Travel

Everything you need to reach the famous Blue Pond (Aoiike) in Biei, Hokkaido — driving times from Asahikawa, Biei and Furano, the sat-nav mistake to avoid, the bus option, parking (¥1,000 from July 2026), what each season looks like, and why Shirahige Falls belongs on the same trip.

I toured 7 Hokkaido cities over 20 days in April 2026 using both a 7-day JR pass and a car-sharing service. The pass paid for itself — but I also paid ¥58,620 for three trains outside the pass window. Full ¥217,400 transport breakdown, how to avoid my mistake, and what overseas drivers need.

Two Sapporo grilled-lamb restaurants I ate at in April 2026: Hyottoko (Nakajima-koen) and Sapporo Jingisukan Daruma Otoshi (Susukino). How the meat, the grilling style, the atmosphere and the bill differ — plus what jingisukan actually is and how to order it as a first-time visitor to Japan.

Rain forecast for your Otaru day trip? A first-hand April 2026 report from a downpour strong enough to flip umbrellas inside out: the best indoor sights (glass workshops, the music-box museum, art museums, the old Bank of Japan branch), Sakaimachi Street snacks you can grab under an awning, and a full rainy-day itinerary from Sapporo.

A first-hand one-day Asahikawa itinerary from Sapporo (April 2026): Asahiyama Zoo’s famous behavioral exhibits (underwater hippos, Pallas’s cats), the still-snowbound Asahidake Ropeway, Asahikawa ramen, and a ¥4,274 hotel with a public bath — with real costs, train times and what to pack.

A first-hand day trip to Wakkanai, the northernmost city in Japan, by JR Soya limited express: Cape Soya (the northernmost point), Cape Noshappu, Wind Turbine Road, the northernmost McDonald’s and convenience stores, and how to get the Northernmost Point Certificate — from a Japan-based traveler.

A first-hand 2-day self-drive route through Furano and Biei in April 2026, with real times and costs: the Blue Pond (and the sat-nav mistake to avoid), Shirahige Falls, the free Fukiage open-air onsen, the Furano Cheese Factory and Jet Coaster Road.

A first-hand Sapporo food ranking from a Japan-based traveler who spent 9 days eating through 30+ restaurants: Genghis Khan lamb, soup curry, miso ramen, sushi, lamb shabu and sweets. Honest comparisons of Hyottoko, Kudo Yonikuten, Menya Saimi, Garaku, Treasure and more.

A first-hand 3-day Hakodate itinerary from a Japan-based traveler: the million-dollar night view from Mt. Hakodate, the morning market, the Hachiman-zaka slope and Motomachi hillside walk, Goryokaku cherry blossoms, Onuma park, and local food like Lucky Pierrot and soup curry.