Spring Gourmet: Top Choices

Hokkaido's cuisine is famous throughout Japan and across Asia. Come with us on a Gourmet Tour to sample the best seafood, beef, lamb, Genghis Khan, soup curry, ramen, soft cream, dessert houses, cafes and many, many other great eats.

We visit a wide variety of gourmet locations - local restaurants, famous establishments, homestead farms and wholesale markets, to name a few - all according to your taste and budget. Springtime also offers fruit picking across Hokkaido, with strawberries and cherries leading the charge. Indulge in all-you-can-eat fruit picking; fun for the whole family.

Strawberry Picking

Cherry Picking

Sake Brewery Tours
Japan is the world's largest producer and consumer of strawberries, with most of the fruit being grown on the main island of Honshu. In Hokkaido, however, strawberries start fruiting in early to mid-May, and is the first fruit to ripen in spring. There are many orchards spread out across the island where visitors can partake in all-you-can-eat strawberry picking. 

​Our Favorite Orchards
  • Sasaki Orchard (Jozankei)
  • Sobetsu Fruits Village (Lake Toya)
  • Saeki Farm (Lake Toya)
  • Makubetsu Strawberry Farm (Kushiro)
Hokkaido's cherries are known for their naturally sweet taste and overall freshness. Some orchards, such as in Mashike on the Sea of Japan coast, have a national reputation for excellence. Cherry picking starts in late June and lasts until early August and includes all-you-can-eat sessions between 30 to 60 minutes in duration.

​Our Favorite Orchards
  • Cherry Mountain Farm (Yoichi)
  • Maruzen Sato Orchard (Mashike)
  • Zenseien Farm (Ishikari)
  • Tani Kanko Farm (Hakodate)
Sake from Hokkaido is famous for its high quality, which is derived from the excellent rice grown on the island and the pure spring water sources used in fermentation. Visit a sake brewery to learn about the ancient brewing techniques and to enjoy free samples. Some breweries are housed in historic buildings dating from Hokkaido's frontier era. 

​Our Favorite Breweries
  • Kunimare Sake Brewery (Mashike)  
  • Takasago Sake Brewery (Asahikawa)
  • Tanaka Sake Brewery (Otaru)

Genghis Khan Lamb BBQ

Genghis Khan is a dish unique to Hokkaido and an absolute classic! Most restaurants offer all-you-can-eat menus and a variety of meat (beef, pork, lamb). Spring onions, pumpkin and sprouts are added as garnish. You can choose family-run restaurants or famous institutions like Sapporo Beer Garden. Whatever your choice, you better bring your appetite.

​Our Favorite Spots
  • Sapporo Beer Garden
  • Hokkaido Beer Garden
  • Jin JIn Jingisukan

Ramen

While Japan, Korea and China all vie for the title of The Home of Ramen, Sapporo takes credit for miso ramen.  There are hundreds of ramen shops scattered throughout the city, most of which serve ramen in one of three flavored broths: miso, soy or salt.  Ramen lovers will want to visit Ramen Alley, a string of ramen shops in Susukino. Connoisseurs will want to venture to Asahikawa, which possibly has the best ramen in all of Hokkaido. 

​Our Favorite Spots
  • Ramen Sakurajima
  • Ramen Tetsuya
  • Meijinbou's Japanese Noodles

Soup Curry

Another of Hokkaido's great additions to the culinary scene, soup curry is just as it sounds - a mouth-watering curry broth with substantial vegetable, meat or seafood portions and a side of rice. Choose your own spice level, broth and rice amounts, and toppings such as cheese or coconut cream.     

​Our Favorites Spots
  • Soup Curry King
  • Samurai Soup Curry
  • Hiri Hiri Soup Curry

Sushi

Some of the best sushi in Japan comes right from Hokkaido, and you needn't spend a fortune either. The most popular type of sushi restaurant is Kaiten-zushi (conveyor belt). You can also visit a fish market, buy a bowl of rice on site, and point at the sashimi that you fancy. There are also mid-scale restaurants and hotels where a sushi course is part of a larger multi-course meal. 

​Our Favorite Spots
  • Hanamaru Kaiten-zushi
  • Toppi Kaiten-zushi (in Otaru)
  • Sapporo Central Wholesale Market
  • Washou Market (Kushiro)

King Crab & Oysters

Hokkaido is justifiably famous for the fantastic seafood, but the King Crab deserves special mention. At about 10,000 yen per 1.5 kg, it is not cheap, but the memory of holding the crab fresh from the tank before your crab-fest will leave a strong impression.
Hokkaido's oysters are also world-class. The large and delectable oysters are served raw, grilled, boiled, or deep-fried, all according to your taste.   

​Our Favorite Spots
  • Sapporo Central Wholesale Market
  • Otaru's Sankaku Fish Market
  • Washou Market (Kushiro)

Fishing & BBQ

We can arrange fishing tours around Hokkaido to give you an opportunity to reel in your own catch. We'll then cook a meal together at a beautiful outdoor setting along with a full BBQ. Fish varieties and fishing locations vary according to the season, with the Sea of Japan, Tsugaru Strait and Sea of Okhotsk being most popular.

Contact us for more information.