Hokkaido Help

I plan to visit Hokkaido in three weeks. Since it will be my very first time to that region, I need your help for the following three questions.

1) transportation:

Is an international license required to rent a car?

For the following day trips, assuming that I do not have a car and can start my trip at 5:00 AM:

a) What is the best way to get to and around Daisetsuzan from Sapporo?
b) What is the best way to get around Shikotsu-Toya National Park after I arrive at Toya Station?
c) Can I hire a taxi to drive me around those parks? If yes, how much will it cost and where I can locate a taxi?

Please provide details such as time tables and company names.

2) tour guide:

Is it possible to hire an English tour guide in Sapporo for one day? If you know anyone, would you please provide me the contact information?

3) payment

Can I use the credit card for hotels, long distance buses, restaurants and admission fees?

Thank you very much for your help.

Is an international license required to rent a car?

Yes. details are here:
http://www.japan-guide.com/e/e2024.html

What is the best way to get to and around Daisetsuzan from Sapporo?

Not recommended in a day trip, because too time-consuming (except maybe Sounkyo). Where around Daisetsuzan do you want to go? Sounkyo? Asahidake Onsen? Somewhere else?

What is the best way to get around Shikotsu-Toya National Park after I arrive at Toya Station?

By bus or taxi (if you don't mind the high cost for taxis).

Can I hire a taxi to drive me around those parks? If yes, how much will it cost and where I can locate a taxi?

Yes, many taxis provide such a service, although, many drivers won't be able to provide the service in English. You could simply try the taxi stand in front of Toya Station. If you don't speak Japanese, it could be difficult to get across your order.

In Kyoto, such services are offered for around 20,000 Yen for a 3-hour tour. I would expect similar rates.

Buses between Toya Station and Toyako Onsen operate about once per hour.

Can I use the credit card for hotels, long distance buses, restaurants and admission fees?

Many hotels and restaurants accept credit cards, but some do not. Not sure about long distance buses. Admission fees usually not, since the amounts tend to be relatively small.

Hong, my experiences in Hokkaido told me time and time again that it would have been immensely easier if I had had a car. At one point I was reduced to my final and only option, hitchhiking, and up to that point, I had never hitchhiked in my life. By the way, that area was the Akan/Kussharo/Mashu Lakes area. ONLY explorable by car. PLEASE JUST TRUST ME.

Daisetsuzan can be done by trains from Sapporo to Asahikawa, then bus to Tenninkyo or Asahidake Onsens, but you should spend the night there before going up the ropeway, exploring around, and returning all the way to Sapporo.

Similarly with the Toya area, buses can be done, it wasn't that bad, but a car seems like it would have been a much more convenient idea. But there were many like me taking buses so it was clearly an okay option.

I really don't know what to recommend to you for tour guides in Sapporo except that I spent a day there, did pretty much everything I wanted to do, and didn't need a guide. I did have printouts of internet pages with information on them, as well as stopped by the tourist information office at JR Sapporo Station. They were very helpful and the woman I spoke to spoke very good English. I think you'll be fine on your own, if you don't mind.

Hi Uji and Jon

Thank you so much for providing me the useful and practical information about Hokkaido and Shirakawa-go.

After reading your responses, I decide to go either Otaru or Furano other than Daisetsuzan. Which one would you like to recommend and why?

Again I greatly appreciate your help.

Hong,

Furano is a nice place, no doubt. Especially if you want to see flowers (lavender time is over, though). Go and see Tomita or Kanno Farm! Also you will find nature in abundance there. Ohtaru is a city with some old buildings - you could consider it a tourist area with everything that goes with it ( high prices, lots of travellers). Depending on your plan I recommend the northern part of Hokkaido like Wakkanai, Shiretoko Nature Park, or even the Shakotan area (west of Ohtaru). It also depends on what you want to see and what you want to do. I was up there from 28 July until 10 August - had a great time, motorcycle touring and using mainly my tent. If you want to see what I am talking about, please go to my homepage at http://virtulanguage.com. You will find quite a few pictures there. Oh, also recommendable is the lake Akan (Akan-ko) area, meeting with Ainus (native Japanese). But here again, it is of course a tourist attraction, too! If you have any further questions, please contact me!!

Hong, I still don't totally see whether you're going to use a car or not in Hokkaido, but again let me stress that it is a VERY wise choice.

Like Klaus said, my best experiences were in the northern and eastern areas of Hokkaido, but given your posts so far, it seems like you want to stick to areas around Sapporo. Is it because you feel you won't have enough time? How much time are you intending to spend in Hokkaido anyway? I would definitely recommend all of Klaus's options if you have the time (and the car).

I did not go to Otaru because of a lack of time, but it seemed like a cool place to visit if you had the extra day in the Sapporo area. It seems though that train access to Otaru is very convenient, so a car might not be necessary for that day.

I personally really liked Tomita Farm but I did meet other people later on during my trip that didn't because it was so artificial and tourist trap-ish. And I agree. But it still was so beautiful!!! So let's just say that you have been warned.

It's a pity that you have chosen to give up Daisetsuzan because that was one of the highlights of my trip. The mountain scenery there is quite stunning, but like I said, you'll probably want to spend at least one night there.

Do you think you'll have any time to visit nearby (from Sapporo, and maybe just sorta nearby) Hakodate? The night view of the city from Mt Hakodate was the final thing I did on my trip, and boy was it a great way to end it!

Klaus mentioned an Ainu village at Lake Akan. That's a nice place but it seemed to me that it was just a double row of souvenir shops, and one theater house that looked very empty. Later, I visited Porotokotan, an Ainu open air museum in Shiraoi, which is reasonably close to Sapporo. I found that to be very informative and enjoyable, and the museum house itself had exhibits fully translated into English. You might want to check that out!

"Porotokotan" is definitely more interesting (=more or less the real Ainu life) than Akan-ko. I did not have the time to go there, so I have to be satisfied with what I saw. Again, it all depends on what you want to see, how much time you have and of course the "$$$$"!! Hokkaido can be more or less esily toured (main places of interest) in 2 to 3 weeks. If you prefer to see cities you should of course go to Hakkodate and Sapporo. As for me, nature, meeting people and also learning a little were the main points. Get with me if you have any questions or you think that I can help you!

Hi Jon and Klaus, Thank you very much for your valuable information. Your points are well taken: I will visit Porotokotan and Mt Hakodate since I will only have a few days in Hokkaido. Would you be able to provide me the following information?


1)Museum hours:
I canft find the museum hours from Porotokotanfs website http://www.ainu-museum.or.jp/english/english.html

2)the timetable for the direct bus:

I canft read the timetable for the direct bus between the Hakodate JR station and Mt Hakodate from http://www.hotweb.or.jp/hakobus/ because English is not available.

I would like to know when the first and last bus operates.

Thanks