Best Time To Visit Hokkaido

oic. okay! thank you so much for ur advice!

Can anyone advise when is the best date to visit Hokkaido for lavendar blossom.... kinda difficult to predictt, right?

If I'm not wrong, I think most lavender would usually bloom by the second half of July. After lavender has bloombed, the next flower would to be in season would be sunflower. Now I have a similar question. Is late Sep or late Oct a better time to visit places like Rishiri, Rebun, Lake Akan and Shiretoko?

Lavender is usually best in the second half of July.

Here is a page that informs about the current state of lavendar:
http://www.furanotourism.com/flower/lavender/shisu.html

The numbers 5-10 indicate that the lavender is in bloom. 10 indicates full bloom.

In late July, other than Lavender, what other flowers are also blooming?

Uji san ..
Is there a link for autumn weather as well ?

What location, weather data and time period are you interested?

Hi,I will like to visit Hokkaido from 27Nov to 10Dec. Can i know if it will be snowing by then? My main purpose is to see snow and to do skiing and snow-boarding probably :)
Also, where are the places that are a must-visit in Hokkaido? Was thinking of spending the entire journey there. Is it worth it? Or should i visit Osaka and Hokkaido together in the time period above?

Thanks alot!

Yes, several resorts should be open by late November.

Hi,
I was planning to visit hokkaido in Aug, but had to postpone the trip to Sep, due to work commitments.

Wonder if I'll still be able to catch the blooms?

hoping to catch the lavender bloom from 13th Aug to 24th August 2007. Will the bloom be available then?

I went to hokkaido during summer last year, the lavender is in full bloom with perfect clear day on 2nd half july around day 21 - 23.

is it a good time to visit Hokkaido between 22nd Sept to 5th Oct? What can we expect to see during this period?

After RL question is answered, Can anyone tell me what the conditions are like in Sapporo, Hakodate, and near by areas as far as snow is concerned? I would like to travel from say Nov. 17-21. From research, I found that on average 9 inches? fall during November. Will I be able to move around, Whatout falling all over myself? Where I come from, Snow is nai.

I'm planning a self-drive family holiday in Dec with 2 girls aged 6& 8. Intention is to travel to Osaka and then Hokkaido. Can anyone offer some advice whether the itinery looks ok?

Day 1 : Arrive in Osaka
Day 2 : Osaka : Kaiyukan + Castle
Day 3 : Universal Studio
Day 4 : Fly to Hakodate
Day 5 : Sapporo / Ishiya Chocolate Factory
Day 6 : Furano / Biei / Horokyu
Day 7 : Noboribetsu (Onsen Ryokan)
Day 8 : Lake Toya / Showa Shinzan
Day 9 : Fly home

Also any recommendations for accomodation? Hope to at least stay one nite in a ryokan. Where's a good location to set base andtravel from there? Really at a lost, pls help!

is it a good time to visit Hokkaido between 22nd Sept to 5th Oct?

It is one of the best times of the year to visit Hokkaido with regards to the weather. You can also see autumn leaves.

Can anyone tell me what the conditions are like in Sapporo, Hakodate, and near by areas as far as snow is concerned? I would like to travel from say Nov. 17-21.

Sapporo: There is usually no or only very little snow in Sapporo around Nov 17-21 and even less so in Hakodate.

To give you an idea, here is the depth of snow in cm for the past few years on November 20 (first number is for Sapporo, second number for Hakodate):

2006: 0 cm - 0 cm
2005: 1 cm - 0 cm
2004: 0 cm - 0 cm
2003: 0 cm - 0 cm
2002: 0 cm - 2 cm
2001: 0 cm - 0 cm
2000: 21 cm - 0 cm

Thanks Uji. I've been seeing conflicting info on this. Maybe I'll try to go in October when it won't be as cold. Still considering November, But people from Hawaii only see a low of about 65F. That's a 2 blanket night.

While some above questions may still be waiting answers I will jump in with one of my own.

I am planning a 3 week family journey through Hokkaido + Tohoku. We start on Sep 18, finish on October 8. The basic route spans between Sendai (Matsushima, actually) and the Shiretoko Peninsula.

My question: does it make more sense to start in Sendai and go northward, or start in Shiretoko (Memanbetsu airport) and make my way south? From a season/weather point of view, I mean.

It is to be a gently paced journey with baby, partly by rental car.

(Later I may start a thread with more specific itinerary questions.)

The autumn leaf sesaon usually reaches its peak in Hokkaido in late September to early October (earlier in higher elevations, and later in lower, southern locations and in above average mild years). That is just about when you plan to travel. On the other hand, you will probably be a little bit too early for autumn leaves in the Tohoku region.

I believe that you have a slightly higher chance of seeing autumn leaves at their peak if you travel from Sendai to Shiretoko rather than the other way around. So, that is what I personally would plan to do.

However, if you want to see autumn leaves in Daisetsuzan National Park and similar high elevations of Hokkaido, you may want to visit Hokkaido in mid to late September rather than early October.

The summer so far has been very hot. Although, it is too early to make forecasts, I feel that there is a high chance of this year's autumn leaf season to take place a little bit later than in average years.

Exactly the advice I needed to hear.