Niseko, located on the western coast of the island of Hokkaido, is widely known for having one of Japan’s biggest and most consistent snowfalls, averaging some 15 meters per year. In fact, it may be the snowiest place in the world, which makes it a pretty popular destination for Australians and the international ski market.…

Lake Akan, or Akanko (阿寒湖) in Japanese, is one of the clearest and most transparent lakes in Japan. You can have a clear view of its water up to 3 to 4 meters deep. It is located in Eastern Hokkaido (北海道) in the region of Kushiro (釧路), and is situated between two volcanoes, namely Oakan…

Kushiro is a town located in the southeast of Hokkaido. This port town is also known as “the town of mist” as it has many foggy days. Even in the summer, the weather will not be so hot and does not usually exceed 20 degrees. In this town lies one of the top 3 most…

Have you ever seen a ball of seaweed before? In Japan, it is a common sighting in Lake Akan in Hokkaido. These are algae which have grown into a large green ball popularly known as “marimo” in Japanese. They only grow in freshwater, thus, much is being done to conserve them. They have also been…