Kotan Hachiman Shrine

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Kotan Hachiman Shrine was founded in 1856 and was officially named a township shrine in 1875. It was listed as a local shrine on the 28th of April 1911. The purpose of the shrine is to follow the great principles of the deity, Hondawake no Mikoto. Hondawake no Mikoto is also more commonly known as the Emporer Ōjin. Read More ....

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 ....

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Shizunai Cherry Blossom Festival

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Dates	Early May - Mid May
Contact	0146-42-1000 (Shinhidaka Tourist Association)
Getting there	15 minutes by taxi from JR Shizunai Station 3 hour drive from Sapporo
Notes	Best to get there by car
Location	Shizunaitahara to Shizunaimisono, Shinhidaka-cho, Hidaka-gun, Hokkaido 056-0144

Shizunai Nijukken Road Shizunai Road is the home to around 3,000 cherry blossom trees, including the vivid Sargant cherry tree. The road looks absolutely fantastic during the cherry blossom season and is one of the top cherry blossom viewing spots in Hokkaido! The road is 7km long and 36 meters wide and the cherry blossoms stretch as far as the eye can see. Every year over 200,000 visitors drive down to view this amazing sight. The Shizunai Cherry Blossom Festival is held here every year!

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Shizunai Cherry Blossom Festival You will need a car to get there, or to hire a taxi from the train station which is about a 15 minute drive. If you have a car, then there is plenty of space to park the car along the road underneath the cherry blossom trees and take a nice walk along the path. The mountains are a great backdrop to the cherry blossom trees. The festival is located halfway along the stretch of road.

Shizunai Festival

Shizunai Festival is a wide farm area with stalls and food stands with seating, surrounded by huge cherry blossom trees. The festival is lined with sakura trees and there is photo opportunity set up to get some couple shots done. The food sold is an assortment of various festival fare. Of course, the usual BBQ’d chicken, corn, sausages and grill. There are also stalls selling seafood, noodles, curries, kebabs, and crepes and donuts for those with a sweet tooth. There is plenty of seating on the tables to sit down and take in the views. Though, if you have the time, why not take a blanket, and enjoy a picnic with family & friends under one of the thousands of large cherry trees! Simply take your pick! For other places to see cherry blossoms, check out our top 10 sakura viewing spots.