Asahikawa is located almost in the center of Hokkaido and is the second most populous city after Sapporo. There are several ways to get to Asahikawa, which is easily accessible from Sapporo, including JR trains, buses, and rental cars. We will introduce the details of each method, including travel time and fares.

JR: The standard for transportation - special discount tickets available

JR is the standard way to travel from Sapporo to Asahikawa. There are two types of express trains, the "Limited Express Kamui" and the "Limited Express Lilac", and the journey takes about an hour and a half. If you ride at the regular fare, it costs 4,910 yen one way for an unreserved seat and 5,440 yen for a reserved seat. You can travel even cheaper if you use a special discount ticket.

Get 45% off when you book in advance online with "Tokkyu Tokudawari 1"

If you reserve your JR ticket through the website "Ekinet," you can purchase a reserved seat ticket at a 45% discount off the regular price. If you know in advance when you will be boarding the train, we recommend reserving your ticket through Ekinet.

Round-trip discount "S Ticket" available for purchase at ticket vending machines

Also, if you are traveling round trip between Sapporo and Asahikawa on the JR lines, it is standard to use the "S Ticket." The S Ticket can be purchased at the automatic ticket vending machines at the station before boarding the train.

Should I buy a reserved seat on JR?

The "Limited Express Lilac" that connects Sapporo and Asahikawa has one unreserved seating car out of six cars, while the "Limited Express Kamui" has two unreserved seats out of five cars. If you want to be sure to be able to sit down while traveling, we recommend purchasing a reserved seat ticket. The "S Ticket" is a round-trip ticket for unreserved seats, but you can reserve a seat at the ticket machine or at the Midori window for 530 yen (one way).

1. Select "Discount Ticket" on the reserved seat ticket machine

② Seat reservation for S tickets already purchased using "Seat reservation for discount tickets"

*S tickets that allow you to reserve a seat at the ticket machine are "orange" S tickets purchased at the reserved seat ticket machine. If you have a "green" S ticket, purchase your reserved seat at the Midori window.

Cheap "Express Bus"

About a 5-minute walk from JR Sapporo Station, the Chuo Bus "Express Asahikawa-go" departs from "Temporary Bus Stop No. 2" on the west side of the Nippon Life Insurance Building Sapporo. The journey takes about 2 hours in the summer schedule and about 2 hours and 30 minutes in the winter schedule.

Round-trip tickets can be purchased at the ticket counter behind the platform.

Enjoy driving through the rest areas along the way (Car/Rental Car)

If you are traveling on the highway from central Sapporo, get on the Sasson Expressway at Sapporo Kita IC and get off at Asahikawa Takasu IC. The journey takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes, and the highway toll costs 3,380 yen.

We recommend taking a break on the way, enjoying a meal or shopping at Iwamizawa SA or Sunagawa SA. At the Sunagawa Highway Oasis Hall, accessible from Sunagawa SA, you can enjoy Hokkaido gourmet food, soft serve ice cream, local vegetables, and more.

Enjoy your trip with the transportation that suits you best

In Asahikawa, you can enjoy attractive scenery and gourmet food, including the classic Asahiyama Zoo and Asahikawa ramen. Another great point is that it has good access to Biei and Furano. If you are coming to Asahikawa from outside Hokkaido, one option is to fly directly from Haneda Airport to Asahikawa Airport. Please enjoy your trip in a way that suits you, such as your time and financial situation.