One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Makkari真狩村
Lily bulbs and spring water under Yotei's south face
Shiribeshi region · Otaru's canal, Yoichi whisky, Niseko snow and the Shakotan coast.
Makkari is Japan's lily-bulb capital, farming sweet yurine in full view of Mt. Yotei's perfect cone.
Makkari is a farming village on the southern foot of Mt. Yotei, and from here the mountain shows its most perfect cone. The village grows more edible lily bulbs than anywhere in Japan, a delicacy that fills the fields with white flowers in summer, and its spring water pours out of the mountain's base in a roadside pool where people queue with jerrycans. It is a slow place for drivers circling Yotei, climbers heading up the Makkari trail, and anyone who likes to eat what the volcano grows.
- Region
- Shiribeshi (後志)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~99 km · 1.5 h summer / 1.8 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~77 km · 1.2 h summer / 1.4 h winter
- Best season in Shiribeshi
- Winter for skiing around Niseko; summer for the Shakotan coast and Yoichi fruit, after checking current trail closures. Otaru works in any season.
Makkari 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 Makkari
Yotei spring water
羊蹄山の湧き水
Snowmelt that has filtered through the volcano for decades surfaces at the village edge in a stone-lined pool. Locals fill bottles here by the dozen; it is free, cold and the best-tasting thing in town.
Mt. Yotei Makkari trail
羊蹄山真狩コース
One of the four routes up the 1,898-metre volcano, starting from a campground on the village side. A long, steady climb through forest to the crater rim, with alpine flowers in July.
Lily-bulb fields in flower
ゆり根畑の花
The bulbs take years to raise, and every summer the fields turn white with lily blossom before the flowers are cut so the bulbs can fatten for the late autumn harvest.
Makkari Onsen
真狩温泉
The village's public hot-spring bath on a rise with Mt. Yotei straight ahead of the baths, the payoff after the climb or the drive.
Getting to Makkari
No railway. From Sapporo take Route 230 over Nakayama Pass to Kimobetsu or Rusutsu, then local roads into the village, about two hours in all. New Chitose Airport is a similar drive via Lake Toya or Route 276. Niseko's resorts are 30 to 40 minutes away around the mountain.
Shiribeshi region: JR links New Chitose Airport and Sapporo with Otaru. For Niseko, choose your hotel first, then a seasonal airport bus or JR with a local transfer. For Cape Kamui, change at Bikuni to the town bus and check whether it serves your stop on your date.
When to visit Makkari
July for the lily fields in bloom and the alpine flowers on Yotei, through September for the best climbing weather. Late October into November is lily-bulb harvest, when the bulbs go on sale fresh. Winter is deep snow and quiet.
What to eat in Makkari
Lily bulbs are the speciality, mild and starchy, served in tempura, simmered dishes and even sweets. The same volcanic fields grow potatoes, daikon and carrots, and the village raises pork known for its clean flavour. Everything is cooked in Yotei spring water.
Makkari in context: the Shiribeshi region
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Shiribeshi is a region of western Hokkaido made up of 20 municipalities, from Otaru and Yoichi on the coast to Kutchan and Niseko inland. In winter, Niseko and Kutchan are bases for skiing within sight of Mt. Yotei. In any season, Otaru's canal, stone warehouses and sushi counters make a day trip from Sapporo.