[Trip Report] Two weeks in wonderful Hokkaido

I have been visiting Hokkaido on and off for the last 10 years due to a family connection. My recent trip may rank as one of the best. To be honest, it just keeps getting better.

We were mostly based in Sapporo or Otaru over the two weeks.

Adding on some onsen stays in Jozankei and at Toya Lake.

Jozankei is ultra convenient and a short and easy journey from Sapporo city centre. The onsen we stayed in was superb. Noticeably, the town itself has some substantial 'ghost hotels', presumably abandoned in the wake of the pandemic. On the way back to the city, we stopped off at an Ainu Historical Culture museum, which was quiet and fascinating.

Toya Lake is absolutely stunning, and the perfect place to unwind in an onsen while admiring the view.

The only issue I had with both stays was Japan's insane policies for checking in and out. Check in was around 4pm in both hotels. Check out was very early morning – 9 or 10am. Personally, it doesn't feel like enough time to really enjoy the experience, at least without rushing through some of the things you want to do.

Some other activities we enjoyed included a tour and tasting at the Nikka Whiskey distillery in Yoichi. Hanging around the Otaru canalside. Enjoying nightlife and karaoke in Sapporo. A drive out to a scenic view of Mt. Yotei (honestly, on par with Fuji for me)

And an enormous amount of eating, drinking and shopping.

Coming from Thailand, I was kind of shocked at how good value everything in Japan is these days. I have heard of course about the shock to the Yen, but honestly aside from hotels, Hokkaido is getting on par with the likes of Bangkok or Chiang Mai these days.

I was also somewhat surprised by the overarching vibe in Japan. Having been before I have plenty of experience of being stared at, barged into my busy salarymen, and a general somewhat hostile atmosphere.

However, despite what you might see a lot online these days, I found the local community more charming than ever. Most stares were now accompanied by a head nod or a smile. I had friendly and fun interactions with Japanese people on each day of my trip.

Despite the stereotype of Osakans being the friendliest people in Japan, I would actually say the people in Hokkaido are even nicer.

So yeah, all in all, don't skip Hokkaido. It's fantastic