Japan Roadtrip

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Hokkaido — 7 days

A drive through southern Hokkaido from Hakodate: Lake Onuma, Hakodate’s star fort and night view, the Sounkyo Gorge and Daisetsuzan, Jozankei Onsen, Otaru’s canal, and Sapporo.

Don't miss

a fresh kaisendon breakfast at Hakodate Morning Market.

  • Day 1 — Arrive Hakodate (Hokkaido Shinkansen) → Lake Onuma (foliage, canoe or lakeside walk) → Onuma Quasi-National Park viewpoints (drive ~1h). Stay Onuma. — Route map
  • Day 2 — Onuma → Hakodate full day — Hakodate Morning Market (seafood) → Goryokaku (star fort + tower) → Mayaori Red Brick Warehouse → Hakodate Park → Mt. Hakodate (night view) (drive ~1.5h). Stay Hakodate. — Route map
  • Day 3 — Hakodate → Sounkyo Gorge (foliage early–mid Oct) → Sounkyo ropeway → Ryusei & Ginga Falls (drive ~5h). Stay Sounkyo. — Route map
  • Day 4 — Sounkyo → Daisetsuzan / Asahidake Ropeway (foliage tail-end by mid-Oct) → Sounkyo Onsen (drive ~3.5h). Stay Sounkyo. — Route map
  • Day 5 — Sounkyo → Jozankei Onsen (foliage mid–late Oct) → Hoheikyo Dam (foliage) (drive ~3.5h). Stay Jozankei. — Route map
  • Day 6 — Jozankei → Otaru (canal, glass, seafood market) → Sapporo (drive ~2.5h). Stay Sapporo. — Route map
  • Day 7 — Sapporo morning (Odori Park, Sapporo Central Wholesale Market seafood, miso ramen) → evening flight from New Chitose (Sapporo not shinkansen-reachable) (drive ~1h). — Route map

Highlights

Hakodate night view 🏙️ Hakodate night view — the city’s famous twinkling bay panorama

Goryokaku star fort 🏯 Goryokaku star fort — Japan’s first Western-style star-shaped fort

Otaru Canal 🏙️ Otaru Canal — gas-lamp canal lined with old warehouses

Sounkyo Gorge 🏞️ Sounkyo Gorge — steep river valley with waterfall trails

Lake Onuma 🏔️ Lake Onuma — island-dotted lake beneath Mt. Komagatake

Daisetsuzan / Asahidake 🏔️ Daisetsuzan / Asahidake — Hokkaido’s highest peak above a mirror pond

Local food & drink

  • Hakodate kaisendon — rice bowl piled with morning-market uni, ikura, crab
  • Sapporo miso ramen — rich miso broth with corn-butter and pork
  • Jingisukan — char-grilled mutton BBQ
  • Soup curry — Sapporo’s fragrant spice broth with big vegetables
  • Uni / ikura — peak-quality sea urchin and salmon roe
  • Zangi — garlic-ginger fried chicken
  • Sapporo Beer — the region’s own lager
  • Hakodate wine — local vineyards (Ippongi/Shimizu)
  • Hokkaido milk soft-serve — rich roadside dairy Don’t miss: a fresh kaisendon breakfast at Hakodate Morning Market.

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