Hokkaido Travel Guide

     Hokkaido (北海道, Hokkaidō) is the second largest, located at the northernmost and least developed of Japan's four main islands. Hokkaido has diverse attractions whether the cultural heritage, nartual beauty of mountain, lake and sea.

Recommend Travel Route and Plan

Cities

Asahikawa
     Asakiyama Zoo

Biei
     

Furano

Hakodate

Niseko

Noboribetsu

Otaru

Sapporo

Shikotsu Lake

Toya Lake

Climate

     Weather in hokkaido is harsh in winter with lots of snowfall, below zero temperatures and frozen seas, while in summer it does not get as hot and humid as in the other parts of the country. 

Centigrade Temperature

	Hakodate	Sapporo	Asahikawa	Abashiri	Kushiro	Wakkanai	Remarks
Jan	Avg. -1.2	Avg. -2.5	Avg. -6.6	Avg. -4.4	Avg. -3.6	Avg. -3.6	The weather easily changes in this season. It snows heavily in Central Hokkaido and Taisetsu areas. The temperature drops very low in Tokachi and Eastern Hokkaido. As for a jacket or coat, it is better to have one with a hood. It is effective to warm tips of the body with a scarf, gloves and hat.
	H 8.5 L -9.6	H 6.9 L -11.7	H 6.8 L -21.8	H 7.8 L -14.8	H 5.1 L -15.7	H 5.1 L -8.9
Feb	Avg. 0.1	Avg. -0.6	Avg. -3.8	Avg. -2.6	Avg. -2.9	Avg. 1
	H 10.6 L -10.2	H 9.8 L -10	H 8.1 L -20	H 9.6 L -13.9	H 5.3 L -15.5	H 6 L -11.2
Mar	Avg. 3.4	Avg. 2.5	Avg. 0	Avg. -0.3	Avg. 0.6	Avg. 0.5	The temperature drastically changes from morning to night. It is a good idea to be able to adjust temperature with clothes easy to put on and take off. A coat is still needed.
	H 8.5 L -9.6	H 6.9 L -11.7	H 6.8 L -21.8	H 7.8 L -14.8	H 5.1 L -15.7	H 5.1 L -8.9
Apr	Avg. 9.7	Avg. 9.6	Avg. 8.5	Avg. 6.9	Avg. 4.8	Avg. 6.8	Snow starts melting. Skunk cabbages begin blooming in marshes. A light coat or outerwear is needed.
	H 21.1 L -0.1	H 20.3 L 1	H 22.8 L -2.8	H 24 L -2.5	H 15.4 L -2.6	H 18.8 L -1
May	Avg.12.6	Avg.13.6	Avg.13.2	Avg.10.4	Avg.9.4	Avg.11.1	The sunlight is warm, but the wind is still cold. The weather is similar to that of Honshu (mainland) in April. It is better to have outerwear.
	H 23.4 L 2.8	H 24.5 L 5.5	H 26.9 L 0.8	H 23.6 L 2	H 21.4 L 0.8	H 22.2 L 3.6
Jun	Avg. 15.3	Avg. 15.9	Avg. 15.5	Avg. 12.2	Avg. 11.1	Avg. 12.1	The nice weather continues and various flowers start blooming all at once. There may be times when you can wear a half-sleeve shirt but it depends on the day.
	H 26.9 L 7.4	H 28.5 L 6.9	H 29.9 L 2.6	H 30.8 L 5.1	H 20.3 L 3.3	H 21.4 L 6.3
Jul	Avg. 20.1	Avg. 20.5	Avg. 20.3	Avg. 16.6	Avg. 15.4	Avg. 15.7	You can wear a half-sleeve shirt during the day, however, it is better to have light outerwear when you go out at night or go to the mountain or lake area.
	H 29.2 L 12.7	H 30.3 L 14	H 29.8 L 12.1	H 27.7 L 10.7	H 25.6 L 9.8	H 24.3 L 10.8
Aug	Avg. 20.5	Avg. 20.1	Avg. 18.6	Avg. 16.8	Avg. 15.7	Avg. 17.1	The sunlight is strong in the inland. It sometimes becomes foggy along the seacoast. The temperature suddenly starts dropping after mid-August.
	H 29.1 L 12.6	H 30.6 L 14.4	H 30.7 L 9.2	H 31.1 L 9.4	H 26.8 L 10	H 25.4 L 11.7
Sep	Avg. 17.9	Avg. 17.7	Avg. 15.5	Avg. 16.2	Avg. 15.5	Avg. 17	From the middle of the month, it becomes cold in the morning and evening. The leaves begin changing at the end of the month, starting from the mountainside.
	H 29.2 L 8.2	H 28.8 L 8.2	H 31.4 L 4	H 29.8 L 9.3	H 23.8 L 5	H 26.4 L 9.3
Oct	Avg. 12,5	Avg. 12	Avg. 9.7	Avg. 10.7	Avg. 10.8	Avg. 10.8	The color changing of leaves reaches its peak in flatland in the middle of the month. It starts snowing in the mountain. Breath can be seen in the morning and evening. A sweater and coat are needed.
	H 24.2 L -0.3	H 25.4 L 3.2	H 25 L -1.6	H 27.7 L 0.4	H 20.9 L -0.5	H 20.3 L 1.9
Nov	Avg. 3.3	Avg. 2.8	Avg. 0.5	Avg. 2.7	Avg. 3.4	Avg. 2.3
	H 15.6 L -4.9	H 13.9 L -5.4	H 12.7 L -8.9	H 16.2 L -5.9	H 13.3 L -8	H 11 L -6.1
Dec	Avg. -2.2	Avg. -3	Avg. -6.2	Avg. -5	Avg. -4.5	Avg. -4.4	Snow starts accumulating at the end of the month. A coat, gloves, winter shoes (or antiskid) are needed.
	H 11.4 L -10.6	H 10 L -10.1	H 6.2 L -21.6	H 8.8 L -16.3	H 10.1 L -19.7	H 10.4 L -12.1

Festival

     The Sapporo Snow Festival, one of Japan's largest winter events, attracts a growing number of visitors from Japan and abroad every year. Every winter, about two million people come to Sapporo to see a large number of splendid snow and ice sculptures lining Odori Park, the grounds at Community Dome Tsudome, and along the main street in Susukino. For seven days in February, Sapporo is turned into a winter dreamland of crystal-like ice and white snow.