5 Reasons to Visit Hokkaido Now

Japan’s northernmost island, Hokkaido is closer to Vladivostok than it is to Tokyo, and its Siberian-effect powder is so plush it makes ski wipeouts feel downright luxurious. The snow — or JaPow, as scores of Aussie and Kiwi skiers affectionately call it — is dependable enough that locals speak of “free nightly refills.” With early-bird first-tracks programs, torchlit night skiing, backcountry freeriding, and wooded loops to carve through, Hokkaido’s miles of corduroy piste and over 120 ski resorts ensure a snowy spot for all levels and styles. But JaPow isn’t just for downhillers: It reaches sublime heights during February’s annual Sapporo Snow Festival, in its 75th edition in 2025, when two million visitors will arrive to see illuminated snow dragons and anime characters, ice-carving competitions, and next-level snow sculpture contests (think Osaka Castle, Big Ben, and the Pyramids).

Once widespread across Japan and then nearly extinct, the Ainu people inhabited Hokkaido (formerly called Ezochi) for millennia before the Meiji government colonized it in 1869. Dive into the ancient culture 60 miles south of Sapporo at the modernist, titanium-clad Upopoy National Ainu Museum and Park. Designed by Tokyo architecture firm Kume Sekkei and opened in 2020, it offers anime films steeped in Ainu mythology, live performances of mukkuri (a bamboo mouth harp) and tonkori (a zither), and interactive courses on wood carving, embroidery, knitting, weaving, and cooking. Next door, Japanese hospitality brand Hoshino recently opened the 42-room Kai Poroto ryokan overlooking Lake Poroto. The resort marries Ainu heritage and design with omotenashi (Japanese hospitality) via its Ainu amulet-making courses; cone-shaped onsen bathhouse that honors Ainu architecture; and meals served in Ainu-inspired ceramics, like simmering nabe hot pots teeming with local scallops and crab.

Hokkaido lacks East Asia’s early-summer rainy season (known as tsuyu in Japan) and remains outside the typhoon zone, which makes it less prone to fungal issues and therefore an ideal lab for organic and natural wines. The Koshu grape was brought to Japan by Buddhist monks in the eighth century, though winemaking didn’t start in earnest on Hokkaido until after World War II. In the last decade, 25 wineries have sprung up across the island, and climate change has created growing conditions frequently compared to those of Alsace and Burgundy. Former Napa Valley consultant Bruce Gutlove launched 10R Winery in 2012 when he planted pinot noir and Zweigelt grapes in a potato field outside Sapporo. Domaine Takahiko, established in 2010 by Takahiko Soga, emphasizes no-till viticulture using 13 strains of organically cultivated pinot noir grapes; its 2017 Nana-Tsu-Mori was so prized it was served at Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant. Mongaku Valley Winery grows seven varieties of grapes including chardonnay and pinotage, while Domaine Mont, founded by a onetime snowboarding instructor, is known for its pinot gris.

Hokkaido’s Arctic-fed waters yield fattier seafood; its cooler temps mean sweeter fruits and vegetables; and its highland grass–fed cows produce milk, butter, and ice cream of extraordinary richness. Hokkaido melons, potatoes, burdock root, and sweet corn are particularly revered by the Japanese, and local restaurants have made the most of this boreal bounty. Take Robata, at the Park Hyatt Niseko, where chef Hidekazu Kato highlights local ingredients in dishes like grilled Nakasatsunai black edamame, Toyoura pork loin, abalone with liver sauce, and the signature 540-day-aged Kutchan potato served with shiokara butter. Sapporo’s Susukino neighborhood is a grazer’s paradise, with 3,500-plus restaurants; a “ramen street”; hidden alleys lined with retro snack bars, kissaten (tea shops), and izakayas; and the Nijo Seafood Market, where you can slurp down seasonal seafood like sea urchin and crab donburi, torch-fired scallops in sake and Hokkaido butter, and fortifying clam and salmon nabe hot pots.

Ainu legend says the Northern Lights are spirits awaiting birth, and Japanese folklore has it that children conceived beneath the aurora are blessed with good fortune. The lights (kyokkou in Japanese) can be seen from November to March at spots like Shiretoko National Park and the town of Abashiri, where the Okhotsk Tower and underwater observatory provide views of the Sea of Okhotsk’s drift ice, subsea marine life, and pelagic birds. Hokkaido’s long, dark winter nights are also beloved by stargazers and dark-sky enthusiasts. The network of platforms and observatories surrounding the Lake Mashu caldera offer 360-degree sky views and moon-viewing areas to witness lunar reflections on the lake’s ultramarine-blue surface. The city of Ashibetsu (nicknamed the City of Stars) is home to the Ashibetsu Onsen Starlight Hotel, where a stargazing terrace and an open-air onsen invite you to marvel at the starry winter skies from the warmth of a thermal pool.