One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Asahikawa旭川市
Hokkaido's second city, with Daisetsuzan on the skyline
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Hokkaido's second city and the gateway to Daisetsuzan National Park. Home of shoyu ramen and Asahiyama Zoo's famously close-up animal enclosures.
Asahikawa sits in the middle of the Kamikawa basin where the Ishikari River gathers its tributaries, ringed by the Daisetsuzan range to the east. It is Hokkaido's second-largest city and the transport hub of the north: trains fan out to Furano, Wakkanai and Abashiri, and the airport is twenty minutes away. Most visitors come for Asahiyama Zoo and shoyu ramen, then use the city as a base for Biei, Sounkyo and Asahidake. It is also a proper city in winter, with one of the coldest downtowns in Japan and a snow festival to match.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~165 km · 2.5 h summer / 3 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~151 km · 2.3 h summer / 2.8 h winter
- Best season in Kamikawa
- Choose dates around the flowers, autumn foliage or winter scenery you want to see. Check local conditions and seasonal transport before booking.
Asahikawa at a glance
Drive estimates: straight-line × 1.35, at 65 km/h (summer) / 55 km/h (winter). How we calculate
What to see in Asahikawa
Asahiyama Zoo
旭山動物園
The city zoo on a hill east of downtown, famous for enclosures that put you underneath swimming polar bears and penguins. The winter penguin walk draws crowds from across Japan.
Kamuikotan
神居古潭
A gorge on the Ishikari River at the western edge of the city, where the water squeezes between dark rocks. An old station building and a suspension footbridge stand at the site, sacred in Ainu tradition.
Asahikawa Winter Festival
旭川冬まつり
Held each February on the riverbank near downtown, with giant snow sculptures, ice carvings along the shopping street and fireworks over the snow.
Arashiyama and the Northern Wildflower Garden
嵐山と北邦野草園
A low forested hill on the city's western edge with a lookout over the whole Kamikawa basin and a public garden of native northern plants that flowers from spring.
Getting to Asahikawa
Asahikawa Airport, in neighboring Higashikagura, is about 35 minutes from the city centre by bus. Limited express trains from Sapporo take about 85 minutes; by car it is around two hours on the Doo Expressway. From Asahikawa station the Furano, Soya and Sekihoku lines head south, north and east.
Kamikawa region: Asahikawa Airport and Asahikawa Station are useful entry points. Plan the onward journey separately: reaching a railway station is not the same as reaching a flower farm, the Blue Pond or a mountain ropeway. Check seasonal bus services and the last return departure.
When to visit Asahikawa
June to September is the comfortable window for the zoo and day trips into the mountains. February brings the winter festival and the penguin walks, but expect deep cold. Late September is when Daisetsuzan's early autumn colors start above the city.
What to eat in Asahikawa
Shoyu ramen with a lard-topped soy broth is the city's dish, served in dozens of shops. Asahikawa also has three working sake breweries fed by Daisetsuzan snowmelt, and shinko-yaki, a whole grilled young chicken, is a local specialty. The basin around the city is rice country.
Asahikawa in context: the Kamikawa region
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Kamikawa is a large inland region of Hokkaido that includes Asahikawa, Furano, Biei and gateways to Daisetsuzan National Park. It is also the name of Kamikawa town, where Sounkyo Onsen is located. This page helps you choose between the region's sightseeing areas; use the town guide below if Sounkyo is your destination.
Towns near Asahikawa
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More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro