annual snow festival held every February.

The downhill slopes of Furano and Biei transform into Lavender fields in July & August. The hot spring resort of Noboribetsu, is surrounded by forested hills and at the Jigokudani or "Hell Valley", you can view (and smell) sulfurous steam vents, streams and ponds.

Hakodate is at the island's southern tip and is best known for the spectacular views to be enjoyed from Mount Hakodate and its delicious, fresh seafood. Visit Onuma Park, with island dotted lakes, only half an hour north of Hakodate and from Sapporo is a nice stop en-route.
Another larger National Park, Daisetsuzan, preserves a densely forested, mountainous area of virtually unspoiled wilderness, which equals more than ten times the size of Osaka City. It is a paradise for hikers, outdoor lovers, deer and brown bears.
Rishirito (Rishiri Island) and Rebunto (Rebun Island) 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 scenery, alpine flowers and small fishing villages.
Rishiri is a round island with the 1721 meter tall Mount Rishiri at its centre. 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.

Shiretoko National Park, located on the Shiretoko Peninsula in eastern Hokkaido, is one of Japan's most beautiful and unspoilt national parks. No roads lead further than about three quarters of the way up the peninsula, and the northern tip can only be viewed from boats or reached on multi day trekking tours.
Home to a variety of wildlife, including brown bears, deer and foxes, in winter, the peninsula's coast along the Sea of Okhotsk becomes one of the northern hemisphere's southernmost regions to see drift ice, and is a Unesco World Heritage site due to the irreplaceable value of the peninsula's ecosystem and biodiversity.