Hokkaido Winter 2025: Minimal Landscape & Wildlife

DATES

from February 7 to 15, 2025

TOUR’S HIGHLIGHTS

• Picturesque minimalist snow landscapes
• Japanese red-crowned cranes in the winter landscapes
• Whooper swans in the frozen lake
• Surreal landscape of the sulfur smoking volcano
• Stunning frozen lakes
• Fox and Deer
• Steller’s sea eagles from a boat
• Owls in the winter forest

ITINERARIES

Day 1 // February 7: Arrival at Asahikawa, Hokkaido

Official meeting point is Asahikawa Airport in Hokkaido. Participants should book a flight with the destination to Asahikawa Airport from your city via Haneda (Tokyo). We will pick you up at Asahikawa Airport and we will stay in a hotel nearby with a great hot spring. You can relax from the long flight. At night if you were not too tired, please join a dinner at hotel to know everyone.

Day 2 // February 8: Minimal Landscapes in Biei, Hokkaido

Through a day, we will drive through the amazing snow-covered hills of Biei and photograph very beautiful and artistic minimalist winter landscapes. We might encounter with foxes on the hills. Biei is full of minimal landscapes and every corner is picturesque. After photographing the amazing white landscape with the evening light, we will go to our today’s hotel in Biei.

Trees in Biei, Hokkaido.©Akashi Photos

Fox in Biei. ©Akashi Photos

A small house on a hill of Biei, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Fox in the hill of Biei, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

A lonesome tree in the snow landscape of Biei, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Trees in Biei, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Day 3 // February 9: Minimal Landscapes in Biei, Hokkaido

In the morning, we will go to photograph the stunning waterfall nearby our hotel. The waterfall is half frozen and the water river has beautiful blue color. Then, we will go back to the hills of Biei to photograph the minimal landscapes with different weather than yesterdays. The landscape of Biei changes constantly according to the weather condition. After lunch, we will head to another town where today’s our hotel is located.

Trees in Biei, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Trees in the snow field in Biei, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Iron structures for farming covered with snow in Biei, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Day 4 // February 10: Japanese red-crowned cranes in Kushiro, Hokkaido

After breakfast we will move to Kushiro, to photograph the Japanese red-crowned cranes in the wildness, one of the greatest attractions of Hokkaido for wildlife photographers. We will dedicate the whole day to photograph the majestic Japanese red-crowned cranes, visiting two different places.

Japanese red-crowned cranes in Kushiro, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Japanese red-crowned cranes dance in Kushiro, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Day 5 // February 11:  Red-crowned cranes at dawn, and owls in the winter forest

We will wake up before dawn to photograph picturesque landscape with red-crowned cranes in the river covered with the reddish mist just before sunrise. It all depends on the weather condition, but we will try to capture this amazing romantic moments. After this rising sun hour shots, we will go back to our hotel to have breakfast. After breakfast, we will go back to photograph red-crowned cranes arriving on a field from the river where we have just photographed this morning. We could photograph them flying or dancing after their landing. Then, we will head to a winter forest to look for owls. After photographing owls, we will head to the frozen lake famous for whooper swans to photograph them at evening light. On the way, we will also stop by to photograph winter landscape.

Red-crowned cranes in the river at dawn in Kushiro, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Red-crowned cranes flying to land on a field, Kushiro, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Owls in a winter forest in Kushiro, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Winter landscape of Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Whooper swans on a frozen lake, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Day 6 // February 12: Whooper swans, volcanic mountain, and stunning winter lake

After breakfast, we will go back to the frozen lake to photograph whooper swans landing on the frozen lake. If you want, you will be able to bathe in an outdoor hot spring bath just in front of the shore with the swans! After swans, we will photograph the winter landscapes around the frozen lake shore, we will visit the most sulfurous mountain in Japan. Columns of smoke rise from the rocky snowy mountain, and the smell of sulfur permeates everything. It is a surreal and mystical place. In the late afternoon we will arrive at a lake to photograph the stunning winter landscape. Then, we will retreat to our today’s hotel with amazing outdoor hot spring, one of our most favorite hotels in Japan. From the lobby of the hotel, you can photograph many kinds of birds, Japanese marten, and owl at night.

Whooper swans, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Fly fishermen on the frozen lake, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Winter snowy landscape on the lake. ©Akashi Photos

Mt. Io in Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Lake Mashu, Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Day 7 // February 13: Winter landscapes of frozen ocean

In the morning, we will head to another side of Shiretoko Peninsula. We will stop at a frozen fishing port to photograph the harsh winter nature of Shiretoko Peninsula. The ocean is packed with floating ice that drift from Russia. After the fishing port, we will stop at dramatic icy waterfalls, then we will proceed to a winter forest. We will take a pleasant walk in the winter forest. There are many photo opportunities of winter landscapes, birds, waterfalls, and if we were lucky, we will encounter with deer. After this pleasant walk in the winter forest, we will go back to our yesterday’s hotel.

Drift ice fills up the Sea of Okhotsk in Shiretoko ©Akashi Photos

A rocky island and the ocean covered with drift ice in Shiretoko Peninsula. ©Akashi Photos

Day 8 // February 14: Boat trip for Steller’s sea eagles & wildlife

Early in the morning, we will head to Rausu in the Shiretoko Peninsula, UNESCO world heritage site for its intact nature, to catch a boat to photograph white-tailed eagles and Steller’s sea eagles on the drifting ice in the Ocean of Okhotsk.  After the boat trip, we will have lunch, and move to another peninsula with full of wildlife such as fox and deer. After photographing this tiny peninsula, we will go to our hotel in Rausu.

Steller’s eagle in the Sea of Okhotsk.

White tail eagle in the Sea of Okhotsk. ©Akashi Photos

Deer in Hokkaido. ©Akashi Photos

Deer moving together in the evening. ©Akashi Photos

A family of deer at dusk. ©Akashi Photos

Day 9 // February 15: Boat trip for Steller’s sea eagles at dawn

Today we will wake up very early before dawn, and we will go back to photograph white-tailed eagles and Steller’s sea eagles on a boat. This time we will photograph them with early morning warm light. After the two-hour cruise, we will go back to our hotel for breakfast, then we will go to a local airport, Nakashibetsu Airport, and our tour ends here. If you go back to your country directly after this tour, please look for a flight from Nakashibetsu Airport to your town.

Dawn off the coast of Shiretoko Peninsula. ©Akashi Photos

Stellar’s Eagle in Shiretoko Peninsula. © Akashi Photos

Steller’s sea eagles in Shiretoko. ©Akashi Photos

Steller’s sea eagles on the drift ice, Shiretoko. ©Akashi Photos

Orca in the ocean of Shiretoko. ©Akashi Photos

Shiretoko Peninsula. ©Akashi Photos

SUMMARY OF THE TOUR

Toru Morimoto and Tina Bagué, both professional photographers, have organized a dream trip to Hokkaido to explore the northernmost island of Japan,. Hokkaido is the second largest island of the four main islands that make up Japan. Located to the north of Honshu, the northernmost point of Hokkaido is just about 40 kilometers south of the southernmost point of Sakhalin Island, Russian territory. Despite of occupying a fifth of the entire country, Hokkaido barely has 5% of the population of Japan. Its population multiplies exponentially in summer when Japanese tourists look for cooler weather to enjoy summer. However, from our point of view, and after traveling to the area both in summer and winter, we believe that there is no better time to enjoy nature and wildlife of Hokkaido than in winter. Hokkaido is absolutely magical place during this season. Akashi Photo Tours will take you to places with difficult access in Hokkaido to discover all the wonders of Hokkaido.

Hokkaido is synonymous to nature, pure wildlife and breathtaking landscapes. Traveling through its snow-covered minimal plains with trees, walking on frozen lakes or photographing Japanese cranes dancing in the snow are priceless experiences. The silence, the crunching of the drift ice or the whistle of the wind is Hokkaido’s daily soundtrack. For the all attractions that offer to people who love nature and photography, Hokkaido is often described as “the magic island”. Hokkaido keeps attracting travelers and photographers from all over the world.

We will travel in our private car or van, so we can stop anywhere we like . To compensate for the icy temperatures that usually occur in the winter months, Hokkaido offers many accommodations with hot springs that will be a real balm for the body at the end of a day to have a good sleep. Bathing in indoor and outdoor baths with its hot springs at 40ºC, with an outdoor temperature of -15ºC is an unique experience that you have to live at least once in your life! We will stay in some ryokans (traditional Japanese inns) with hot springs as well as in western hotels. We will also enjoy traditional Japanese cuisine, as well as authentic local food.

This photo tour is recommended for participants with adequate photo equipment for wildlife photography. We recommend to take at least 300mm lens with you. If you have 500mm it would be better.

PRIVATE TOUR

This is a PRIVATE TOUR which means this is a tour for a couple, family, group of friends. Participants do not travel with other people who they don’t know each other.

ACCOMMODATIONS & MEALS

During our photo tour to Japan we will combine nights in ryokan and western hotels. Whether they are traditional Japanese inns or western hotels, all of them are mid class with good reputation or selected by tour leaders from their experiences. The rooms will be basically single twin room (with two beds) or tatami room with futon on the tatami mat.

In this tour, all breakfasts and dinners are included. Any lunch is not included. Since we normally go to a restaurant together for lunch, you just choose what you would like to eat and you pay for it. Normally each lunch costs less than 2,000 yen.

If anybody has allergy or food intolerance problems, or is a vegetarian, we will try to make the necessary changes in the menus when it is possible.

Since this is the private tour, we can upgrade hotels and meals if you wish.

PRICE

The price will depend on the number of your group.

6-8  persons: ￥480,000 per person

5  persons: ￥500,000 per person

4  persons: ￥580,000 per person

3 persons: ¥680,000 per person

2 persons: ¥890,000 per person

• • • • *The tour price is fixed in Japanese yen (￥). When you make a payment, depending on the exchange rate with your currency,  tour price in your currency will change.

   

  RESERVATION

  • • • To make the reservation it is necessary to make a payment of the deposit of ￥100,000. Payment can be made by credit card.
      • Payment of the total cost of the trip must be made 90 days before the starting date of the tour.
      • All transaction fees that occur for reservation are paid by the payer of the reservation.

   

   

  The MIN. and MAX. NUMBER of PARTICIPANTS
  

  For the trip to be carried out, there must be at least 2 participant and maximum of 8 participants.

• TRAVEL INSURANCE
  

  It is mandatory to have comprehensive insurance cover for cancellation, medical expenses, personal accident, emergency evacuation, repatriation of remains, dismemberment, and accidental death. You have to give us a copy of travel insurance before the trip.

   

  CANCELLATION
  

  If the cancellation is made more than 91 days before the start of the tour, deposit will be refunded in full. If you choose to cancel within 90 days before the start of your tour, no refunds will be granted unless you show us official certificate of unexpected serious illness, hospitalization, and death of your family that made you cancel the tour. Deposit will not be refunded anyway if the cancellation is made within 90 days before the start of the tour. For more details of cancellation and conditions of refund of the balance due after 90 days, please read our terms & conditions.

   

  DRIFTING ICE & WILDLIFE
  

  The drifting ice and wildlife can not be guaranteed in any case. Drift ice comes and goes each year depending on the currents, the temperature, and many other factors that cause this natural spectacle. Sometimes we find wild animals very easily, but other times it is difficult to find them. It is important to keep it in mind that the organizers will not have any responsibility if there is no drifting ice or wildlife during the specific dates of the tour.
  

   

  MORE QUESTIONS
  

  If you have more doubts about any topic related to the photo tour to Japan, send us an email to: info@akashitravel.com