One of Hokkaido's 14 regions
Hidaka日高
Thoroughbred country, cherry-tree roads and the windswept cape.
Hidaka is a region on Hokkaido's Pacific side, known for thoroughbred farms, coastal scenery and Cape Erimo. This guide covers the wider region, including Niikappu, Shinhidaka, Urakawa and Erimo; Hidaka town is one municipality within it. Decide whether your priority is a horse-farm visit or a longer coastal journey before choosing where to stay.
In spring, the Nijukken Road in Shinhidaka lines up cherry trees for kilometers on end. At the peninsula's tip, Cape Erimo juts into the Pacific in near-constant wind, with harbor seals on the rocks below — and the kombu harvested on this coast flavors soup stock all over Japan.
🧭 Driving routes along the coast use Routes 235 and 336. Without a car, plan bus connections for your specific destination: the railway between Mukawa and Samani closed in 2021. A bus to Erimo town is not necessarily a bus to Cape Erimo.
How to plan a Hidaka trip: horse country or Cape Erimo?
For a horse-focused visit, confirm which facilities accept visitors and at what times, then look for accommodation near your chosen stops in areas such as Niikappu, Shinhidaka or Urakawa. For Cape Erimo, allow separate time for the coastal journey and the cape itself. Avoid adding a long return drive to a day already built around fixed farm appointments.
- Niikappu: explore horse country
- Shinhidaka: Shizunai and the Nijukken Road cherry trees
- Urakawa: plan a stay in the horse-breeding area
- Erimo: prepare for a visit to the cape
Can you visit any horse farm?
Thoroughbred farms are working premises. Check visitor eligibility, dates and entry arrangements through the Racehorse Hometown Information service, then follow each farm's instructions. Do not enter fields without permission, touch or feed the horses, or use flash photography. A roadside view is not an invitation to enter.
Official farm-visit rules (Japanese, with an English PDF)
Getting around Hidaka without a car
Old itineraries showing a train journey from Mukawa to Samani no longer work. JR Hokkaido's regional transport page links to bus maps and operators; some intercity services require reservations. Check the final journey from the stop to your farm or hotel, as well as the return connection, before booking.
JR Hokkaido: Hidaka regional bus information (Japanese)
Cape Erimo: check the final journey beyond the town
Arriving in Erimo town can still leave a final journey to the cape. When choosing accommodation, check that connection and dinner arrangements, then decide whether to visit the cape before check-in or the next morning. Strong winds can affect a visit even in clear weather, so keep the outdoor portion flexible.
Cape Erimo's Kaze no Yakata: official access information (Japanese)
Itinerary and accommodation-area choices are NLH editorial suggestions. Official guidance checked on 11 October 2026; confirm current timetables and visitor conditions before travelling.
Hidaka highlights
Thoroughbred ranches
A renowned horse-breeding area. Farms are working premises; check which accept visitors and follow their access rules.
Nijukken Road cherry blossoms
Kilometers of cherry trees in a dead-straight line — one of Hokkaido's great spring sights.
Cape Erimo
A windswept cape where the Hidaka range dives into the Pacific, with wild harbor seals below.
Hidaka kombu
The kelp from this coast underpins dashi across Japan — taste it at the source.
The 7 towns of Hidaka
Click a town to jump to its entry
Hidaka日高町
Hidaka town is kombu country — the prized dashi kelp — with river rafting on the Saru and racehorse pastures inland.
Hidaka town page →Biratori平取町
Biratori keeps Ainu culture alive in the Nibutani valley — museums, craft masters, sacred lands — and grows the 'Nishipa' brand tomatoes.
Biratori town page →Niikappu新冠町
Niikappu's hills raise thoroughbred royalty; its Record Hall spins 1970s vinyl in a town that chose music as its calling card.
Niikappu town page →Urakawa浦河町
Urakawa is the heart of Japan's racehorse country — mare-and-foal pastures to the horizon, plus summer strawberries.
Urakawa town page →Samani様似町
Samani's Mt. Apoi is a UNESCO Global Geopark — rare peridotite geology with alpine flowers blooming near sea level.
Samani town page →Erimoえりも町
Erimo is the wind-blasted tip of the Hidaka range — a cape of harbor seals, kombu fishermen and weather with real opinions.
Erimo town page →Shinhidaka新ひだか町
Shinhidaka's Nijukken Road is a seven-kilometer corridor of cherry blossoms through horse country — one of Japan's grandest sakura drives.
Shinhidaka town page →