It is possible to enter Hokkaido by air, train or sea. Air flights are obviously the fastest means of arrival in Hokkaido and those pressed for time may want to consider this option. There are numerous flights each day, however always remember that the Tokyo to Hokkaido - New Chitose Airport air corridor is the busiest air corridor in the world and flights can be booked out months in advance. Flights arrive from both domestic and some international destinations. Train services to Hokkaido can range from the quite reasonable to the incredibly high priced but again they can be very popular and do get booked out. Always reserve in advance. Train services run direct to several major Japanese cities. Sea Ferries connect with several ports and offer a different perspective on arrival to Hokkaido. during the off season it is usually quite easy to get a berth on one of these boats but again in peak and close to peak seasons even the ferries can become quite full. Schedules for all forms of transport to and around Hokkaido may change seasonally and even monthly in peak times. Contact the relevant transport authority for the latest schedules. Click Here to check a map of transport to Hokkaido.

By Air -

Sapporo New Chitose Airport is the largest and most common destination to fly into Hokkaido. There are however many other air terminals located at Obihiro, Kushiro, Nakashibetsu, Memambetsu, Okhotsk Mombetsu, Asahikawa, Wakkanai, Rebun Island, Rishiri Island, Okadama, Hakodate and Okushiri Island.
Hokkaido Domestic flights can be arranged to all the above air terminals and can help travel the large distances more quickly for those on a tight schedule. All flights should be reserved in advance as air routes can get very busy.
Japan Domestic flights from various cities (click here for complete list) including both Narita and Haneda Airports in Tokyo, Osaka, Okinawa, Fukuoka, Hiroshima, Nagoya, Kanazawa, Niigata, Yamagata, and Sendai connect directly with various air terminals in Hokkaido.
International Flights connect directly to Sapporo New Chitose Airport from Shenyang, Shanghai and Hong Kong - China, Seoul - Korea, Guam, Saipan, Taipei - Taiwan and Cairns - Australia. Flights to other destinations will often leave from Tokyo Narita International Airport and Osaka International Airport. You may need to transfer to a domestic terminal from these international terminals to get to Hokkaido. Top

By Train -

Trains in Japan are almost always extremely clean, safe and reliable. Departure and arrival time punctuality is possibly the best in the world, however typhoons and earthquakes can and do interrupt services. In these cases there will usually be plenty of uniformed staff on duty to help you and keep you informed (some will be able to speak English) and to apologize for the inconvenience.
Trains link to Hokkaido from Tokyo to Sapporo (16 hrs.), Osaka to Sapporo (22 hrs. 15 min.), Morioka to Hakodate (4 hrs. 20 min.), Osaka to Hakodate (17 hrs.), Aomori to Hakodate (2 hrs. 30 min.)
The Hokutosei Express to Hakodate and Sapporo from Tokyo is a direct sleeper. There is also a combination service of the “Shinkansen” (Japanese Bullet Train) to Morioka then change to limited express service via Aomori. Top

A note about the Japanese train service -
While other European trains may now claim higher top speeds than the “Shinkansen” or Japanese Bullet Train it is still the fastest regularly scheduled train service in the world. Intercity train services will usually have hostesses with drinks and snacks trolleys, bathrooms, phones and vending machines. When purchasing a ticket, most intercity train services will allocate you a seat number, please be certain to find the correct seat as Japanese follow rules rigidly.
It is highly recommend to use the train service for travel inside of Hokkaido as driving can be slow due to extreme congestion of roads in summer and dangerous icy conditions in winter. It can also often be more expensive to drive due to highway fees. Top

By Ferry -

Ferries are the cheapest way to get to Hokkaido and also offer a very different perspective of arriving in the region. The main ports in Hokkaido are Hakodate, Otaru, Muroran, Tomakomai and Iwanai.
Ferries run;

- from Maizuru (31 hrs.), Niigata (19 hrs.) and Tsuruga (21 hrs.) to Otaru;
- from Hachinohe (9 hrs. 30 min.), Nagoya (38 hrs. 30min.), Oarai (20 hrs 45 min.) and Sendai (14 hrs. 30 min.) to Tomakomai;
- from Aomori (7 hrs.), Hachinohe (8 hrs.), Naoetsu (17 hrs.) and Oarai (18 hrs. 50 min.) to Muroran;
- from Aomori (3 hrs. 40 min.) and Oma (1 hr. 40 min.) to Hakodate. Top