The Donan Area, located in the southwestern part of Hokkaido, is renowned for its iconic spots like Hakodate, a bustling tourist hub, and Matsumae, famous for its Edo Period castle ruins.

However, beyond these well-known destinations lie hidden gems that capture the true essence of southern Hokkaido. With breathtaking natural landscapes, ancient historical sites, and delectable local seafood, the Donan Area offers a range of unique experiences waiting to be discovered.

Situated on the Oshima Peninsula, which extends toward Honshu, the region is surrounded by the sea on three sides, creating a mild climate with minimal temperature fluctuations and relatively little snowfall compared to other parts of Hokkaido. At its heart is Hakodate, the third-largest city in Hokkaido (after Sapporo and Asahikawa), home to numerous historical sites from the late Edo and Meiji Periods and one of the island’s top tourist destinations.

Yet, focusing only on central Hakodate would mean missing out on much more! The Minami Kayabe district in northeastern Hakodate is home to Chuku-Dogu, a hollow clay figurine dating back to the Jomon Period (3000–2000 BCE), and designated a national treasure. This artifact is part of the Jomon archaeological sites that stretch from Hokkaido to Tohoku and across the Tsugaru Strait. Recognized as World Heritage Sites in 2021, these ancient settlements have drawn significant attention for their historical importance.

The region is also rich in natural beauty, with places like Onuma and Mt. Komagatake offering opportunities for outdoor activities such as hiking, canoeing, and cycling. Southern Hokkaido’s seafood is another highlight, featuring a wide variety of local catches, from staples like kombu, tuna, and scallops to regional specialties like gokko (smooth lumpfish). These fresh ingredients are showcased in regional dishes and fisherman’s cuisine, providing visitors with a taste of the area’s culinary treasures.

From Sapporo, it's a 2-hour, 40-minute drive to Oshamanbe Town, the gateway to Southern Hokkaido, while reaching Hakodate takes about 4.5 hours. Fortunately, Hakodate has both an airport and a Shinkansen station (ideal for Japan Rail Pass users), making flying a convenient option, followed by renting a car. Other transportation choices include express trains and highway buses, so you can select the best route based on your schedule and budget.

Below is a summary of transportation options to Hakodate.

The Donan Area offers a wealth of attractions across 18 cities and towns, stretching nearly 190 km from Oshamanbe in the north to Matsumae in the south. With such a vast region to explore, smart planning is key to making the most of your trip.

We’ll highlight must-try experiences, all within a 90-minute drive from central Hakodate—your ideal base for exploring the area.

Approx. 30 min from central Hakodate
Next to Hakodate is Nanae Town, a nature-rich area known for its thriving agricultural industry. It is also the first place in Japan to cultivate Western apples. Local produce and Nanae specialties abound at Michi-no-Eki Nanairo Nanae rest stop, a favorite among tourists and road-trippers from Hokkaido. It consistently ranks amongst the top roadside stations in Japan.

One of the reasons for its popularity is the variety of local foods available at the eat-in corner. Exclusive to Nanairo Nanae is the Obara Guarana Soft Serve, a product of the local manufacturer Co-up Guarana. Other favorites include the Yamakawa Beef Jukuo Croquette, using beef sourced from Onuma’s own Yamakawa Farm, and the Apple Farm Premium Juice, crafted with Nanae-grown apples and known for preserving the natural color and flavor of the fruit. Whether you’re looking for a hearty rice bowl topped with seafood or meat or just want to enjoy the crepes and cakes at the cafe, this is a convenient spot to visit at any time of day.

There’s also a number of souvenirs and local specialties that are distinctly Nanae. One popular item is the Nanae no Megumi dressing set, a set of dressings and sauces made from Nanae green onions and apples. There’s also Hakodate Nanae Cidre, a sparkling beverage made from 100% Nanae apples. Staff members offer language support through the use of translation devices, and there are pamphlets available in 12 different languages, including English and Chinese.

And while it’s a great spot any time of the year, we highly recommend visiting during the summer when local produce is available, or between mid-September to late October when apples are in season!

About 40 min from central Hakodate City
One of Nanae's top attractions is Onuma Quasi-National Park. This area includes Mount Komagatake, an active volcano, and the lakes Onuma, Konuma, and Junsainuma, all of which were formed by past eruptions. The surrounding area has been designated as a national park.

This nature-rich region offers stunning scenery year-round, along with a wide variety of seasonal activities. In the summer, you can explore the lakes by sightseeing boat, rowboat, or canoe, or venture into the surrounding forests on a rental bike or Segway. For those seeking indoor fun, there are hands-on experiences like making your own ice cream or caramel!

From January to March, the lakes freeze over, creating a winter wonderland perfect for snowmobiling, sledding tours, and even banana boat rides on the ice. There’s also ice fishing for smelt and snowshoeing tours. With so much to choose from, there's something to suit every interest and make your visit truly memorable.

About 50 min from Central Hakodate City
Mt. Komagatake is an iconic symbol of Onuma Quasi-National Park, an active volcano with a distinctive shape that resembles a horse's back. The view of this mountain is stunning not only from Onuma, but from the surrounding highlands and pastures, making it a must-see for anyone visiting the Donan area in search of scenic landscapes.

As of July 2024, the summit remains closed due to volcanic activity, but visitors can still enjoy a hike up to 900 meters in elevation during the designated hiking period (June 1 to October 31, 2024). Drive up to the 6th station parking lot, and from there, it’s about a 1.5 hour hike to the final destination, Uma-no-se (Horse's Back), and about 1 hour back down. It's a popular beginner-friendly hike, and a favorite among visitors.

The trail gate is open from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., and hikers are required to fill out a climbing registration form available at the 6th station trailhead before starting. The trail gets steeper and rougher the closer you get to the summit, so it’s recommended to wear trekking shoes and bring hiking poles for your safety. From June to September, alpine flowers are in bloom, while in October, the mountain transforms with the colorful autumn leaves of the larch trees.

About 50 min from central Hakodate
Between Hokkaido and Tohoku, a culture of settled hunting and gathering emerged over a period of more than 10,000 years, from around 13,000 BC. In the Minami-Kayabe, 95 sites from the Jomon period have been identified, including Ofune Site and Kakinoshima Site, both of which are important historical sites and a part of the Jomon Prehistoric Sites in Hokkaido and Northern Tohoku, which were registered as World Heritage Sites in 2021.

Amongst these is the Ofune Site, a large-scale settlement housing the remains of over 100 pit dwellings, along with graves and storage pits. A pit dwelling is a semi-subterranean house dug directly into the ground which forms the floor, with posts to support a roof. The historical site has been well-preserved, with spots like Jomon-no-niwa (Jomon Garden), a reconstruction of pit dwellings and other structures, and Jomon-no-mori (Jomon Forest), where efforts have been made to restore vegetation from the Jomon Period.

About a 10-minute drive from the Ofune Site is the Hakodate Jomon Culture Center, where visitors can learn even more about the Jomon Period through exhibits featuring excavated artifacts and hands-on experiences like pottery making. Display explanations are also written in English, so don’t hesitate to come see it for yourself!

About 60 min from downtown Hakodate
Mt. Esan is a 618-meter-high mountain located at the tip of Kameda Peninsula, which juts out into the Pacific Ocean on the east side of Hakodate City. An active volcano that continues to erupt even today, visitors can drive up to the crater area.

One of Esan's highlights is the Ezo-yama Tsutsuji (mountain azaleas), which blanket the mountain in vivid shades of red. These flowers typically start blooming in early May and reach their peak by mid-month. During this time, the Esan Azalea Festival is held, centered around Esan Azalea Park at the foot of the mountain. During the festival period, events are held on a special stage and there are organized hikes on Sunday.

Esan isn’t just red in the spring. In late October, the leaves of the Sarasa-doudan (redvein enkianthus) shrubs turn crimson as well. The view of the mountain’s multicolored autumn foliage towering above the fiery mountainside is another breathtaking sight not to be missed!

About 65 min from downtown Hakodate
Just beyond Mt. Esan, along the shores of Cape Esan, you'll find a one-of-a-kind hot spring right in the ocean! Mizunashi Kaihin Onsen is a unique spot where the thermal waters from Mt. Esan’s volcano bubble up along the shore. The springwater mixes with seawater, cooling it down to a comfortable temperature for bathing. However note that it's only accessible during low tide, as the entire area is submerged at high tide.

Be sure to check the available bathing times on Hakodate City's website before visiting by visiting the website below:

Admission is free, swimsuits are allowed, and there are separate changing rooms for men and women.

When traveling from Mt. Esan, note that Route 635 is closed off on the south side, so visitors will need to take the western and northern routes, using National Route 278 and Route 231 instead.

About 65 min from central Hakodate
Located north of Nanae Town and northeast of Mt. Komagatake lies Mori Town, a fishing village on the Pacific Coast of the Donan Area. Mori is best known for its signature dish, Ikameshi, created by Abe Shoten. This dish features squid stuffed with a blend of standard Japanese rice and mochi rice, then simmered in a flavorful secret sauce. Since its creation in 1941, Ikameshi has also become a popular ekiben (station bento) at Mori Station.

While Ikameshi can now be found in packaged form throughout Hokkaido, Mori Town offers the chance to enjoy it fresh. You can buy it year-round at Shibata Shoten in front of Mori Station and at Lawson Fujimi.

One of the most famous scallop-producing regions in Hokkaido, alongside the Sea of Okhotsk, is Funka Bay. Located north of Mt. Komagatake, this circular bay faces the towns of Mori and Yakumo, and is known for its booming scalloping industry. But you won’t find these scallops in just Mori and Yakumo. Plenty of other towns throughout the Donan Region offer delicious fresh scallops and scallop dishes!

Thanks to modern refrigeration, freezing, and transportation technology, farmed scallops are available year-round. However, peak season falls in spring, when nutrient-rich waters flow into the bay as snow melts from Mt. Komagatake’s forests, allowing the scallops to grow even larger than usual.

The Donan area is also known for its booming sake production and expanding vineyards. There has even been news of wineries from France moving in, seeing the region as ideal for grape cultivation. Craft beer is on the rise too, with well-known brands coming from places like Hakodate, Nanae Town, and Otobe Town. In the town of Assabu, farmers have also succeeded in cultivating sweet potatoes, a crop previously thought unsuitable for cultivation in Hokkaido, and are now producing authentic shochu as well!

Amongst these beverages, sake is the most notable. With Hokkaido’s sake rice becoming more widely available and the reputation of its sake continuing to grow, there has been a revival of sake breweries in the area. In fact, in 2020, the Donan area saw its first new sake brewery in 84 years open in Nanae Town, followed by another in Hakodate in 2022—its first in 54 years.

While you can purchase these local sakes at liquor stores and souvenir shops, visitors are encouraged to check out the actual breweries, where you can sample and buy them in the brewery’s own shops.

Donan is also home to a variety of unique festivals and events. With a tradition of 380 years, one of Hokkaido’s most prominent festivals is the Ubagami Daijingu Togyo Festival in Esashi Town, located about 90 minutes by car from Hakodate. Held annually from August 9 to 11, this celebration features a procession of 13 ornate floats. Rooted in the fishing town of Esashi, the festival is a prayer for abundant harvests, plentiful catches, and the well-being of the local people.

Onuma Quasi-National Park hosts several major events in both summer and winter. In July, the Onuma Lake Water Festival lights up the lake with floating lanterns and a dazzling fireworks display. In February, the Onuma Hakodate Snow and Ice Festival transforms the frozen lake into a winter wonderland complete with ice slides and intricate snow and ice sculptures.

Other noteworthy events include the Yakumo Float Procession in Yakumo Town, one of Hokkaido’s three major Andon (lantern) Festivals, and the Shikabe Umi To Onsen no Matsuri (Sea and Hot Spring Festival) in Shikabe Town, where visitors can interact with local marine life. From traditional celebrations to those that are a bit more unique, the Donan area offers a range of events worth exploring during your travels.

・Plan a Single Route: To maximize efficiency, plan your trip along a single route rather than doubling back. The two main access points are Sapporo/New Chitose Airport and Hakodate City.

・Accommodation Options: While Hakodate has the most lodging choices, consider staying in Onuma if exploring the northern side, or Esashi for the western side.

・Donan Free Pass: If using JR trains, the Donan Free Pass offers unlimited travel between Sapporo/New Chitose Airport and towns like Otaru, Noboribetsu, and Hakodate, covering express, rapid, and local trains.

・Car Rental for Flexibility: Public buses are available in some regions, but service may be limited. For greater flexibility, renting a car is recommended.

The Donan Area may be vast, but each town has its own unique character. Whether you’re interested in history, outdoor adventures, or fresh, delicious seafood, a tour of the Donan Area offers a range of experiences for everyone. The region is also becoming a hotspot for sake production, with an increasing trend of pairing local drinks with regional specialties.

Donan is also one of Hokkaido’s few areas with relatively light snowfall, making it more convenient for winter travel in comparison to other parts of the region. And despite the lighter snow, you can still enjoy winter sports like skiing and other seasonal activities! Every season brings its own highlights, so no matter how many times you visit, there's always something new and exciting to discover!


English translation by: Krys Suzuki