DISCOVER HOKKAIDO WITH A DEDICATED NEW TOURISM DESK BASED IN LONDON

Imagine a tiny town in the far north of Japan, with perfect powder snow for six months a year and an après-ski scene quite unlike anything else in the world. This is Hokkaido – Japan’s best-kept secret.

But now we want the world to know. So, starting from 1st August 2021, the Hokkaido Tourism Organization will open a new, dedicated desk in London to help get the story out and help people from all over the world discover one of Japan’s hidden gems. Our desk will provide a friendly face – and accurate information – to media and agencies, and introduce Hokkaido as the next hot destination for Europeans who love winter sports and unique culture.

So what’s Hokkaido like anyway?

Hokkaido's weather conditions make it the perfect holiday destination, a temperate 20 degrees throughout summer, and perfect winter skiing conditions.

And in winter, Hokkaido is all about the snow sports. And Niseko, a tiny village in the mountains, might just have the best powder in the world. You can enjoy the region’s incredible conditions for months and months, with a season that runs from late November ‘til early May.

It’s got incredible après-ski too – including a bunch of stuff you just can’t get in the mountains anywhere else in the world. How better to unwind after a day on the slopes than in a natural hot spring bath? And where else in the world can you chow down on exquisite gourmet seafood without breaking the bank? Hokkaido is justly famous for its incredible fresh fish, but there’s nothing quite like a steaming bowl of tasty ramen to warm you up before you hit the karaoke bars…

At one with nature

Winter sports aren’t the only brilliant thing about Hokkaido. You see, it’s also a place of gorgeous natural beauty, and while it’s a landmass that’s roughly the same size as Austria, it’s surrounded by the sea on all sides: the Pacific Ocean, the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk.

This means there’s a wide variety of other outdoor activities and natural marvels, including three of our favourites:

Hokkaido has a long and unusual history. Thought to have been settled by hunter gatherers almost 20,000 years ago, Hokkaido has a proudly different cultural tradition. The Ainu, the indigenous islanders, have their own ancient language, culture and literary arts which borrow as much from the mainland Asian cultures to the north as they do from Japan.

We’ve set up this new Hokkaido tourism desk in an effort to convey the heart of Hokkaido to the people of the UK and Europe, and we sincerely hope you will be able to use our services to set up unique tours and experiences for discerning clients who seek a different side to Japanese life.