Here are my favourite bicycle tours in Hokkaido
Most start in Sapporo where I am living. The distances are approx. distances from my home in Nishiku. Words like 'difficult' or 'steep' are purely subjective and other cyclists might have different standards to describe the profile of a course. Generally, I would describe something as 'difficult' when I have to use a 28 (front) / 24(rear) gear. National Routes have triangular signs with rounded sides and corners. Hokkaido Routes have hexagonal-shaped signs. Both have white numbers on blue ground.
Here
is a map of the tours
1. Sapporo-Otaru-Asari togei-Jozankei-Sapporo (ca. 110 km)
Follow National Route 5 to the west (heavy traffic). After Zenibako there is a slight up slope. On the level of the Highway there is a tunnel and then a descend to Asari. On the top you also have a nice view of the Japan Sea. In Asari take a left turn to Hokkaido Route 3 (to Asari Interchange and Jozankei). In Asari last supply with food. In Asari Onsen (5km from Asari) last vendor machines before Jozankei. The street then winds itself up in front of the Asari Dam, which looks quite spectacular. After passing the lake a ca 7 km difficult slope with several hairpins start (less traffic from here). Unfortunately no view on the Japan Sea. After the pass (altitude ca. 750 m) steep descend. After passing the Sapporo Kokusai Ski Area, steady descend. After a few tunnels you reach the Sapporoko and the street leads over the Jozankei Dam. One more tunnel and a steep descend to Jozankei. In Jozankei you follow National Route 230 (heavy traffic) to Sapporo.
2. Sapporo-Toyako-Sapporo (300km; 3 days)
2.1. Sapporo-Jozankei-Nakayama togei-Kitayuuzawa onsen (110 km)
From Sapporo follow the National Route 230 to Jozankei. Slight up-down before Jozankei. In Jozankei last supply with food and drinks. After Jozankei medium and steady slope to Nakayama Togei (50 km from Sapporo). After 2/3 of the slope is the Jozankei tunnel (ca. 1 km). Big resthouse on the pass and splendid view on Yoteizan. 7 km descend along a river, then a few kilometers in the valley. In Kimobetsucho turn left to Toyako and Shikotsuko. After 1.5 km turn left and follow National Route 276 to Shikotsuko. You follow the valley for ca 12 km (only one convenient store at half way), then cross the river. 2 fairly steep ascends (ca. 3 km) and descends follow. Then turn right to National Route 453 to Ohtaki and Toyako Onsen. In Ohtakimura the next drink and food supply. At the entrance of Ohtakimura there is the Sankaitaki (approx. 1 km fromt he main street. In Kitayuzawa mura there is a nice rock formation in the riverbed, where the water flows shallow over a whitish flat rock.
2.2. Kitayuuzawa onsen-Toyako-Kitayuzawa onsen (80 km)
From Kitayuzawa Onsen follow National Route 453 along the river. After ca. 10 km turn right and take a short ascend to Toyako. At the lake turn left and take Hokkaido Route 5 to Toyako Onsen. On half the way you can turn left and visit the Showa Shinzan (fairly steep ascend). In Toyako Onsen you will meet National Route 230 again and follow it for ca. 5 km (heavy traffic). Then take a smaller street along the lake. Very beautiful and low traffic street with many camping places. At the north side of the lake this street will meet the Hokkaido Route 233 and will lead you back to the place where you arrived at Toyako. Then return to Kitayuzawa Onsen.
2.3. Kitayuzawa onsen-Sapporo (110 km)
same as 2.1.
3. Sapporo-Hamamasu-Tobetsu-Sapporo (200km; 2 days)
3.1. Sapporo-Hamamasu (80 km)
Take National Route 231 out of Sapporo. You will cross over the Ishikari River (narrow bridge, better to take the walkway) and go through Ishikari. From the hilltop after Ishikari you have a nice view of Sapporo behind you. Until Atsuta you will have a few up-downs and then follow the coastline. After a few tunnels you will leave the coastline. An ascend takes you to a 2km long tunnel and then is a descend to Hamamasu. On the whole way there are a few convenient stores.
3.2. Hamamasu-Tobetsu-Sapporo (120 km)
In Hamamsu turn right and follow National Route 451 to Hamamasu Onsen and Takikawa. Very few traffic. No food and drink supply for the next 40 km. Flat until Hamamasu Onsen (3km) and then steady and easy slope for the next 15 km. Then medium ascend and steep descend. After a total of 24 km turn right to Tobetsu and follow Hokkaido Route 22. Hilly up-down along the valley and medium up-slope before the Aoyama Dam. Descend and afterwards fairly flat. After 20 km on the Route 22 you will meet Hokkaido Route 11. After 3.5 km you have the possibility to turn left to Tsukigata and then in Tsukigata turn right and follow National Route 275 to Sapporo. When you don't turn to Tsukigata but continue towards Tobetsu you will pass a quarry and from there the traffic with trucks on a fairly dirty and dusty road will increase. After 22 more kms you can turn left and take a bypass to National Route 275 just before Tobetsu. If you continue to Tobetsu you will meet National Route 337 and turn left to National Route 275 towards Sapporo.
4. Sapporo-Otaru-Niki (55 km)
Take National Route 5 to Otaru (see 1.) In Otaru you can take a road along the ferry port and the canal. Upon leaving Otaru, the Route 5 climbs a hill and then descends to sea level again. After passing through several short tunnels you come to Yoichi (20 km from Otaru). Here, the Route 5 makes a turn to the left and after 5 km you are in Niki, one of the largest fruits growing areas in Hokkaido.
5. Sapporo-Shikotsuko (60 km)
From Sapporo take National Route 453 to the south. After Makomanai you come to Ishiyama and will pass by the Geijitsu no mori Museum. Around here is last the chance for drink and food supply. After approx. 5 more kms the street will start to rise and you will pass by the Makomanai Country Club. Within the next 20 km there are 3-4 up-down sequences, which are fairly tiring. Just before the last descend to Shikotsuko you can turn right to Hokkaido Route 673 climb up to Okotanpeko. When you go straight instead you will descend to Shikotsuko and arrive at lake-level at a camp site.There is a road which circles the lake of about 4/5 of its lenght. From the camp site to Shikotsuko han, a very touristic place, is approx. 10 kms. There you leave the lake and the road will climb a small hill. After 3 kms you will meet National Route 276 which takes you back to the lake, but the view of the lake is limited on this side.
6. Around Shakotan (140 km)
Start in Yoichi. Follow National Route 5 to the south. For the next 10 km the street follows the valley. Then there is a medium accend and a ca. 1 km long tunnel to a small pass (226 m). After the descend follow Route 276. After ca. 2 km turn right to Hokkaido Route 269 to Shakotan. Directly behind you is Yotei-zan. After 8 km you hit the sea shore and National Route 229. From here on the street follows the sea shore. After 40 km and many tunnels (there are more than 40 of them on the whole trip), you see a light house, a turn to the left after a short accend leads you there. After 15 more kms, Route 229 makes a turn to the right. You can continue along the sea shore aon Hokkaido Route 913. The route goes a little bit inlands and meets National Route 229 on a hilltop (150 m). After the descend you are in Bikuni, a famous place for fresh sushi. The street continues along the seashore and shortly before Yoichi is a small hill to climb.
This clockwise circumvention of Shakotan always has the seashore on your side of the street. The color of the water change from time to time and there are many beautiful rock formations along the coast. In the tunnels, I took my front light, pointing backwards, into my right hand. Thus car and truck drivers were very careful when overtaking.
7. From Yoichi to Sapporo (via Akaigawa) (80 km)
For this tour I took the 'Cycling Train' from Sapporo to Yoichi. If I have time, I will include a story of that train on these pages.
In Yoichi follow National Route 5 to the south. At the end of Yoichi take Hokkaido Route 36 to the left. Soon the street rises and after a few kms you are on top of a 340 m hill. The street then leads to the Akaigawa Country Club with the ugliest club house I have ever seen. A descend leads to Akaigawa, a town with no recognizable center, just a few vending machines. Soon you meet National Route 393 and continue along a small and nice valley. You climb steadily and at the end of the valley you can see the Kiroro ski area. Then the streets acends to 648 m and follows a small plateau with 3 peaktops. Soon after the last top, you have a magnificent view over Otaru and Tenjinyama. Hairpin curves lead down to Otaru and the follow Route 5 back to Sapporo.
Back to my homepage
