5 Reasons to Visit Hokkaido, Japan Outside Of Ski Season

‘Reasons to visit Japan outside of ski season’ isn’t an argument I’m used to making. I’ve been to Japan six times, skied at more than 12 different resorts across the country, and spent a combined nine months in Hokkaido, but every trip had one thing in common… I went during winter.

So, I recently jumped at the chance to spend a week in Hokkaido in September, when the ancient forests were still bright green, the temperature was in the mid-20s and the entire local population wasn’t engaged in shovelling snow. This timing confused a lot of friends and family who all said something along the lines of, ‘I didn’t realise it was snowing there already’.

Hokkaido is the prefecture that covers the entire north island of Japan which is slightly larger than Tasmania. While it’s famous for its deep and dry powder snow, Hokkaido also has a diverse geography filled with hot springs, forests, mountains, and an endless coastline, all of which present a range of adventure opportunities.

As a journalist there to write about such activities, there was no shortage of people wanting to show off what Hokkaido had to offer. However, it was some of the least suspecting conversations that convinced me of Hokkaido’s outdoor charm.

My favourite was with Noriko Shiokawa, the General Manager of the Royal Park Canvas Sapporo Odori Park I stayed at in Sapporo on my first night.

After the customary exchanging of business cards (of which I had none), Ms Shiokawa informed me I wouldn’t see her again as she was taking the following day off to go outdoor rock climbing in Otaru, a seaside town about an hour away.

While I wasn’t able to join in, here’s a snapshot of just a few other experiences you can enjoy in Hokkaido without snow.

1. Bike Riding — Rusutsu Resort to Lake Toya

Rusutsu resort is famous for a lot of things. Its deep snow, its picture-book fun park, the talking animatronic tree in its hotel lobby, and of course, the full-scale, double-story merry-go-round within the hotel near the buffet.

It’s not famous for bike riding, and yet, riding from Rusutsu to Lake Toya was one of the most fun experiences I’ve had there (and yes, I went on the merry-go-round and I’ve skied there plenty).

While it’s not exactly ‘downhill mountain biking’, the 25km ride started on a beautiful trail in the backwoods of Rusutsu within Shiktosu-Toya National Park. We spent the first 8km descending slowly through the forest along a bamboo-lined fire trail with views overlooking Lake Toya.

Emerging from the forest we continued our winding descent down to the lakes edge — about 450m net downhill. From there, we rode along smooth bitumen beneath the forest canopy and tried not to run off the road while distracted by the beautiful lake.

2. Volcano Experience — Mt Usu

Mt Usu is an active volcano that was formed 20,000 years ago, but has erupted almost every 20 years since 1663. It last erupted in the year 2000, so the eruption being overdue was in our minds as we walked up its side.

There are a few trails up and around Mt Usu and we walked up the Nishi-yama Foot Route with Volcano Meister and local guide Yuji Ogawa from Toya Guide Center.

According to Yuji, ‘If you walk into the mountain, the ground tells us many things’, and this was the motivation behind the local government opening up the mountain to visitors to remind the community about the looming threat of the volcano.

This local kindergarten was destroyed during the 2000 eruption, but remarkably it happened on the final day of school holidays. No one was killed

The path runs parallel to what once was a national highway but now resembles a grassy staircase. Chunks of road and metal are anywhere from six metres higher or lower than where it was supposed to be since the ground completely shifted with the volcanic activity.

3. Noboribetsu Onsen

Only one hour from Chitose Airport, Noboribetsu Onsen is considered Hokkaido’s most famous hot spring resort.

However, it’s not only good for soaking your troubles away. Noboribetsu is nestled in the Shikotsu Toya National Park and surrounded by nature.

Beyond Jigokudani and Oyunuma there’s a range of hikes to volcanic peaks and serene lakes in the surrounding area, which you can book through Adex Base, a newly founded adventure tourism business in Noboribetsu.

Highlights include the Mount Orofure peak hike, which takes around three hours over bamboo-lined single track and provides expansive views of the area from its 1226m peak.

If you’re looking for something slightly less vertical, Lake Tachibana is an hour’s hike from the quiet nearby village of Karurusu and offers beautiful scenery in summer and autumn, with a deep blue lake to enjoy lunch at.

4. Hokkaido Cuisine

If you asked someone in Hokkaido if they were more proud of their abundant snow or their rich soil, I think the majority would say the soil. The mascot for the region that includes the world-famous Niseko isn’t a skier but a potato — although admittedly sometimes you’ll see that potato skiing.

This means Hokkaido has some of the best food in Japan, with abundant vegetables, and famous seafood.

Ian Fong and his wife Noriko are another living example of the outdoor escapism that exists in Hokkaido. Former bankers, they now run HOKKAIDian Homestead, a culinary farm with a purpose to ‘reconnect with life’s simple pleasures’.

Ian and Noriko use seasonal ingredients from local farmers and fishermen.

‘Our dream was to share with others the wonderfully natural food and experiences of life in Hokkaido’, they tell me.

5. Modern & Traditional Culture

Just as Jigokudani, Hokkaido’s most famous onsen, is a place of contrasts with deadly boiling water and rejuvenating baths, Japan itself offers an exciting mix of modernity and tradition.

In a single day, you can go from a urinal in Sapporo Tower created by a world-famous architect with ‘the monopolized overwhelming sense of openness’ as its concept, to watching a master samurai swordsmith with 70 years of experience hammering metal in a dark furnace in Date city.

You can wear a traditional Japanese Yukata to breakfast, then down the street to the 7-Eleven in Noboribetsu Onsen, while embracing being the only Westerner bathing there.

At Upopoy, Japan’s national Ainu museum, you can learn about the history of Japan’s indigenous population. An all too familiar story, the Ainu faced exploitation and integration policies from the Japanese around the turn of the 19th century.

Upopoy was constructed in 2020 and features traditional cultural exhibits as well as a large concert hall where you can watch a cast of Ainu performers carry out traditional songs and dance.

So, if you’re thinking of escaping the bustle of Japan’s mainland in favour of what some toilet designers might describe as a ‘monopolized overwhelming sense of openness’, a visit to Hokkaido outside of winter time comes highly recommended from me.

Matt was a guest of Hokkaido Tourism Organization.