(Adnkronos) – Tokyo, Kyoto, temples, neon lights, crowds. For many, Japan is nothing more than this. But in the north, Hokkaido offers a completely different experience. It’s a journey where the sounds of silence, open spaces, and nature are the protagonists. While travelers worldwide seek to escape mass tourism – emphasizes Jiji Press – the island presents itself as a true alternative: a destination where traveling still means discovering. In an era when people choose their destinations based on TikTok and Instagram trends, Hokkaido sometimes goes unnoticed, precisely because it resists pre-packaged formulas. Here, vast volcanic landscapes, crystal-clear lakes, and tranquil villages remind visitors why they started traveling: not to collect famous places, but to reconnect with space and meaning.
Hoshino Resorts Tomamu – writes the Japanese news agency – offers all the comforts of modern life without isolating guests from the world. The rooms feature cozy hot tubs and large windows overlooking a hundred hectares of forest. The restaurant’s menu celebrates the local terroir, with artisanal ice creams, handcrafted cheeses, and wagyu beef sourced from regional producers. For early risers, the Unkai Terrace is the ideal place to admire the sunrise. The cable car ascends in the dark to the top of the mountain. From there, a path leads to the Cloud Round, a panoramic viewpoint and a series of suspended platforms that seem to float between sky and earth. Beneath the feet of astonished visitors stretches a sea of clouds that seems endless. The more adventurous can continue along the path for another twenty minutes, reaching a viewpoint that opens onto the valley with a 360° view. This place attracts curious travelers from all over Japan and those who deliberately avoid the most beaten tourist paths.
An hour’s drive away is another hidden gem: Lake Shikaribetsu. This is where Mr. Shimada and Ms. Lee work, two local guides deeply passionate about the region. He left Sapporo without any regrets. “I couldn’t stand being behind a desk anymore,” he says. She, originally from Taiwan, first came to Hokkaido for three months of volunteering and eventually decided to move here. At dawn, they accompany travelers to the lake or into the heart of the forest, where with a bit of luck they might spot a northern pika, a rare small mammal and living relic of the ice age. “Interacting with clients is the highlight. We love seeing the landscape through the eyes of visitors.”
In recent years, media worldwide have reported a worrying trend: the increasing number of bear encounters in Hokkaido’s villages. However, for residents and authorities, this is an opportunity to rethink the relationship between humans and wildlife and to find new balanced ways to coexist. In Shimukappu, wildlife specialist Urata works with the local population to prevent conflicts between people and bears. “Bears are not our enemies,” he says. “They are our neighbors.” The village has initiated surveys, training programs, and school workshops. Children learn from an early age to recognize animal tracks and understand ecological balance.
Urata explains: “Even if only some of these children remain in the village as adults, what they learn here will stay with them. I hope this is useful to them and, in turn, has an impact on society.” From Tomamu to Shimukappu, Hokkaido attracts those seeking more than just a postcard-perfect Instagram landscape. Those who come for a few days often leave transformed, and some, like Ms. Lee, never leave. As Japan refines its tourism model, Hokkaido demonstrates that even lesser-known places can redefine the very meaning of the word “travel.”
