Asahikawa is the second largest city in the prefecture after Sapporo. The city is full of natural splendor, with the magnificent Daisetsuzan Mountain Range in the background and 120 rivers flowing through it.
It is also the gateway for tourism to Soun Gorge and the Furano area. Asahikawa’s thriving art world has led it to be called a town for art. Sculptures that made a famous sculptor dot the shopping park along Heiwa-dori Avenue, the road that leads straight from Asahikawa Station.
Situated on a hill overlooking the town, the Hokkaido Traditional Arts and Crafts Village is full of buildings resembling castles from the Middle Ages in Europe, and has the atmosphere of an amusement park. There is a gallery of works made using the world-famous Yukara-ori, the traditional textile fabric of Hokkaido, from which you can get a better understanding of traditional Japanese fabric.
Japan’s northernmost Zoo, Asahiyama Zoo is a one of the highlight of the city. The concept of the zoo is to provide an environment where each species can use their abilities and a space where each animal can relax. Visitors enjoy watching diving polar bear, a spotted seal swim in the narrow tunnel and more very close at hand.
Also, Asahikawa has a ramen-noodle area the equal to that found in Sapporo, and its countless ramen-noodle restaurants are always busy.
Getting Here
From Tokyo:
[Air] 1h 50 min from Haneda to Asahikawa Airport.
From Sapporo:
[Rail] 1h 20 min to Asahikawa Station by JR Hakodate Line (limited express).
From Nagoya:
[Air] 2h 5 min from Chubu Centrair International Airport to Asahikawa Airport
