Tour Duration: 6 days
Price : 450,000yen/person
Departure Location: New Chitose Airport
On this walking tour, take part in outdoor activities while learning about Hokkaido’s history and culture. The course is based on Sapporo Nanseki, a soft stone material recognized as a Hokkaido Heritage due to its value to future generations as well as its role in Hokkaido industry and culture. Focusing on the distinctive and frequently ignored theme of Sapporo Nanseki and exploring its history from its creation to the role it plays in contemporary lifestyles will give this highly satisfying course meaning, give you a thorough understanding of Hokkaido’s history and culture, and intensely pique your intellectual curiosity.
Day 1 – Chitose and Lake Shikotsu Area
The Sapporo Soft Stone is a welded tuff that has been compacted over millions of years and comes from the same pyroclastic flows that formed Lake Shikotsu during ancient volcanic eruptions in the Sapporo region. The excursion begins in Lake Shikotsu, the stone’s fabled birthplace.
For transportation to Chitose Shrine, meet your guide at New Chitose Airport at 13:30. Make a wish for luck and protection during your visit to the Chitose Shrine. After that, fill your own bottle with the spring water that is streaming out of the temple woods and taste its purity. Once there, you’ll receive a briefing on the tour’s main theme—volcanic activity—as well as the local interaction between the lake and the nearby mountains and a good Lake Shikotsu vista. Continue to Marukoma Hot Spring Resort to take advantage of the natural open-air baths that are well-known in Japan. Check in early so you can recover after your flight. At the storied Marukoma hot springs by the water, you may unwind and rejuvenate. Finally, dinner at Local Sockeye Salmon.
Day 2 – Fat Bike Ride, Clear SUP
Morning fat bike test ride at Nanajo Otaki Falls. You might encounter wild animals, such as the neighborhood deer. Enjoy the natural splendor that volcanic eruptions created 40,000 years ago.
Beautiful SUP (Stand up Paddling), a unique pastime that offers clear underwater views on Lake Shikotsu, kicks off the afternoon’s events. Observe the beautiful reflection of Mount Eniwa, one of Shikotsu’s three mountains, on the clear water’s surface. Enjoy complete lake views while standing, lying down, or sitting on your boat as you experience the raw beauty of the caldera lake formed by eruptions 40,000 years ago.
Day 3 – Hiking Koke no Kairou, a mossy canyon (Stroll on Snowshoes)
Explore Koke no Kairou, a Corridor of Moss created by the historical eruptions of the several volcanoes surrounding Lake Shikotsu. Enjoy the varying seasons’ vistas.
On snowshoes, stroll across the Bifue woods in the late afternoon. Take in breathtaking views of Mount Fuppushi, a hot spring resort town, and Lake Shikotsu from every angle.
Day 4 – Lake Shikotsuko Visitor Center, Canoe on the Chitose River
Your nature guide will provide you with information on neighborhood environmental conservation initiatives, as well as the history of Sapporo Soft Stone, a rock formed by the pyroclastic flows from the same volcano that formed Japan’s most famous caldera lake, at the Lake Shikotsuko Visitor Center.
The only river emanating from Lake Shikotsu is the Chitose River. Canoe through the river, take in the unusual winter scenery, and encounter wildlife. Numerous ruins from the prehistoric Jomon Period are scattered throughout the area around the Chitose River and its tributaries.
Visit the three waterfalls in Eniwa that were created by volcanic eruption: Rarumanai Falls, Sandan Falls, and Hakusen Falls. When the falls are closely examined, ancient pyroclastic flows and other volcanic aftereffects can be seen.
Day 5 – Sapporo Soft Stone Guided Walk
Learn about the history and processing of Sapporo Soft Stone as you snowshoe through the Ishiyama Green Space, a former quarry.
Meet locals at the Ishiyama Town Center and see the town’s many soft stone structures and products. Enjoy a taste of local culture by preparing rice balls with pickled plums from the area and dressing in genuine kimonos worn by locals.
Create a little stone house by carving and designing soft stones. You can use a sizable public bath made of Sapporo Soft Stone that is brimming with hot spring water from Noboribetsu City’s Karurusu Onsen.
Day 6 – Transfer to New Chitose Airport
Discover how the City of Sapporo was established and constructed before the Meiji Period, and take in exhibits of Sapporo Hard and Soft Stones, vintage maps, and ancient photographs of the city. Visit Little Juice Bar in a restored Taisho-era soft stone warehouse that was once a Sapporo warehouse (1912-1926).
Finally, make a prayer for a secure journey back home at this shrine, which is watched over by two Sapporo Soft Stone statues of lions and dogs.
