Fukagawa, Hokkaido: Things to Do on a Day Trip from Sapporo by Car

Fukagawa sits in the middle of the Sorachi plain, the rice country of central Hokkaido, with mountains on three sides and the Ishikari River running past. It is under two hours from Sapporo by expressway, and within 20 minutes of the interchange you can stand over the Kamui Kotan rapids, eat rice from the fields around you, photograph a catbus on a hill pass, and soak in a forest hot spring. I drove this from Sapporo as a day trip, and this is the route.

1Is Fukagawa worth a day trip from Sapporo?

If you want to see rural Hokkaido without a long drive, yes. Fukagawa is not famous, but the views over the plain from the hills are wide, the food is simple and local, and none of it is crowded except the roadside station restaurant at lunchtime. It also makes an easy half-day stop on the way to Asahikawa, Biei and Furano; in July you could pair it with the lavender.

Biei and Furano by Car: A Local's Route Around the Summer CrowdsA local's driving loop through Biei and Furano that avoids the summer traffic on Route 237, from Asahikawa or as a day trip from Sapporo: Farm Tomita, the Blue Pond, Tokachidake and the hills of Biei.

Still deciding where to go? I compare all the day trips I recommend from Sapporo in this guide.

Day Trips from Sapporo: A Local's Guide to Where to GoThe best day trips from Sapporo, chosen by a local who drives them: Otaru, Jozankei, Noboribetsu, Shakotan, Lake Toya and Biei, with drive times, train options and the best season for each.

2Driving from Sapporo to Fukagawa

From Sapporo: a little under two hours including a break. Take the Do-o Expressway toward Asahikawa and leave at Fukagawa IC (tolls apply).

From New Chitose Airport: a little over two hours on the same expressway. At Sapporo JCT, keep right for Asahikawa, not left for Otaru.

On ordinary roads, Route 12 takes two and a half to three hours, and on the way it runs along Japan's longest straight road, 29.2 km from Bibai to Takikawa.

Japan's Longest Straight Road: A Day Trip from Sapporo on Route 12A local's day trip from Sapporo on Route 12, Japan's longest straight road (29.2 km from Bibai to Takikawa): the monuments, Bibai's torimeshi and yakitori, haskap soft cream, a prisoners' memorial, farm gelato and a hilltop hot spring.

3A local's one-day route around Fukagawa

This is the order I drove, leaving Sapporo at 8:00.

Kamui Kotan

From Fukagawa IC, turn left onto Prefectural Road 79, then right onto Route 12 and follow it about 12 km into the gorge. Kamui Kotan, "the village of the gods" in Ainu, is where the Ishikari River bends hard through a narrow valley full of rapids and strange rocks. A footbridge, renovated in 2024, crosses the river, and from the middle you look down on the rocks; across it are the old Kamuikotan Station and three steam locomotives. Late October is the best time for autumn leaves. Free parking.

Kamui Kotan in Asahikawa: Rapids, Rocks and an Old Station on the Ishikari RiverA local's guide to Kamui Kotan in Asahikawa: the Ishikari River rapids and potholes from the footbridge, the old Kamuikotan Station and steam locomotives, autumn leaves, winter closures, parking and how to get there by car.

Roadside Station Riceland Fukagawa

Back toward the interchange, this roadside station is about rice: Fukagawa is one of Hokkaido's biggest rice towns. Downstairs, Kappogi makes rice balls from the local Nanatsuboshi and Oborozuki rice; upstairs, the restaurant Ajishirube Ekitei serves rice pots cooked to order. I recommend the chicken rice pot: add the soft-boiled egg halfway through and it turns into something like oyakodon.

Roadside Station Riceland Fukagawa: Rice Pot Lunch in a Rice TownA local's guide to Roadside Station Riceland Fukagawa: rice balls made with local brand rice, the chicken rice pot at the Ajishirube Ekitei restaurant, the menu, hours and parking, 1 km from Fukagawa IC.

Totoro Pass and the catbus

Two kilometers the other way from the interchange, on the slopes of Mt. Irumukeppu, is a pass whose name happens to be read "Totoro". Someone painted an old bus as the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro, and it has become a photo stop. The view down over Fukagawa and the Sorachi plain is just as good.

The car park is closed in winter (mid-November to mid-April).

Totoro Pass, Fukagawa: Hokkaido's Totoro Catbus Photo SpotA local's guide to the "Totoro bus" at Totoro Pass in Fukagawa, Hokkaido: an old bus painted like the Catbus from My Neighbor Totoro, the bus-stop timetable, the view over the Sorachi plain, parking and the winter closure.

Fukagawa Onsen Irumu no Yu

About a kilometer back down the hill toward the interchange, Irumu no Yu is the hot spring at Agri Studio Maabu, a farm-and-outdoors center with a campsite and cottages. The water is clear and smooth, the outdoor rock bath and tub baths face the forest, and the sauna is around 100°C with a very cold plunge. It costs 500 yen. Across the road, Appleland Yamanoeki Otoe sells cider made from Fukagawa apples.

Fukagawa Onsen Irumu no Yu: A Forest Hot Spring for 500 YenA local's guide to Fukagawa Onsen Irumu no Yu at Agri Studio Maabu: a clear, smooth hot spring with forest outdoor baths, a 100°C sauna, local pork in the restaurant, apple cider across the road, price (500 yen), hours and parking. Onsen Near Sapporo: A Local's Guide to Day-Trip Hot SpringsThe best onsen near Sapporo for a day trip, chosen by a local who has bathed at all of them: Jozankei, Lake Shikotsu, Noboribetsu, Shakotan and Lake Toya, with prices, tattoo-friendly and private baths, and shuttle buses.

4Fukagawa in winter

From November to April the area is under snow, and the Totoro Pass car park and the old station at Kamui Kotan close. The expressway and Route 12 are kept clear, so the hot spring and the roadside station are still easy to reach. My guide to driving in Hokkaido covers winter roads.

Driving in Hokkaido: A Local's Guide to Renting a Car and the RoadsHow to rent a car and drive in Hokkaido, from a Sapporo local who drives every week: the license you need, expressway tolls and the Hokkaido Expressway Pass, road rules, and winter driving.

5FAQ about a Fukagawa day trip

Q1. How far is Fukagawa from Sapporo?

Under two hours by expressway to Fukagawa IC, or two and a half to three hours on Route 12.

Q2. What is there to do in Fukagawa, Hokkaido?

See the Kamui Kotan rapids, eat local rice at Riceland Fukagawa, photograph the catbus at Totoro Pass, buy apple cider and soak in Irumu no Yu.

Q3. Where is the Totoro catbus in Hokkaido?

At Totoro Pass in Fukagawa, about 2 km from Fukagawa IC; the car park is closed from mid-November to mid-April.

Q4. Is Kamui Kotan near Fukagawa?

Yes, about 20 minutes away on Route 12, toward Asahikawa.