SUMMER IN HOKKAIDO IS BORING?! 🫣

Hi Zesties🍋!

Summer☀️ might be coming to an end soon, but I want to share my summer adventure in Hokkaido with you all!

When I first mentioned to my friends and colleagues that I was heading to Hokkaido during summer, the usual response was, “Huh, got things to do meh? Isn’t it boring?” 🤯 But my answer is a big NO!

There’s so much to see and do in Hokkaido that’s unique to summer! While Hokkaido is famous for its winter and snow sports, summer has its own charm too!✨

1) Otaru

This was our first stop! We went in early July, and even though it rained that day, the temperature dropped to a cool 15 degrees! Known for:

⭐️Otaru canal

⭐️Music boxes (there are tons of shops selling these!)

⭐️LeTao cheesecake (it’s a Hokkaido specialty and a must-try! Plus, they have huge stores offering other LeTao goodies!)

⭐️Lots of sashimi

⭐️Just Shop

2) Nijo Fish Market 🎏

This place is packed with shops selling fresh seafood and giant king crabs🦀. We actually went there to eat the crabs, and OMG, it was so good! The store owners cook and cut it up for you to enjoy right there. Highly recommend it if you haven't tried king crab 🦀or love seafood!

3)Jingokudani valley (also known as hell valley)

This is located above in Noboribetsu osen town inHokkaido. This spot is in an onsen area featuring a sulfur pond and they even have a onsen footbath in the mountain forest for you to chill and relax! If you love onsen ♨️, I highly recommend visiting or staying at Dai-ichi Takimotokan, which has one of the largest onsen bath areas I’ve ever seen! Super shiok!

4) Noboribetsu Bear Farm🐻

This was a super unique experience – a bear farm?! Definitely a first for me!

It’s up in the mountains, and we took a cable car 🚠to get there. We saw bear cubs (super cute!) and even bought treats to feed the bears by throwing them into their mouths from a distance.

There’s also a duck race🦆, which was just adorable, and you can bet on which duck will win!

5) Yubari Melon🍈 and Cherry 🍒 Picking

Did you know July is the season for Yubari melons and cherries? Yubari melon is like the wagyu beef of melons – it just melts in your mouth! 🤤 Some places even have melon buffets, which is pretty wild. They grade their melons just like wagyu, so you can pick and taste different grades! you can try any melon farm in Yubari!

‼️Take note there is also a melon farm in Furano but the melons taste different and definitely not as good it MUST be YUBARI MELONS!!! For cherry picking, we did it in Furano, which is not too far from Yubari.

Check out 📍Ohashi Cherry Farm! Eating cherries straight from the tree was a game-changer – so much sweeter and fresher than any cherries I’ve had in SG. A great way to get your daily fruit fix!

6) Tomita Farm 🌾

A MUST-VISIT if you’re in Hokkaido in summer! The vibrant flowers🌷 and lavender only bloom during this season, making it an absolutely stunning place for photos.

Pro tip: go early!

7) Furano Cheese Factory 🧀

This popular spot in Furano is located in a forest area. Honestly, it was a bit underwhelming for me, but you can find cheese products and try their ice cream and pizza, which were surprisingly good! 🤤

8) Ishiya Chocolate Factory 🍫 Home to the famous 白色恋人 (Shiroi Koibito Biscuits)! They have a whole museum and factory 🏭 here. We even got to try the giant Ishiya biscuit and watch the production process from a viewing platform 👀

9) Sapporo Beer Museum 🍻 Of course, we couldn’t miss out on the iconic Sapporo beer!

We toured the factory, learning about its history and production process. They offer various types of beer to taste, and there’s also cool merch to buy!

I hope this post inspires you to consider visiting Hokkaido in summer too! 🌞🍒

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