1 Tour Famous Cherry Blossom Spots on an Open-Top Bus: The 'Hokuto Cherry Blossom Corridor Tour Bus' (Hokuto City)

Image source: Hokuto City Tourism Association

This day-trip bus tour takes you through the 'Hokuto Cherry Blossom Corridor,' connecting the famous cherry blossom spots of Hokuto City. You can fully enjoy some of Southern Hokkaido's best cherry blossom viewing locations, such as the weeping cherry tree at Hokiji Temple, the Cherry Blossom Tunnel at the Matsumae Domain Togirichi Jinya Ruins, the Onogawa River Cherry Blossom Avenue, and the Kiyokawa Senbonzakura (Thousand Cherry Trees).

Image source: Hokuto City Tourism Association

The bus is a special open-top vehicle, offering a breathtaking view of the cherry blossoms flowing overhead. Furthermore, the night cruise offers a different atmosphere from the daytime tour.

2 Enjoy Kuriyama's Representative Local Flavors and Traditions: The 'Kuriyama Old-Established Shops Festival 2024' (Kuriyama Town)

Image source: Old-Established Shops Festival Official Website

This is a popular annual festival that draws large crowds to Kuriyama Town. It features the 'Kita no Nishiki Sake Brewery Festival' by Kobayashi Sake Brewery, which produces popular Hokkaido rice sake brands like 'Kita no Nishiki,' and the 'Kibi Dango Festival' by Tanida Seika Confectionery, known for its 'Nippon Ichi Kibi Dango' with its familiar Momotaro packaging. The 'Furusato Inaka (Hometown Countryside) Festival,' which brings together local restaurants and more, is also held on the same days.

Image source: Old-Established Shops Festival Official Website

At the 'Kita no Nishiki Sake Brewery Festival,' the Kobayashi Sake Brewery opens its doors to the public just once a year for this occasion. Festival-exclusive sake is sold, which can of course be enjoyed on-site. The 'Kibi Dango Festival' offers tours of the Tanida Seika factory, as well as sales of sweets unique to Kuriyama Town. And at the 'Furusato Inaka Festival,' there will be food stalls with delicious local gourmet food and a grand lottery.

3 A Rare Chance to Touch Fossils: 'Let's Become a Fossil Expert! 2024 Golden Week' (Mikasa City)

Image source: Mikasa City Museum

The Mikasa City Museum, known as Japan's number one ammonite museum with around 1,000 fossils discovered in Hokkaido on display, is hosting an event during Golden Week where visitors can have fun learning about fossils through hands-on experiences.

Image source: Mikasa City Museum

At the event, children can enjoy experiences like 'exhibit commentary tours,' 'making fossil replicas,' and 'fossil cleaning.' In addition to fossils, there are also exhibits on the history of Mikasa City, which are recommended for a thorough look after the fossil experience.

4 Carp Streamers Fluttering in a Popular Hot Spring Town: The '38th Jozankei Onsen Keiryu Koinobori' (Sapporo City)

Image source: Jozankei Tourist Association

Celebrating its 38th year, this event is a spring tradition in Jozankei Onsen. Carp streamers of all sizes, collected from within the city and across Hokkaido, flutter in the sky throughout Jozankei Onsen, one of Hokkaido's leading hot spring areas.

Image source: Jozankei Tourist Association

The sight of the koinobori against the changing Jozankei landscape—with mountains still beautifully capped with snow, cherry blossoms painting the hot spring town pink, and the fleeting spring foliage—heralds the arrival of spring. Why not relax with a hot spring bath and be soothed by the sight of carp swimming in the sky?

5 Learn Geography While Having Fun: The '1st Watershed Puzzle Making' Workshop (Kitahiroshima City)

Image source: Little Free Library & Museum Chiisana Ho

This workshop is hosted by 'Little Free Library & Museum Chiisana Ho,' a small, unmanned library in the front yard of a home in Kitahiroshima City. While they have held various workshops before, this time it's being held under the new theme 'Let's start a geography club.'

The first meeting of the geography club will involve creating a puzzle of Hokkaido with pieces divided by 'watersheds.' It's an event filled with the unique warmth of Chiisana Ho, where adults and children can enjoy geography together while chatting.

6 Fireworks Launched from the Lake: The '43rd Lake Toya Long-Run Fireworks Festival' (Toyako Town)

Image source: Toyako Onsen Tourist Association

Toyako Onsen is a resort area popular not only within Hokkaido and Japan but also internationally, boasting beautiful nature and excellent hot spring quality. The 'Lake Toya Long-Run Fireworks Festival' is a famous event held here over a period of six months. During the festival, fireworks are launched from the surface of Lake Toya every night, delighting hotel guests and other visitors.

Image source: Toyako Onsen Tourist Association

A unique feature of this fireworks festival is that the fireworks are launched from a boat moving across Lake Toya. This means they can be seen from various locations in the hot spring town, and depending on the hotel, you can even enjoy the approaching fireworks from your room window or an open-air bath.

7 Delivering Stories Through Music: 'Storytelling Love Flute: Chiisana Ehon'ya Hidamari 30th Anniversary Special' (Sapporo City)

Image source: Chiisana Ehon'ya Hidamari

To commemorate the 30th anniversary of 'Chiisana Ehon'ya Hidamari,' a picture book specialty store in Sapporo's Shin-Hassamu district, a reading and music event called 'Storytelling Love Flute' will be held, delivering stories set to the improvised music of a Love Flute (Native American flute).

Image source: Chiisana Ehon'ya Hidamari

In conjunction with the 'Chiki Kikuchi: Draft Picture Book Original Art Exhibition' being held at the store, picture books by Chiki Kikuchi will be performed through 'storytelling & music.' The beautiful tones of Shoichi Ono's Love Flute and the gentle voice of reader Yuu Usagi, who is also a picture book therapist, will draw you into the world of the picture books.

8 236 Carp Streamers Swimming Above the River: The '34th Rekifune River Seiryu Koinobori' (Taiki Town)

Image source: Taiki Town

The Rekifune River, which flows 64.7 km through Taiki Town, is a clear stream that was once chosen as the most beautiful river in Japan. Every year from late April to early May, many koinobori (carp streamers) swim above the Rekifune River. In a nod to National Route 236, which the venue is on, 236 carp streamers are displayed, and it has now become a spring tradition in Taiki Town.

Image source: Taiki Town

The displayed koinobori are ones that are no longer used in the town, making it an event filled with the memories of the townspeople. Smaller koinobori are also set up on the riverbank as a photo spot, so you can take commemorative photos to create new memories.

9 Experience the Spring Nature of Bifuka: The '26th Bifuka White Birch Sap Spring Festival' (Bifuka Town)

Image source: Bifuka White Birch Sap Enjoyment Association

The '26th Bifuka White Birch Sap Spring Festival' is an event where you can enjoy the arrival of spring in the thawing town of Bifuka. You can experience harvesting precious white birch sap, which can only be collected from mid-April to early May. In addition to the sap harvesting experience, other activities are available to experience nature.

Image source: Kamikawa General Subprefectural Bureau

In the sap harvesting experience, you can try everything from drilling a hole in the tree trunk. After harvesting, you can also enjoy snowshoeing and test riding a snowmobile. Stalls will be set up at the event, selling cosmetics made with white birch sap, specialty products from Bifuka Town, and spring-dug potatoes.