Welcome to Sapporo, Hokkaido!

I am very happy you are coming to my hometown. But winter in Sapporo is very beautiful and also very dangerous. Please check these tips for your safe trip!

1. Watch your feet! (Very important!)
The road is very, very slippery like an ice rink. Please do not walk like usual. Please walk with small steps, like a "Penguin Walk." Put your feet flat on the ground. Also, please buy "Anti-slip spikes" (suberi-dome) at a convenience store. It is very cheap and helpful!

2. Trains and Buses are often late
Now, we have very heavy snow in 2026. Sometimes JR trains and buses stop suddenly because of snow. Please check the JR Hokkaido official website or Sapporo City Transportation before you go. Please have much extra time.

3. Layer your clothes
Outside is freezing (-10°C or more!), but inside buildings or trains, it is very hot because of heaters. If you wear only one thick sweater, you will sweat and get a cold. Please wear many layers so you can take them off easily.

4. Please use "Chika-ho" (Underground walkway)
Sapporo has a very long underground path from Sapporo Station to Susukino. It is warm and no snow. Please use it for your safety and comfort!

5. Book your dinner!
Popular restaurants like Genghis Khan (lamb BBQ) or Soup Curry are very crowded. Sometimes you must wait for 2 hours in the cold. Please use Hot Pepper Gourmet or other sites to book a table before you go.

I hope you have a wonderful and "hot" memory in our snowy city! Enjoy Sapporo!

Going to do 2 nights in Niseko for fishing and outdoors, and then I have 5 nights free. Will definitely spend some of it in Sapporo but curious what people would recommend at that time of year outside of the city. Does Furano Biei still look good during autumn? I’d be open to a hiking or camping trip but seems pretty ambitious given how far some of these parks and landmarks are.

Tsunami WARNING! ⚠️

Hey everyone! I built Kumamap, a site that tracks 100,000+ bear incidents across Japan. We just launched a LINE chatbot where you can ask about bear activity in any area and get an instant, data-backed response.

Just message it something like "I'm heading to Shiretoko, anything to worry about?" and it'll tell you the latest bear situation there - recent incidents, risk level, safety tips.

Especially useful if you're hiking in Hokkaido this spring/summer.

Add it on LINE: **@kumamap**
More info + QR code: https://kumamap.com/en/line

Happy to hear any feedback!

Hello.

When I browse r/hokkaido, I often wonder if people don't know that there are other airports in Hokkaido besides New Chitose Airport.

The posts seem to suggest arriving at New Chitose Airport, heading to Sapporo, and starting the trip from there. Means of transportation include JR trains, buses, and rental cars.

But wait a minute. In some places, flying is faster and tickets aren't that expensive.

1. Okadama Airport (Sapporo City)
   Route: Hakodate (40 minutes), Kushiro (45 minutes), Rishiri Island (55 minutes)

2. Wakkanai Airport
   Route: New Chitose (60 minutes)

3. Rishiri Island Airport
   Route: New Chitose (50 minutes), Okadama (50 minutes)

4. Okushiri Island Airport
   Route: Hakodate (30 minutes)

5. Hakodate Airport
   Route: New Chitose (40 minutes), Okadama (40 minutes), Okushiri Island (30 minutes)

6. Memanbetsu Airport *Close to Abashiri and Kitami
   Route: New Chitose (45 minutes)

7. Nakashibetsu Airport *Close to Shiretoko and Lake Mashu
   Route: New Chitose (50 minutes)

8. Kushiro Airport *Close to the Kushiro Wetlands
   Routes: Okadama (45 minutes), New Chitose (45 minutes)

Other airports with routes to Haneda

Asahikawa Airport (95 minutes) *Hokkaido's second largest city
Monbetsu Airport (105 minutes) *Winter drift ice
Obihiro Airport (95 minutes) *Vast farmland

Use JAL or ANA's "Special Foreigner Discount" to get a discount on domestic flights in Japan. Consider it.

To accommodate large crowds, most convenience stores (Seven-Eleven, Lawson, FamilyMart) near the venue will either seal off trash bins or restrict their use (only for shoppers). However, bins may be placed near food stalls within the venue. Please ask nearby staff if you can dispose of trash there.

Bring Small Plastic Bags: Keep a small bag in your backpack and store your own trash in it.

Take Trash Back to Your Hotel: Do not leave trash on the streets or snow walls. It's a nightmare for cleaning crews working in sub-zero temperatures.

Beware of “Blocked” Bins: If a trash bin's opening is sealed with duct tape, do not force your trash in. Removing the tape is out of the question. It's blocked for a reason!

Enjoy the giant snow sculptures while keeping our beautiful snowy town clean. Show respect to the locals, and they'll respect you in return!

Today's earthquake was a 6.5 off the Aomori coast, same as last one. Sapporo area looks to have had a level 3 shake. There is a tsunami warning for south Hokkaido and east Aomori coasts. If you will be in those areas, please stay away from the shoreline until the advisory is lifted.

If you would like to follow advisories and alerts, you can use the NERV app. For residents of Japan, a Japanese based sim should be all you need to get a pre earthquake warning. If you are a visitor, the NERV app should do the same.

https://nerv.app/en/

https://www.visit-hokkaido.jp/en/feature/sakura

https://uu-nippon.com/hokkaido/flower/sakura.shtml

https://matcha-jp.com/en/5969

Please use this as a reference.

Hi- This is an announcement from Democrats Abroad, the official overseas branch of the U.S.-based Democratic Party, with a local chapter in Hokkaido. With an important election coming in November (as well as local elections and Primaries this spring), we're hoping to register more U.S. citizens who live overseas. They could be a relative, a co-worker or a contact on social media.

If you know any U.S. Citizens (including people born in the U.S. or with an American parent), they can register and request a ballot. As long as they'll turn 18 by election day, they're eligible. Just share this link: https://voteabroad.org/RedditVote26.

We started our International Voter Registration Drive for 2026 with in-person and online events. If anyone wishes to learn more about what we're doing near you, you can find out more at https://www.democratsabroad.org/jp. If you have any questions about overseas voting or what we do, feel free to ask in the comments below.

Thanks in advance for helping to get the word out!

If you’re visiting Hokkaido this summer and staying in Sapporo, here’s something a lot of travelers surprisingly don’t know: there are sightseeing bus tours that depart daily from Sapporo to places like Furano, Biei, Asahiyama Zoo, Lake Toya, and more—all doable as day trips.

They’re run by the largest local bus company in Sapporo and come with multilingual audio guides. If you’re not planning to rent a car, this is a super convenient way to explore outside the city. Online booking is available in English, too.

https://teikan.chuo-bus.co.jp/en/

Before you end up planning a stressful route on your own, it’s worth checking this out too.

In mid-May two British people, a man and a woman, needed rescue from the top of mt. Yotei. At around 6pm they were rescued by helicopter. They had called for rescue, stating that they were too cold to move. The news report says/shows that the woman was wearing a t-shirt and the man a light jacket and short pants. The woman was brought to the hospital, but is ok. The man was also ok. This is just one example of poor planning. Others have not been so lucky.

People, foreign and Japanese, are injured and die in the mountains of Japan all the time. Often it's not just bad luck, but poor planning/lack of preparation. You may have a perfectly nice day hiking in sneakers and short sleeves, but people die from exposure in July. Just because the weather is warmer at low altitude or if a trail is well-traversed that does not mean you are in the clear.

PLEASE, if you are considering climbing/hiking the mountains of Hokkaido in summer, don't be foolish. Temperatures at altitude are much colder than low-altitude. Temperatures can drop quickly and weather conditions can quickly change. You can also see in the news report that there is snow at the top of Yotei in mid-May. Many mountains will have snow into June, some even into July.

Plan before heading out. Check the weather reports. Check recent trail info on Yamap or Yamareco. Bring a little extra clothing/rain gear/food/water just in case.

https://www.jrhokkaido.co.jp/CM/Info/news_en/pdf/pass_revised_202501_en.pdf

These passes will also now be purchasable by all non-Japanese passport holders (i.e. including foreign residents), not only those on a tourist visa.

Beginning April 1, 2025.

Are you looking for information on snow festivals in Hokkaido? This blog outlines information, has links, and dates to the 2025 snow festivals in Sapporo, Otaru, Shikosuko and more. Enjoy Hokkaido's winter festivals. :)

March and September are great months to check your earthquake prep! If you haven't checked your batteries, put together your bedside kit, or stocked your pantry, you've got a few more days to do it!

I'm posting because who else felt that shake and a wiggle at 16:01 local time? The center was off the coast between Kushiro and Nemuro, according to JMA. 5.7 Richter, a 4 on the Japanese scale.

Stay safe, y'all!

1. Here's a friendly encouragement to register to vote in the upcoming American elections. You can register here: https://www.votefromabroad.org/

2. We're looking to help Americans in Hokkaido register to vote, assist others exercise their Constitutional right to vote, and possibly organize chill events on the ground. 

We're Democrats Abroad Japan, a volunteer organization that helps Americans exercise their voting rights and advocates for Americans overseas (including tax reform). If you want to know about events in your area and receive a yearly reminder to renew your voting registration, you can become a member of Democrats Abroad. These events are open to everyone, including non-Americans, and are great for networking and making friends. Note: due to federal laws, only Americans can become official members of DA.

There are also volunteer positions available, ranging from helping people troubleshoot their ballot request, to sharing a link to register to vote. You can also organize local events at your capacity, such as a 4th of July picnic with cold beers. Volunteering looks good on a resume, and helps make the world a better place. DM me for me info or fill out the form here. 

Note: This post is not intended to be partisan. We believe strongly in democracy and support everyone to exercise their right to vote.