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with a peak in July and August when the leaves begin to change colour. Prices tend to be 20% to 30% higher during this time, and many of the popular areas will be booked solid. Typhoons, though a lot less common in Hokkaidō, start to hit Japan in mid-August, and can continue through to the end of October, causing train delays, power outages and even landslides. September and October are chilly, particularly in the mountains, and by November winter has come, bringing heavy snows and very cold temperatures. Bring plenty of layers and plan on bundling up, particularly on the exposed ski slopes.

National Parks

Hokkaidō boasts some of Japan’s oldest and most beautiful national parks. Daisetsuzan National Park, centrally located near Asahikawa city, is a must see. This stunning expanse of mountain ranges, volcanoes, onsen, lakes and hiking tracks is Japan’s largest, covering 2309 sq km. Skiing and hiking are the main attractions; if you want to escape off the beaten track you should allow a few extra days.

Akan National Park, near Kushiro, has onsen, volcanoes and hiking. In spring, thousands of cranes flock to Kushiro Shitsugen National Park, one of Japan’s largest marshlands; deer, foxes, shima-risu (none other than the humble chipmunk!) and a host of birds are abundant. The northern islands of Rebun and Rishiri offer superb hiking and views of seaside cliffs, volcanic mountains and (in season) hillsides of flowers.

Shiretoko National Park, in the northeast, is as remote as it gets: two-thirds of it doesn’t have roads. Ponds as glassy as reflecting pools, rivers with brown bears munching salmon, waterfalls more delicate than rice-paper paintings – the scenery is stunning, but tourists are told quite plainly that if they venture into restricted areas they will be fined, eaten by Higuma bears… or both.

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A FOOD LOVER’S GUIDE TO HOKKAIDō

From a gourmand’s perspective, it is something of a tragedy that little tangible evidence remains of Hokkaidō’s indigenous cuisine. In 1878, a Yorkshire woman by the name of Isabella Bird dined with Ainu, and wrote the following lip-smacking account:

Soon, the evening meal was prepared by the chief’s principal wife, who tipped into a soot pot swinging over the flames a mixture of wild roots, beans, seaweed, shredded fish, dried venison, millet paste, water and fish oil, and left the lot to stew for three hours.

Of course, the frontier spirit is still alive and well on the island, and Hokkaidō does remain a veritable foodie’s paradise. One Ainu dish that has survived the passage of time is ruibe (), which is simply a salmon that has been left out in the Hokkaidō midwinter freeze, sliced up sashimi style, and then served with high-grade soy sauce and water peppers.

The Ainu tradition of hotpots is also being fostered by modern Japanese, and you’ll find winter-warming nabemono () all across the island. A particularly delicious variant of this dish is ishikari-nabe (), a rich stew of cubed salmon, miso, mirin, potatoes, cabbage, tofu, leek, kelp, wild mushrooms and sea salt. Sapporo-ites are also fond of their original sūpu-karē (), which is quite literally a soupy variant of Japanese curry.

In addition to salmon, another cold-water speciality is kani-ryōri () or crab cuisine. The long-legged crabs of Wakkanai and Kushiro fetch the highest prices, though anything from Hokkaidō’s icy waters will be packed with flavour. Crab appears in a variety of manifestations on the menu, though we’re partial to boiled crustaceans served alongside a dish of melted butter.

Dairy cows flourish in the island’s wide-open expanses, which is reason enough to add a bit of lactose to your diet. Hokkaidō milk is used in everything from ice cream and cappuccinos to creamy soups and sauces, while Hokkaidō butter is best served atop a bowl of rāmen (; soup noodles).

There are variants on everybody’s favourite soup noodle dish across the island, though the most famous is the miso-based Sapporo rāmen. If you want to be a purist, wash down your bowl with a pint of the legendary lager that is