5 Instagram-Worthy Power Spots in Hokkaido

Hokkaido is home to power spots of breathtaking beauty, where vast nature and sacred atmosphere combine to create scenes perfect for capturing on camera. Here are 5 Hokkaido power spots that you'll want to save to your favorites.

1. Hokkaido Jingu Shrine (Sapporo City)

Located in the heart of Sapporo yet enveloped in deep forest, Hokkaido Jingu is Hokkaido's largest shrine. During the spring cherry blossom season, the entire shrine grounds are dyed in shades of pink, creating a breathtaking contrast with the stone pavement of the approach path. The golden hour from 7 to 9 a.m., when soft morning light filters through the trees, is the best time to visit. Framing your shot with the torii gate as a natural frame — a "frame-within-a-frame" composition — adds a beautiful sense of depth.

Access: About 15 minutes on foot from Maruyama Koen Station on the Tozai Subway Line.

2. Kamikawa Shrine (Asahikawa City)

Founded in 1893 (Meiji 26) as a guardian shrine for the pioneers who opened up the region, Kamikawa Shrine sits enveloped in the rich forest of Kagura-oka Park. In autumn (October) the trees along the approach turn red, yellow and orange and the whole scene looks like a painting. A low-angle shot looking up the long approach path is spectacular; aim for the moment when the amber light of sunset falls on the shrine buildings. Ezo mountain cherry in spring and deep snow in winter give the grounds a different face in every season.

Access: Kagura-oka Park, Asahikawa City. About 5 minutes by car from JR Asahikawa Station and about 25 minutes from Asahikawa Airport; free parking for 50 cars. By bus, take route 82 (Midorigaoka Line, via Kamikawa Jinja) or route 83 (Research Park Line, via Kamikawa Jinja) from the Asahikawa Station bus stop at Miyashita 9-chome and alight at "Kamikawa Jinja" — note that route 83 does not run at all on Saturdays, Sundays or public holidays (Kamikawa Shrine official website).

3. Hakodate Hachimangu (Hakodate City)

Standing at the foot of Mt. Hakodate, this shrine is instantly recognisable for the vermilion of its halls. The contrast with the winter snow is overwhelmingly photogenic. A shot of a single figure walking the deserted approach on an early snowy morning draws a strong response on social media. Shoot from the bottom of the long stone steps looking up, and capture the full contrast of vivid vermilion against snow-white.

Access: About 15 minutes on the Hakodate tram bound for Yachigashira from Hakodate Station, then a 5-minute walk.

4. Raiun Shrine and the Raiun Spring (Shari Town)

A small shrine in Raiun Park in Shari Town, the gateway to the World Natural Heritage site of Shiretoko. The place name Raiun literally reads as "luck arrives", and the tradition that drinking the water here brings good fortune and grants wishes has been drawing visitors from far away to what is otherwise a little-known spot. The Raiun Spring beside the grounds is said to be snow that fell on the peak of Mt. Shari and took several decades to work its way through the ground: it wells up at five tonnes a minute at a steady 6°C or so, cold in summer and never freezing in winter. An early summer (June) morning, when dappled light falls on the water, is the best time to frame the spring and the fresh green together.

Access: About 15 minutes by car from central Shari (Raiun, Shari Town). Open all year, with parking for six or more cars. The toilets are closed for the winter from early November to late April (Shiretoko Shari Town Tourist Association, 0152-22-2125).

5. Nakayama Pass and Ezo-Fuji (Kimobetsu Town)

Strictly speaking it is not a shrine, but Mt. Yotei — popularly called Ezo-Fuji — was revered by the Ainu as a sacred mountain and is arguably the most powerful spot in all of Hokkaido. The view from the observation point at Nakayama Pass is breathtaking, and during the autumn sea-of-clouds season (early mornings in September and October) you may see nothing but the summit floating above the cloud. Close in on the peak with a telephoto lens, or go wide and take in the whole sea of clouds at once.

Access: About 60 minutes by car from Sapporo Station, along National Route 230.

Hokkaido's power spots offer a union of nature and the sacred that you will find nowhere else. Set off with your camera and discover the mystical energy of Hokkaido's shrines.

Practical Information for Your Visit

• Opening and closing times (Hokkaido Shrine): 6:00-17:00 from April 1 to October 31, 7:00-17:00 in March, and 7:00-16:00 from November 1 to December 30 and in February (special hours apply over the New Year period)
• Fees: Worship is free of charge
• Parking (Hokkaido Shrine): There are the Kita 1-jo and Minami 1-jo car parks, which on normal days can be used from 9:00 a.m. until the gates close
• Goshuin (shrine stamp) and amulet office: At Hokkaido Shrine, applications for prayer services are accepted from 9:00 a.m. until 30 minutes before the gates close. Hakodate Hachimangu accepts goshuin requests at all times, with reception from 9:00 to 17:00
• Hakodate Hachimangu: Open for worship 9:00-17:00, with free parking for 80 cars
• Nakayama Pass (Boyo Nakayama roadside station): Open 8:30-17:30, with parking for 190 ordinary cars and 12 large vehicles
• Inquiries: 011-611-7810 (Hokkaido Shrine Rites Department, 9:00 a.m. until the gates close), 0138-22-3636 (Hakodate Hachimangu)
• Official information: Hokkaido Shrine official website / Hokkaido Shrine Agency official website / HOKKAIDO LOVE! (Hokkaido Tourism Organization) / National "Michi-no-Eki" Roadside Station Liaison Council official website

Note: The above is a guide based on information published by each facility and local authority. Hours and fees are subject to change, so please check official sources before you set out.