Ainu culture, Cycling and Hiking adventure in Hokkaido, Japan

This week, I will be going on an adventure to the prefecture of Hokkaido, Japan.

Hokkaido is full of nature, wildlife, fantastic hiking and cycling opportunities, and Ainu culture worth discovering. The cuisine is also brilliant in Hokkaido, with many of the ingredients grown locally around the prefecture.

Starting in Lake Toya, I will hike around the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark, enjoy the lake views from my room and try a bowl of Soup Curry.

After that, I’ll be heading to Biratori to learn about the Ainu culture, make Ainu crafts and walk around the forest.

Then, I will follow in the footsteps of the late explorer Isabella Bird, which has been turned into an official trail ending in Yoshitsune Shrine.

Lastly, I will head to Nukabira Lake to explore the outdoors and enjoy two cycling adventure days: one to Mikuni Hill and the other to Naitai Terrace Highland.

What are we waiting for? Let’s go on an adventure to Hokkaido!

Here is my adventure summer guide to exploring Hokkaido, Japan:

Fly Directly into Chitose Sapporo International Airport

Did you know that you can fly directly into Chitose Sapporo International Airport?

I flew with Cathay Pacific and could fly directly into this incredible international airport from Hong Kong without switching to Tokyo for a domestic flight to Sapporo.

You can arrive in Hokkaido, Japan, and start your adventure immediately. How cool is that!

Chitose Sapporo International Airport has loads to offer visitors, from great shopping to its own onsen, cinema and ramen section for travellers to enjoy.

Lake Toya and Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace

There’s no better introduction to Hokkaido, than enjoying a sunset view of Lake Toya from your lake view room at Manseikaku Hotel Lakeside Terrace Hotel.

Not only do the rooms offer wonderful views of Lake Toya, but they also have a wonderful onsen that guests can use, buffet dining options for breakfast and dinner, and nighttime fireworks on special occasions over the lake.

It’s a great place to stay while in Lake Toya. They have a wonderful cafe spot on the ground floor called Blossom Coffee, which is not to be missed.

Hike around the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark

If visiting Lake Toya, you must hike around the Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark.

In the year 2000, an eruption caused Mount Usu to form magma underneath the ground, shifting much of the surface upwards.

Luckily, all the residents were evacuated safely, and no one was hurt. Unfortunately, the destruction caused massive damage to the area around Lake Toya.

This was especially true of the Japanese highway at the time, where most of the ground had shifted upwards and destroyed many of the surrounding homes.

For twenty-four years after the natural disaster, the whole area could not be accessed. It was cut off from civilisation for many years.

This allowed nature to grow back into place and take over much of the landscape.

This makes Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark a rather interesting hiking route. You can see most of the highway broken up and shifting upwards, as well as lots of vegetation and trees growing where cars would usually have driven in the past.

You’ll also see houses on a slant that the magma has pushed up, and see what nature has done after 24 years of growth around what used to be a community.

Our guide for the day has special permission to access areas of the footpath that visitors can not usually visit. This is a plus when hiring a guide to explore Toya-Usu UNESCO Global Geopark.

For educational purposes, you can walk around volcanic craters along the highway, look at abandoned houses, and access many closed-off areas of the hiking route.

The hike puts the power of nature and volcanic activity into perspective. It gives you an understanding of how powerful nature can be.

Mount Usu is still an active volcano; based on historical data, an eruption is predicted to happen soon.

Before departing from Lake Toya, try the Hokkaido classic dish, Soup Curry, at HLAHAL for lunch. It’s an excellent choice here; I went for the lamb option with extra spice to keep the heat, as this dish is delicious.

Hiking the Isabella Bird Footpath

Isabella Bird was an early explorer from the UK who visited Japan in 1878 when many Westerners had yet to see it.

One of the main reasons she wanted to explore the Biratori region was to learn more about the local Ainu culture.

The footpath has since been modernised with roads and bridges, making the route much easier to pass through compared to the rugged terrain Isabella Bird would have expected to face at the time.

You can follow in Isabella Bird’s footsteps by walking the easily marked trail signposts that will guide you along the route.

By hiking the Isabella Bird Footpath, you can take the exact trail she took all those years ago.

The path will take you on a 15-km journey, passing forests, horse fields, rivers, and rice fields.

The footpath ends at Yoshitsune Shrine, which is dedicated to Minamoto no Yoshitsune. He was the younger brother of Minamoto no Yoritomo, the first Shogun of the Kamakura era from 1192 to 1199.

Enjoy a tasty local lunch at Ikoi pork cutlet restaurant before heading off.

-Biratori Onsen Yukara Hotel

If you’re visiting Biratori, I highly recommend the Biratori Onsen Yukara Hotel.

There are private, traditional Japanese-style guest rooms; my room even has a private onsen. Very exclusive indeed!

They even have a Glamping option if you’re feeling adventurous.

This is a delightful place to stay in Biratori. It offers wonderful dining set options and showcases local flavours for you to enjoy during your stay.

Learning About the Ainu Culture in Biratori

Make sure you visit the Nibutani Ainu Museum, where you will find an incredible display of historical Ainu items and handmade crafts, traditional clothing and canoes.

I found the museum most interesting to learn about the Ainu traditions and culture, which I didn’t know much about before my visit.

Then, enjoy a traditional Ainu dance in a Chise followed by a traditional Ainu cuisine Lunch. We had wild deer stew, which was delicious.

You can also participate in an Ainu Traditional Crafts Workshop. You’ll get to learn about the different types of woodwork and Ainu designs used in everyday life, what the patterns represent, and how to engrave them into the wood.

Before you go, visit the traditional Ainu craft shops to see some wonderful displays of different products and designs.

Ainu Cultural Experience in iwor Forest

After, head out into nature on an Ainu Cultural Experience in the iwor Forest.

First, we make an offering before entering the forest. The Ainu pray to the kamuy by lighting a fire and then offering broken tobacco leaves which we scattered around the forest.

Your Ainu wilderness guide will explain how the Ainu people traditionally have used the forest around them to survive and conduct their way of life.

You’ll learn about Ainu hunting skills, shelters, and how the Ainu people use wildflowers to create medicine.

After the introduction and offerings, you’ll take an educational walk in the iwor forest. Your guide will share loads of practical Ainu knowledge on how to use things that are found around us in the forest to live a more prosperous life.

Nukabira Lake and Nukabirakan Kanko Hotel

Welcome to Nukabira Lake. There are not many accommodation options here, but Nukabirakan Kanko Hotel comes to the rescue.

This is a rather traditional Japanese hotel that has been left, stuck in a time machine and has a beautiful charm about the place.

I highly recommend opting for a traditional Japanese room rather than a Western room, which is far better.

Also, take advantage of the relaxing options available to hotel guests.

You have two to choose from, and they rotate each morning and night for females and males, so you can try both each day.

All the hot water in the onsen is naturally sourced directly from the hot spring. It’s lovely to soak in after a long day of cycling, that’s for sure.

Go on a Nukabira Lake Stroll

Enjoy a stroll around Nukabira Lake and lunch at Bistro Fuka. They serve a Wild Garlic Hamburger, which is a must-try in the area.

Higuma Café has been open for more than 40 years and has wonderful views of the lake. I highly recommend the coffee and the creme brulee set.

Remember to also stop off at Higashitaisetsu Nature Center and check out the impressive butterfly collection. They also have an amazing collection of wildlife from around the area.

Day One: Mikuni Hill Cycling Tour

It’s time to move on to the cycling section of the adventure trip to Hokkaido and put our bikes into gear.

Introducing Day One: Mikuni Hill Cycling Tour.

The route forms part of the Tokapuchi400 cycling path. This section heads towards Mikuni Hill starting from Lake Nukabira.

Today, the plan is to cycle part of the Japan National Cycle Route, the only one in Hokkaido.

Today’s journey is 65 kilometres long and takes around 5 hours to complete.

Starting from Nukabira Lake, we will follow the cycling path along the old railway track that is no longer in use. This railway used to support the lumber industry and the many communities that lived around it back in the day.

To break up the journey, you can visit the abandoned railway track and some of the stations along the route, as well as enjoy scenic views of the lake and the national park.

After the uphill cycle, you’ll reach the top, where you will be rewarded with stunning vista views of the National Park.

Once you’ve reached the top, be sure to enjoy ice cream and coffee and the amazing cafe station at the viewing station.

Day Two: Naitai Terrace Highland Cycling Tour

Moving on to day two of our cycling adventure – today we travelled along a three-hour route that was around 20 kilometres long. Even though it was half the time and distance of yesterday, it was more challenging because it was uphill.

The aim was to head towards the Naitai Terrace in the Naitai Highlands.

On the way, you pass by many farmers’ fields famous for grazing cattle and crops – this stretch is about 13 km long.

Once you reach the gate of Naitai Terrace, you have 7km of uphill cycling.

The day we went up, the road was foggy, but we could still see the happy cows in the fields.

Once you make it to the top, I hope you have a less foggy day and a better view. At the top enjoy an ice cream, which is a must on any visit to Naitai Terrace.

A great way to end my trip in Hokkaido is with an incredible lunch at La Table de Kamishihoro. They served up a beef stew and tasty chunks of cut Hokkaido Wagyu beef that sizzled on the hot plate along with some tasty grilled potatoes.

The perfect way to end the trip.