Otaru Canal Museum & Information Center

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Otaru City General Museum Canal Museum has an extensive collection that introduces the history of Otaru City including information on the natural environment. The exhibition includes 20,000 objects and materials in its collection. The museum is located by Otaru Canal and can be found in the 'former Otaru warehouse'. Read More ....

Tokai Lavender Fields

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On the Tokai Sapporo School campus the grounds really comes alive with lavender. It is said that the south district of Sapporo, where the campus is located, is known as the birthplace of lavender cultivation in Japan. Read More ....

Urahoro Shrine

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During the Meiji Era, as the town of Urahoro (on the south east coast of Hokkaido) was being developed, the pioneers called for the construction of a shrine to serve as a spiritual centre. On August 15, 1896, a small shrine was erected, enshrining Amaterasu (goddess of the sun and the universe). Read More ....

Onnenai Visitor Center

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, also known as the Kushiro Marshland is a sprawling national park to the north of Kushiro. There are half a dozen observation decks, museums, and walking paths that surround the park. The Onnenai Visitor Center is one of these museums and can be found on the western side of the marshland. Read More ....

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

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The Kushiro Shitsugen National park (better known as the Kushiro Marshland) is a national park, located to the north of Kushiro on the eastern side of Hokkaido. The park is known for its wetlands ecosystems. 'Shitsugen' translates to wetlands in English. It was designated as a national park on 31 July 1987. The massive park covers an area of 268.61 square kilometres on the Kushiro plain and is well known for its wildlife and vegetation. Read More ....

Kushiro Marsh Observatory

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Perched at the top of a large hill, overlooking Kushiro Marsh, you can find the Kushiro Marsh Observatory. This is one of the most interesting buildings in Hokkaido. The exterior, and especially the interior, has a strange and unique design and is reminiscent of a cool sci-fi movie. The central hall of the museum is definitely a place to get some photos. Read More ....

Obihiro Shrine

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In 1881, a man named Benzo Yoda and others from Shizuoka Prefecture organized a pioneer group called the "Bansei-sha". This group and settled inShimo-Obihiro Village and started pioneering. During this time, they started holding festivals and later built a small shrine, though the connection with the current Obihiro Shrine is still not well known. Read More ....

Kushiro City Museum

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The history of the Kushiro City Museum dates far back to 1936. Originally, an exhibition room was set up as the "Kushiro City Folk Museum" on the second floor of the Kushiro City Hall Waterworks Construction Office. Over the decades, the location changed and finally on November 3rd, 1983, the "Kushiro City Museum" was born. Read More ....

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Matsumae Castle

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Admission	¥360 Adults / ¥290 Group ¥240 Students / ¥190 Group Children free *Groups of 10 or more
Opening Hours	9:00 - 17:00 April 10 to December 10
Closed	Winter
Contact	0139-42-2216
Notes	Wheelchair access April & May busy, need early reservations for hotels, weeks in advance
Location / Getting There	6 hour drive from Sapporo or 2 hour bus ride from Hakadote. Matsujo, Matsumae-cho, Matsumae-gun, Hokkaido, Japan 049-1511

Sunset on the hill

Matsumae Castle is the northernmost castle in Japan, and the only traditional style Edo period castle in Hokkaido. The castle was built on a hillside vantage point in 1606 by the first lord of the Matsumae family, Keisuke Matsumae. At that time during the Edo period, it was on the boundary of the Hokkaido wilderness. The castle was later outfitted with canons to counter the threat of foreign ships. Over the centuries, has been reconstructed and rebuilt, with its final reconstruction in 1961. In 1941 it was designated as a national treasure.

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Great spot for photos

The castle is most popular during the months of April & May due to its vast array of stunning cherry blossom trees, during which the Matsumae Sakura festival is held. The castle is located in Matsumae Park. The park boasts 10,000 cherry blossoms of 250 different kinds of varieties. Many of these cherry blossoms descend from a 200 year old Kechimyaku Sakura (bloodline cherry) also found on the grounds. The castle is a great spot to visit, as there is a lot to see and do in the area. The seashore town of Matsumae is also steeped in history.

: The extensive Matsumae Park

: Open in the evenings

: Last castle built in Japan

How to get there
Matsumae is a town located at the very bottom of Hokkaido and from Sapporo, it takes a while to get there. Having your own transport is the optimum means of getting there. To rent a car would be the cheapest and fastest way. For those who can only take public transport, train and then bus are your options.

From Sapporo to Hakadote	Super Hokuto Limited Express Super Hokuto 12 (platform 4) 3 hours and 30 minutes	¥8,830
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to Kikonai Station	Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen Hayabusa Hayabusa 34 towards Tokyo (platform 11) 12 minutes	¥3,250
Kikonai Station to Kikonai Ekimae Bus Stop	Walk 5 minutes	-
Kikonai Ekimae Bus Stop to Matsushiro (Matsumae) Bus Stop	6:20, 7:38, 9:00, 11:10, 12:10, 14:52, 15:20, 16:50, 17:55, 19:15 90 minutes*	¥1370
Matsushiro Bus Stop to Matsumae Castle	Walk 400 meters 5 minutes	-

: Quiet atmosphere

: Grounds open during the evening

: Evening shots

How to get back

Matsumae Castle to Matsushiro (Matsumae) Bus Stop	Walk 400 meters 5 minutes	-
Matsushiro (Matsumae) Bus Stop to Kikonai Ekimae Bus Stop	5:22, 6:21, 7:20, 8:44, 9:50, 10:37, 12:34, 14:22, 15:52, 18:03 90 minutes* * to Hakodate	¥1,370
Kikonai Ekimae Bus Stop to Kikonai station	Walk 5 minutes	-
Kikonai Station to Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station	Tohoku-Hokkaido Shinkansen Hayabusa Hayabusa 23 towards Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto 12 minutes	¥3,250
Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to Sapporo	Hokuto or the Super Hokuto Limited Express on the Hakodate Line. 3 hours 30 minutes	¥8,830

Hokkaido Guide

– All Hokkaido, Japan Tourist Information

Otaru Canal Museum & Information Center

Tokai Lavender Fields

Urahoro Shrine

Onnenai Visitor Center

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park

Kushiro Marsh Observatory

Obihiro Shrine

Kushiro City Museum

Matsumae Castle