Area Information

Winter Season

Winter in eastern Hokkaido is about drift ice. Once you get on the icebreaker ship, the magnificent nature of severe winter overwhelms you. If the conditions meet in a fine & cold morning, you may be able to see natural phenomena such as diamond dust or sun pillars. Furano Ski Resort, Mt. Asahidake, and Mt. Kurodake are popular ski resorts all skiers long for. Many tourists say, "Go to cold places when it is cold." Winter can be the time for you to experience the best of eastern Hokkaido.

Recommended Winter Attractions in Eastern Hokkaido

  • Ice Breaker Garinko Ⅱ

    Ice Breaker Garinko Ⅱ

    • Mombetsu

    • Ice Breaker Garinko Ⅱ drills through the drift ice of the Sea of Okhotsk. Ice Breaker Garinko Ⅲ is going into service in 2021.

    Official site
  • Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Ship Aurora

    Abashiri Drift Ice Sightseeing & Icebreaker Ship Aurora

    • Abashiri

    • Sailing out from Abashiri, it’s a favored cruising ship that you can observe the drift ice in the Sea of Okhotsk.

    Official site
  • Shiretoko Drift Ice Walk

    Shiretoko Drift Ice Walk

    • Shiretoko

    • Offered in severe winter time only, it is a quite special experience to walk on drift ice with a diving dry suit.

    Official site
  • Shiretoko Ryuhyou-yoku (Drift Ice Relaxation)

    Shiretoko Ryuhyou-yoku (Drift Ice Relaxation)

    • Shiretoko

    • Wrap yourself in a sleeping bag by the coast of Shiretoko and see the floating drift ice. It’s a do-nothing activity.

    Official site
  • Betsukai Hyoheisen (Ice Horizon)

    Betsukai Hyoheisen (Ice Horizon)

    • Betsukai

    • The surface of the vast sea gets frozen for a limited period of time in winter. You can walk on this boundless land of ice.

    Official site
  • Shiretoko Goko Lakes Walking in a Severe Winter

    Shiretoko Goko Lakes Walking in a Severe Winter

    • Shiretoko

    • Wearing snowshoes, walk into Shiretoko Goko Lakes area where no visitor is allowed without a guide.

    Official site
  • Lake Akan's Frost Flower

    Lake Akan’s Frost Flower

    • Lake Akan

    • Frost Flowers - ice flowers which blooms on the frozen surface of the lake only in a cold morning of middle winter.

    Official site
  • Jewelry Ice

    Jewelry Ice

    • Tokachi

    • It’s a natural ice art created by blocks of ice which flow from Tokachi River and glisten reflecting the sunlight on the beach.

    Official site
  • Lake Shikaribetsu Kotan

    Lake Shikaribetsu Kotan

    • Tokachi

    • An ice village that appears only on the frozen surface of Lake Shikaribetsu, which is the highest elevation lake in Hokkaido. The open-air bath on ice is the most popular attraction.

    Official site
  • Kushiro River Canoeing in Winter

    Kushiro River Canoeing in Winter

    • Kushiro

    • In the world of frost fog, canoeing down the fantastic Kushiro River is an experience offered in this period of time only.

    Official site
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