Hokkaidō Travel Guide

Yokohama Red Brick Warehouse stands on the waterfront of the Minato Mirai 21 district in Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It consists of two brick warehouse buildings dating from the early 20th century that recall the city's history as an open port. Today they have been converted into a cultural and commercial space housing shops, restaurants, exhibition halls and event venues, their red-brick facades glowing under the evening lights. The plaza faces Yokohama Port, with views toward the Bay Bridge and the harbor. Markets, art shows and seasonal events are held here throughout the year, making it a popular spot for strolling, shopping and photography.

Mount Moiwa rises about 531 meters in the southwest of central Sapporo and offers one of the best viewpoints over the city. From the base station a ropeway carries visitors to the mid-station in about five minutes, where a mini cable car continues to the summit observatory. By day you can take in the city and the Ishikari Plain; at night the sea of lights below is celebrated as one of Japan's New Three Great Night Views. A restaurant and viewing decks sit at the top, and winter brings snow and frost-covered trees. Easy to reach, it is a relaxed and romantic stop in any Sapporo itinerary.

Lake Tōya, in southwestern Hokkaidō, Japan, is a caldera lake formed when the ground collapsed after eruptions about 110,000 years ago. Almost circular, it covers roughly 70.7 sq km, reaches 180 m deep, and holds four volcanic islands led by Nakajima; its water never freezes, making it one of Japan's northernmost ice-free lakes. Mt Usu and Shōwa-shinzan on the southern shore remain active, and in 2009 the area was inscribed as the Tōya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark, where preserved disaster sites and geology trails form an unusual learning route. Hot-spring hotels line the shore with open-air baths facing lake and mountains, and from late April through October fireworks are launched from boats every single night — a rare continuous display in Japan. The 2008 G8 summit held here brought the lake international attention, and it remains the most developed lakeside hot-spring resort in central Hokkaidō.