Are you looking for your next winter adventure? Why not try East Hokkaido, Japan?
With cold-temperature landscapes, incredible winter wildlife, frozen lakes, snow-covered mountains, and endless winter activities, East Hokkaido has much to offer visitors during this unique season.
You can even travel on an icebreaker out to sea and discover floating ice drifts, with the possibility of Killer Whale spotting, seals, and white tail eagles that you would like to call the East Hokkaido area home.
And have I mentioned yet how delicious the local cuisine is in East Hokkaido? Expect a lot of fresh seafood, all caught locally within the area.
East Hokkaido is genuinely an adventure destination. I’ve put together this blog post to help you plan your trip so you can discover this incredible winter destination in Japan for yourself.
Here is my adventure guide to exploring East Hokkaido.
Reaching East Hokkaido is easy with Japan Airlines to Memanbetsu Airport
The great thing about travelling around Japan is that it has many regional airports you can take advantage of.
Rather than spending extended periods driving from Sapporo Chitose airport, you can fly into the more regionally located Memanbetsu Airport.
You can get to the heart of the action in East Hokkaido a lot quicker.
Then, on my departure, you could fly out of Kushiro Airport. All flights connect easily with either Sapporo or Tokyo, so you can grab your international connection.
Great way to travel and explore the East of Hokkaido and not have to worry about travelling locally.
Shibetsu Fishing Port Seabird Watching
Start your adventure to East Hokkaido with a trip out of Shibetsu Fishing Port on a Seabird Watching trip.
Boats are small but fast so you can get to the heart of the action in no time.
Funny enough, we spotted a wild deer along the banks gracing against the water, but we didn’t have any luck with any other wildlife apart from Seagulls.
But spotting wild Hokkaido deer was a wonderful and welcomed bonus, especially as we had something special in store for the next day.
Rausu Drift Ice & Bird Cruise
Head to the fishing town of Rausu, where you will find a fantastic Drift Ice & Bird Cruise.
The captain will take you out on Evergreen 38, a popular sightseeing cruise for bird photography.
We spotted many Whilte-tailed Eagles nesting on the ice drift, which was an incredible experience and one you can enjoy in the wintertime of East Hokkaido.
Be sure not to miss out on the Rausu Drift Ice & Bird Cruise, they also offer a killer whale tour later in the year when pods are known to be in the area.
Blakiston’s fish owl observatory
One rare bird you can spot in the wild of East Hokkaido in the wintertime is the Blakiston’s fish owl.
The Blakiston’s fish owl observatory is a great location to spot one.
There is a selection of windowless caravans where you can park, set up your tripod, and, fingers crossed, spot a Blakiston’s fish owl in the wild.
The area is a popular feeding ground for owls, and as they’re nocturnal, they mostly come out at night, so get your camera ready for some night shots.
Stay at Lake Abashiri Tsuruga Resort hotel
If you would like to explore Lake Abashiri, you must stay at the incredible Lake Abashiri Tsuruga Resort hotel.
The private lodges in the hilltop village of Izuba are absolutely stunning. All come with an outdoor BBQ fire pit area and tree house, as well as private access to an incredible sauna that can’t be missed.
Drift ice sightseeing icebreaker Aurora
If you come to East Hokkaido, you must book a trip on the Drift Ice sightseeing icebreaker Aurora.
This is a delightful leisure cruise that will take you directly into the ice pack snow drifts, which are amazing to see up close at a slow cruising pace.
A unique experience to enjoy and discover in East Hokkaido.
You can also wear a captain’s hat and become part of the crew!
Remember to try the limited edition Ice Breaker blue cider sold exclusively onboard during your voyage.
Staying at the Lake Akan Tsuruga Wings hotel
If you visit East Hokkaido, you must visit Lake Akan and stay at the Lake Akan Tsuruga Wings hotel.
They have Japanese and Western-style rooms, a wonderful breakfast buffet, and access to a rooftop onsen and sauna.
Remember to check if they will have a fireworks schedule for your visit. It is not to be missed, as you can overlook Lake Akan from the comfort of your room.
Adventure Base SIRI Premium Day Tour: Snowshoe Trekking on Lake Akan
Easily connected to Lake Akan Tsuruga Wings, the lobby contains the adventure activity centre for Siri Adventures.
They offer many adventure activities around Lake Akan, and adventure guides are ready to take you out for a day of exploration.
I opted for the Adventure Base SIRI Premium Day Tour: Snowshoe Trekking on Lake Akan.
A fun day exploring Lake Akan on various skis and snowshoes to explore the area.
The guides were fantastic. They took great care of us, highlighted many facts about the surrounding nature, and sorted out coffee and picnic lunch along the way.
Walking on a frozen lake was relatively calm, and seeing the active frozen methane bubbles forming from under the ice.
I would happily snowshoe again with SIRI Adventures as the team made the day fun.
Enjoy a Morning Coffee Tour on Lake Akan and Mt. Ouama
The trip’s last activity was an early but delightful one hosted by SIRI Adventures.
We woke up super early to snowshoe onto Lake Akan and enjoyed a sunrise with a coffee in a beautiful spot overlooking Mt. Ouama.
I was surprised that many local Japanese had already started ice fishing so early yet so productively to get the perfect catch.
I really enjoyed the cafe’s set-up, which offered tasty, freshly brewed coffee and morning snacks to start the day on a positive note and end our trip on a high.
Wow, what an adventure it has been exploring East Hokkaido.
Thank you for reading my guide to East Hokkaido
Thank you for reading my travel guide to exploring East Hokkaido on a winter adventure.
I hope you found this blog post helpful in planning your trip to East Hokkaido.
If you have any questions I can help answer, please let me know, I would be more than happy to help.
Have a fantastic winter Adventure exploring East Hokkaido!
Before you go, please watch my video about my trip to East Hokkaido
The post Winter Adventure in East Hokkaido, Japan appeared first on Travel Dave.
