Hokkaido

Hokkaido is Japan's northern island, and it works as two different trips. In winter (December-February) it means some of the lightest, driest powder snow on earth at resorts like Niseko and Rusutsu. In summer (June-August) it means lavender fields in Furano, flower farms in Biei, and 20-25°C days while the rest of Japan swelters.

• Ski or snowboard at Niseko or Rusutsu — beginner lessons are easy to book
• Walk the lavender fields at Farm Tomita, Furano (mid-July peak)
• Hike Daisetsuzan, Japan's largest national park, or spot bears and eagles in UNESCO-listed Shiretoko
• Soak in the volcanic hot springs of Noboribetsu, the island's most famous onsen town
• Ride an icebreaker cruise through the drift ice off Abashiri (February)

Most of this sits within day-trip or overnight range of Sapporo, the island's capital. That page covers the city itself — the February Snow Festival, the food streets and the closest day trips like Otaru.

Fly. New Chitose Airport (CTS), 40 minutes from Sapporo, is the island's main gateway — about 1.5 hours from Tokyo with frequent budget fares, plus direct international flights from hubs like Seoul, Taipei, Hong Kong and Singapore. The train from Tokyo takes 8+ hours, so it only suits rail-pass users who enjoy trains.

Distances are bigger than the map suggests: Sapporo to Furano is about 2 hours, and Shiretoko is a 5-6 hour drive. Plan one base (usually Sapporo, or a ski resort in winter) and reach the rest by car or day tour.

Hokkaido doesn't squeeze into a first-trip Tokyo-Kyoto-Osaka route. Treat it as its own 4-5 day trip: winter for the snow, summer for the flowers — the island rewards either, just not both at once.