Day Trips from SapporoRoadside Station Ishikari Airodo Atsuta: Sea of Japan Sunsets
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- A third-floor lounge and terrace looking over the Sea of Japan
- Best at sunset; Cassiopeia Hill, 10 to 15 minutes south, is another sunset spot
- Second-floor food stalls open April to October only; the building is open until 19:00 in summer
- Free parking for 200 cars; about 1.5 hours from Sapporo
Roadside Station Ishikari Airodo Atsuta, on the Ororon Line north of Sapporo, has a third-floor lounge and terrace looking out over the Sea of Japan. When I was there it was just about sunset, and the sun going down into the sea was beautiful. In July the sun sets around 19:15, after the building closes; then watch from the car park, the Atsuta lookout (7 minutes' walk) or Cassiopeia Hill.
Sunset from the third floor
The Atsuta lookout nearby has a fine view too, and Cassiopeia Hill, a quiet hill above the sea 10 to 15 minutes away, is another place to watch the sunset; it has a car park for about 15 cars and no toilets.
Hours and parking
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Building | 9:30–18:00 (April, May, September, October); 9:30–19:00 (June to August); 10:00–16:00 (November to March); closed December 29 to January 3 |
| Second-floor food stalls | April to October only |
| Third-floor balcony | Closed in winter |
| Toilets | 24 hours |
| Parking | Free, 200 cars |
See the official site (in Japanese) for details.
How to get there
From Sapporo: about 1 hour 20 minutes. Take Route 231 (Ishikari-kaido) north and follow it up the coast.
From New Chitose Airport: under two hours, via Route 337 through Naganuma and Tobetsu to the coast.
Near Airodo Atsuta
Banya no Yu, a hot spring with a bathing capybara, is about 40 minutes south toward Sapporo; Cape Ogon in Rumoi is about an hour and a half north.
Banya no Yu: A Brown Hot Spring and a Bathing Capybara in IshikariA local's guide to Banya no Yu on the Ishikari coast: the brown, source-flowing water, the capybara that soaks in a hot spring, the sauna and sea-view lounge, price, hours and parking.
Cape Ogon in Rumoi: Sunset over the Sea of JapanA local's guide to Cape Ogon in Rumoi on the Ororon Line, one of Japan's 100 best sunset spots: the rocky shore, the view from the peace monument above, parking and how to get there from Sapporo.
Ororon Line Day Trip from Sapporo by Car: Rumoi, Mashike and a Sea of Japan SunsetSapporo to Rumoi and back down the coast: a local's day trip on the southern Ororon Line, with Cape Ogon, Mashike's old herring town, sweet shrimp and sake, a sea-view hot spring, Shirogane Falls and a Sea of Japan sunset.
FAQ about Airodo Atsuta
Q1. Is Airodo Atsuta good for sunset?
Yes. The third-floor terrace looks straight out over the Sea of Japan.
Q2. Is it open in winter?
Yes, 10:00 to 16:00 from November to March, but the second-floor food stalls and the third-floor balcony are closed.
Q3. How far is it from Sapporo?
A little under an hour and a half by car.