Tomakomai is an industrial port city on the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, about an hour south of Sapporo and close to New Chitose Airport. More about Tomakomai →
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20.7 km · 26–40 min by car
Drive 20.7 km south to the quay, about 26 to 40 minutes. By public transport the trip takes about an hour: the Rapid Airport train and a JR Chitose Line train to Tomakomai, then city bus 24 (Ferry Line) and a short walk.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Typical prices, approximate. Fares change with demand, traffic and time of day.
Ships berth at Irifune Quay in the West Port, a cargo area closed to the public except on cruise days, when a gate near Irifune Park opens. New Chitose Airport is about 26 to 40 minutes away by car and Tomakomai Station about 7 minutes, with JR trains to Sapporo, Shiraoi and Noboribetsu. No embarkation shuttle is published, so plan on a taxi from the airport or station.
Lunch ranges are per person at Tomakomai seafood market canteens, rice-bowl and ramen shops.
One of the area's main wholesale markets, with fresh Hokkaido seafood, vegetables and fruit, a row of canteens, and surf clams, of which Tomakomai lands more than anywhere else in Japan.
The city centre near the JR station, with restaurants and coffee chains.
Tomakomai is an industrial port city on the Pacific coast of Hokkaido, about an hour south of Sapporo and close to New Chitose Airport. Cruise ships berth at Irifune Quay, a cargo quay in the busy West Port inside a restricted area, with no passenger terminal; some cruises begin and end here. The city is a gateway rather than a destination in itself: within easy reach lie Upopoy, the national centre for Ainu culture at Shiraoi, the clear caldera lake of Shikotsu, the steaming volcanic valley of Noboribetsu Jigokudani and the parks and shops of Sapporo. Tomakomai lands more surf clams than anywhere else in Japan, and they star at the Plat Minato seafood market.
Beside Lake Poroto in Shiraoi, Upopoy is Japan's national centre for Ainu history and culture, with the National Ainu Museum, a traditional Ainu village, a crafts studio, a cultural exchange hall and park grounds. Adult admission is JPY 1,200, and under-16s enter free.
Formed by volcanic activity about 40,000 years ago in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, this caldera lake is Japan's second deepest, at about 360 metres, and known for its clear water, with views of Mount Eniwa and Mount Tarumae. Sightseeing boats with underwater windows show the lakebed and fish, and the lakeside hot spring area has a visitor centre and day-use baths.
Above the hot spring resort of Noboribetsu Onsen, this crater about 450 metres across steams and bubbles with vents and boiling pools, and supplies up to 10,000 tonnes of hot spring water a day to the town's hotels and inns. Boardwalks lead into the valley and to an observation deck, with a wheelchair-accessible ramp from the Park Service Center. Entry is free; parking costs JPY 500.
This green strip runs for 1.5 km from east to west through the heart of Sapporo, with flowerbeds, trees, lawns and sculptures. It is the stage for the city's best-known events, from vast beer gardens in summer to the Sapporo Snow Festival in winter, and food carts sell grilled Hokkaido corn. Entry is free.
