| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-611-0261 http://www.hokkaidojingu.or.jp/ |
| Notes | Sightseeing spot, wedding venue |
| Location / Getting There | The shrine is located at the top of Maruyama Park. It is a 8 minute walk from Maruyama Subway station. 474 Miyagaoka, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0959 |
Hokkaido Shrine was constructed in 1871 to hold the deities, Ōkunitama, Okuninushi, and Sukunahikona, and also the soul of the Meiji Emporer. It is the main Shrine of Hokkaido and a popular spot for tourists and locals alike. It is located in Maruyama Park (Maruyama Koen) on the West side of Sapporo. The shrine is well worth a look in all seasons, especially Spring. It is surrounded by 1,500 cherry blossom trees which usually bloom early to mid May. During this time thousands of locals have their Hanami (flower viewing parties) and the temple is a great backdrop.
In early Summer the Sapporo Festival is held which sees portable shrines carried around the city and stalls set up near the Shrine. New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day is also a popular time where families will go to pray.At the shrine you are free to walk around in the courtyard where you can take photos, purchase fortune tokens, and see the occasional traditional Japanese wedding. Don’t be surprised to see a monk blessing a car out the front either as some new car owners pay for this ceremony. The shrine is located in Maruyama Park (Maruyama Koen) which is located on the west side of Sapporo. The main way to get there is to take the subway from Odori Subway Station and take the Tozai Line (Orange line) to Maruyama Koen which is 3 stops away. After exiting it’s a 15 minute walk west through Maruyama Park. Keep heading up the path which is lined with huge Elm and Cider trees. Along the way you will see various smaller shrines.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0136-22-0352 https://konpirajikuchan.jimdofree.com/ |
| Notes | - |
| Location / Getting There | Located at the north end of the town of Kutchan. It's a 15 minute wlka from the centre of town or a 20 minute walk from Kutchan train station. 〒044-0057 Hokkaido, Abuta District, Kutchan, Kita 7 Jonishi, 1 Chome−８ |
Konpira Temple (or better known as ‘Konpiraji’ in Japanese) is a buddhist temple. It is the main temple in Kutchan and is a good place to visit while in town. It makes for a good spot to get some photos or to experience a little of the Japanese culture. A statue of the founding priest was constructed at the foot of Mt. Konpira which can be found at Lake Toya. Every year, at the temple, the annual Konpira Temple Festival is held. This festival celebrates Autumn and heralds the coming of winter. It is a three day festival and is held on the 9th, 10th, and 11th of October.
Being a buddhist temple, they have many statues around the grounds. The most common being the Ojizo-sama. These are usually small statues that have a child like appearance. They are often dressed in a red bib. This practice is believed to have begun when grieving parents who had lost a child put the deceased child’s bib on a Jizo statue in the hope their child would be protected in the other world. To get to the temple it is a fifteen minute walk from centre of Kutchan, or a five minute drive.It is located just to the north of central Kutchan. It is easily accessed as it lies at the end of the main street that runs through the town.
| Admission | Free |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-221-1084 |
| Notes | Shinto Shrine, sightseeing spot, photography spot, available for weddings |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Sapporo. It's a 2 minute walk from 'Bus Centre Mae' subway station (Orange line), take exit 6 and walk south one block. 〒060-0052 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 2 Johigashi, 3 Chome−１０ |
Hokkaido Shrine Tongu was built in 1891. It is not to be confused with Hokkaido Shrine, which can be found Maruyama Park, though the two are related. Hokkaido Shrine (also known as Sapporo Shrine) was built in Maruyama Park, but during the winter this proved to be difficult to access up in the hills. For this reason, Hokkaido Shrine Tongu was constructed closer to the center of town at that time, allowing easier access to the people. 130 years later, this shrine is still a convenient place to get to. It is not a far walk from Nijo Ichiba Seafood Market, or Sapporo TV Tower.
small 4 pic or two pic “gallery” here is desired. otherwise delete row by clicking upper right hand x symbol.
Smaller than its larger brother, this shrine is still a popular spot to visit in any season. It has a couple of nice cherry blossom tress at its entrance in the spring and the autumn leaves can be seen during the fall. The shrine serves as an inn for the portable shrine that comes out in June during the annual Sapporo Festival. This shrine can be hired for wedding ceremonies, with five different available. Seating ranges from 18 to 108 seats. To enquire about weddings, you can contact them on the number above. The shrine offers different prayers and blessings. They have health, family safety, car, construction safety, house blessings to name a few. New Year prayers are also available. There is a monthly festival on the 1st of every month. For other events, see below!
| January 1 | End of year festival (Saitansai) |
| January 14 | Kojinfuda Yaki Festival |
| February (the day before spring) | Spring, bean throwing festival (Setsubun) |
| May 1 | Memorial service for the deceased |
| June 14 | Tongu Shrine festival (Sapporo festival) |
| June 16 | Tongu Relocation Festival (Sapporo Festival) |
| June 30 | The Great Shrine of Kaetsu and the Family Safety Prayer Festival |
| September (the day before the third Sunday) | Tonnomiya evening festival |
| September (3rd Sunday) | Tongu annual festival |
| November 17 | Tongu Shrine Dedication Memorial Festival |
| December 31 | Exorcism of shrine run and night festival |
bottom slider gallery.
both upper gallery and slider galleries must be premade.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | All day |
| Closed | November to April |
| Contact | 0142-66-4200 |
| Notes | Light walking trails, photography spot, parking available for 20, small shrine at park, plum tree viewing (mid May) |
| Location / Getting There | 12 minute drive east from Toyako Onsen. Heading east, the access road is on the right (with the lake on the left) 〒052-0104 Hokkaido, Usu District, Sobetsu, 町東湖畔 |
huge maps – google map here
Sobetsu park is a beautiful hilltop park that commands some of the best of views of Lake Toya. Not only can you see the lake in its glory, but there are views of the volcano, Mount Usu. And in good weather, you can see Mount Yotei and the Niseko mountain range in the distance. Sobetsu Park is most famous for its views during the spring. During mid May, the three hundred plum blossoms are in full bloom making the park a particularly popular spot for photographers from all over. You can get some great photos of the blossoms with the lake in the background!
[the_ad id=”4264″]
The park is huge and runs up the whole mountain and is adorned with a couple of sculptures. There is a narrow road that leads to the top where you can find parking for about twenty cars. Due to the winding road, it is inaccessible by bus. At the top, there are a few benches and tables and makes for a good picnic spot. Sightseers can also find a small shrine at the top here, which is surrounded, interestingly, by cut out steel swords and knives that have been placed on the fence. In the centre of the shrine, there is a warrior like statue. Sobetsu Park is a great place to take in the views!
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | Grounds open all day 7:00 - 19:00 for temple |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0167-22-2731 |
| Notes | Shinto Shrine, sightseeing spot, photography spot, parking for 8 |
| Location / Getting There | Located in central Furano. It's a 15 minute walk from Furano station. 17-6 Wakamatsucho, Furano, Hokkaido 076-0032 |
Furano Shrine is a Shinto shrine can be found in central Furano along route 38. It was originally constructed in 1902 by the pioneers who had settled in the area. The grounds are a peaceful place to walk around and enjoy the architecture and the many trees. To one side of the main shrine, you can find two smaller shrines, Konpira Shrine and Inari Shrine. The path to these two small shrines passes under three red torii (Japanese gates). This area is a good spot to get some great photos of some Japanese culture, especially for those traveling!
[the_ad id=”4264″]
The grounds are a nice spot to walk around as they have various statues including the lion dog guardians (komainu) plotted around the shrines. There is also a dirt sumo ring that is interesting to have a look at and to get some more photos, plus a chōzubachi (water basin to wash hands). It is conveniently located whether walking from the station or for driving, as they have a small parking area. While in the town of Furano, why not stop in to Furano Marche which is close by, pick up some lunch and take a walk down to the shrine!
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0142-82-5076 |
| Notes | Buddhist temple, sightseeing spot, photography spot, historical landmark |
| Location / Getting There | Located on the northern shore of Lake Toya. Can be found just above the road located north of Route 132 23 Toyamachi, Toyako, Abuta District, Hokkaido 049-5802 |
On the northern shore of Lake Toya you can find Toya Temple and a scenic monument of Hokkaido. They are both just off route 132 and there is a road leading up where you can find parking. Toya Temple is a Shinto shrine that offers scenic views over the lake. The public are welcome to walk around the small grounds here where you can appreciate the statues, architecture, and wooden carvings that surround the temple. The doors to the temple itself are often closed but it’s still a nice area to check out. The temple makes for a nice look in if you are taking a stroll around the path that follows the shore.
[the_ad id=”4264″]
The path that winds around the northern part of the lake that includes sightseeing spots such as Ukimido Park, and Toyako Art Museum & park plus the Ko Park Camping Ground. The whole area is dotted with beautiful sculptures. Along the small access road that leads to Toya Temple, you can also find one of the ‘scenic monuments of Hokkaido’. There are three scenic monuments in Hokkaido, with the other two being in Jozankei, and on the small island of Rishiri. These three scenic monuments were selected in 1923 by the Otaru Newspaper which was one of three main papers in Hokkaido at the time.
