Hokkaido, also one of the most popular places to visit in Japan, is known for being a gourmet paradise and also for having the most surreal sceneries and plenty of beautiful places to visit while on your trip.

In this article, I will introduce you to some of the top sights of the island that will unmistakably make your trip a memorable one:

The Blue pond (Aoi Ike/ 青い池)

The Blue Pond is approximately 5 minutes away by car from the Biei Shirokane Onsen. Since the place often appears on TV and even books, tourists are increasing every year and I would recommend visiting it during winter.

In winter, the pond will give off more of a mysterious atmosphere and the ice on top of the pond will look marvelous while the light that shines upon the ice will change it to various colors.

Biei Sightseeing Official Website

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Cape Soya (Soya Misaki/ 宗谷岬)

Situated in the northernmost part of Hokkaido, the Cape Soya is a splendid place to visit and has many historical monuments surrounding it.

If you are visiting it during winter, you should put many layers of clothes on you and dress up very warmly, as it gets very cold during winter especially because the sea is also nearby.

Don’t forget to take a picture of the monument and the beautiful background given by the ocean behind it.

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Lake Shikaribetsu Kotan: Hokkaido’s Ice Village

Lake Shikaribetsu Kotan/ しかりべつ湖コタン is a village built on the frozen lake and lasts for around 60 days.

“Kotan” means "village" in the Ainu language and all the buildings you’ll find there are made of ice and snow! Isn’t that amazing?

You can warm yourself up in an open-air bath on ice and be surrounded by nature or have many other unique experiences such as drinking alcohol in a glass of ice or listening to concerts in an igloo.

Nearby you can also discover a hot spring and believe me, winter and hot springs are the best combinations that ever existed.

Looking outside at the night sky full of stars and smelling the fresh air, touching the snow while getting in the rotenburo (open-air hot spring bath) is the most unique experience you can have.

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Shirahige Falls (白ひげの滝/Whitebeard Falls)

The Shirahige no Taki (Shirahige Falls) are situated in one of the most popular places in Hokkaido and that is the “Biei area”. One of the places you shouldn’t miss if you are there are the Whitebeard Falls and its surroundings.

Located in Shirogane, you can enjoy a spiritual experience and also get in the hot springs around the area.

This place is connected with the Blue Pond mentioned above because the waterfall is supplying the water in it.

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These are 4 of my top recommendations if you come to Hokkaido. If you go to any of them, don’t forget to explore the surroundings as you can discover so many more things to do and see because Hokkaido is abundant in such splendid attractions.