Travel

Everything you need to reach Hokkaido's famous Blue Pond (Aoiike) in Biei — driving times from Asahikawa, Biei and Furano, the bus option, ¥500 parking, what each season looks like, and the Shirahige Falls stop five minutes away. From an April 2026 visit.

2026年4月に北海道を20日間周遊し、JR北海道パス（7日間¥56,000）とレンタカー（カータイムズ）を両方使った実体験レポート。都市間はJRパス、郊外はレンタカーという使い分けの結論と、実際にいくら得したのかを全公開します。

Two famous Susukino grilled-lamb restaurants, eaten back to back in April 2026: Sapporo Jingisukan Daruma Otoshi and Hyottoko. 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, Japan's northernmost city, 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 itinerary through Furano and Biei from a Japan-based traveler: Biei's Blue Pond, Shirahige Falls, the free open-air secret onsen at Fukiage, the Furano Cheese Factory, Jet Coaster Road and more — plus what to expect in April (snowmelt season).

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.

A complete, itemized cost breakdown of a 20-day Hokkaido trip in April 2026 — transport, lodging, food, sightseeing and souvenirs — totaling about ¥612,000 (US$4,000) for two. Real numbers from a Japan-based traveler to help you budget a long Hokkaido trip.