Central Circuit

The Central Circuit (道央 Dōō) covers the western and central parts of the northern Japan island of Hokkaido.

Cities and towns

Cities

• Sapporo 📍 (札幌市 Sapporo-shi) – Hokkaido's capital and by far its biggest and liveliest town
• Chitose 📍 (千歳市 Chitose-shi) – the gateways to Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Lake Shikotsu and Mount Tarumae
• Iwamizawa 📍 (岩見沢市 Iwamizawa-shi)
• Muroran 📍 (室蘭市 Muroran-shi)
• Noboribetsu 📍 (登別市 Noboribetsu-shi) – Hokkaido's best-known hot spring resort
• Otaru 📍 (小樽市 Otaru-shi) – port with international flavor
• Takikawa 📍 (滝川市 Takikawa-shi)
• Tomakomai 📍 (苫小牧市 Tomakomai-shi) – transportation and shipping hub on the south coast
• Yūbari 📍 (夕張市 Yūbari-shi)

Towns

• Hidaka 📍 (日高町 Hidaka-chō) and Biratori 📍 (平取町 Biratori-chō) – also home to the small village of Nibutani where 80% of residents are Ainu
• Kutchan 📍 (倶知安町 Kutchan-chō)
• Niikappu 📍 (新冠町 Niikappu-chō) – known for horse breeding, cliff artwork, and Deikazan (the only mud volcano in Japan) Mount Poroshiri
• Niseko 📍 (ニセコ町 Niseko-chō) – ski resort that draws visitors even from overseas
• Samani 📍 (様似町 Samani-chō)
• Shakotan 📍 (積丹町 Shakotan-chō)
• Shinhidaka 📍 (新ひだか町 Shinhidaka-chō) – thoroughbreds and beautiful cherry blossoms
• Shiraoi 📍 (白老町 Shiraoi-chō)
• Tōyako 📍 (洞爺湖町 Tōyako-chō)
• Yoichi (余市町 Yoichi-chō)

Other destinations

• Shikotsu-Toya National Park 📍 (支笏洞爺国立公園 Shikotsu Tōya Kokuritsu Kōen) – two beautiful caldera lakes with rumbling volcanoes and mossy canyons

Understand

Get in

Sapporo is the biggest transportation hub in Hokkaido.

By plane

New Chitose Airport (IATA: CTS) and Okadama Airport (IATA: OKD).

By train

• JR Hokkaido Hakodate main line
• JR Muroran main line
• JR Hokkaido Hidaka main line

By car

By boat

• Tomakomai port
• Tomakomai East port

Get around

See

Do

Buy

• Hidaka Kombu (日高昆布). Kelp (Kombu), which is harvested in this region, is famous as the "Hidaka Kombu". The beach of summer, sight is the dried kelp that is harvested can be seen.

Eat

Drink

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