Hokkaido (北海道) Prefecture, Japan

Tokachi Plain, Hokkaido

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tokachi_plain_02.jpg
Author: satoshi sawada
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Hokkaido is one of the four main islands of Japan. It is also administered as one of the 47 prefectural-level subdivisions of the country. Covering an area of 83,453.57 sq km, Hokkaido is the biggest prefecture of Japan. However it is the least densely populated, with a population of 5.6 million people (2010 estimate).

The capital of Hokkaido is Sapporo. It has a population of 1.9 million people, making it the largest city in Hokkaido and the fifth largest in Japan.

Tokachi Plain, Hokkaido

Source: http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Tokachi_plain_01.jpg
Author: satoshi sawada
photo licensing

How to go to Hokkaido

By Plane
The New Chitose Airport (CTS) is the main airport for Hokkaido. It is also the third largest airport in Japan behind only Narita and Haneda, and the first airport in Japan to operate around the clock. Most of the international scheduled flights to this airport is from countries in East Asia and Australia.

By Car

If you are driving from Honshu, you can take the ferries from Tohoku to Hakodate in Hokkaido.

By Train

The Hakucho and Super Hakucho limited express services link Aomori in Honshu with Hakodate in Hokkaido. The journey takes about two hours and costs ¥5,340 one way. The train travels through the Seikan Tunnel, which measures 53 km (33 mi) in length under the Tsugaru Strait and is presently the longest undersea tunnel in the world.