Hokkaido Prefecture

Let squirrels take seeds from your palm

At a few parks in Japan you can feed squirrels by hand: hold out sunflower seeds on your palm or a glove, and they come right up to take them one by one. Some species hibernate, so a few places open only in the warmer months; check the season before you go.

Ride a tram that shares the street with cars

Japan's trams, or streetcars, run down the middle of ordinary streets and stop at small platforms among shops and homes, so the ride shows you a city at street level. Buy a one-day pass, get off wherever something catches your eye, walk a little, and catch the next tram. Apart from the line in Tokyo, these are in cities you would visit on a longer trip, such as Hiroshima, Nagasaki or Hakodate.

Ride tiny Ferris wheels in time-capsule parks

These small amusement parks, with a handful of gentle rides on a rooftop or a hill, have run for decades and feel like a trip back to the mid-20th century. Ride the little Ferris wheel for a view of the town or the mountains, then try a carousel or a miniature train. Many close one day a week or in winter, so check the operating days before you go.

Cool off in forest air after a lakeside sauna

These saunas stand on lakeshores and among trees, so after the heat you cool down in the lake or simply sit outside in the forest air. Most are rented to one group at a time, so you have the sauna to yourselves, but you need to book a time slot ahead. Several are deep in the countryside, so check how you will get there before booking.

See flowers float in a shrine's water basin

Before praying, visitors to a shrine or temple rinse their hands at a stone water basin, and some places now fill these basins with floating seasonal flowers, a custom called hanachozu. The flowers are changed often, so the colors are different each time you go. Some displays run only at certain times of year, so check the shrine's website before a long trip.

Rise early and look down on a sea of clouds

On clear, windless mornings, cold air settles in a mountain basin and fills it with a white sea of clouds. Arrive at a lookout before dawn, wait, and watch mountains and even a castle rise out of the white. It does not form every day, so check the forecast the night before; most of these lookouts need a car or a taxi from the station.

Trace three classic views from a train window

Obasute, Yatake and Karikachi have long been called Japan's three great views from a train window. Today only Obasute can still be seen from a moving train; at the other two, you trace the railway's past at old stations and the remains of old lines. Obasute is the easiest to reach, about half an hour by local train from Nagano, which is under two hours from Tokyo by shinkansen.

A canal town where you can blow your own glass

Otaru is an old port town on the coast of Hokkaido, Japan's northern island, about 40 minutes by train from Sapporo, where stone warehouses line a canal. Its glassmaking began with oil lamps and fishing floats, and today the town is full of glass shops and studios. Walk the canal, browse for a cup or plate to take home, then book a short session to make a piece yourself.

Drink fresh beer next to the tanks it came from

All over Japan, small craft breweries pour their beer in taprooms set right beside the brewing tanks, so what you drink was made a few steps away. Order a few small glasses to compare styles, often with food made to go with them. The places in and around Tokyo make an easy evening out, while those farther away fit into a longer trip through the region.

Walk on gold under golden ginkgo trees

In late autumn, ginkgo trees (icho) turn a bright, clear yellow, and along an avenue of them the leaves close over your head like a tunnel and then carpet the ground. Walk slowly and look up, then down. The color lasts only a couple of weeks, usually from late October in the north to early December in Tokyo, so check the color reports before you go.

Snack your way through a food market

Japan's food markets are narrow, often covered streets of fishmongers, pickle shops and sweet stalls, and many sell small bites to eat on the spot, such as grilled scallops, rolled omelet and fresh sashimi. Buy a little at each stall and eat it at the shop or in a seating area, as some markets do not allow eating while walking. Go in the morning, since many shops close by mid-afternoon.

Squeeze in beside locals at a street stall

A yatai is a small open-air food stall that sets up on the street at dusk, with a cloth curtain called a noren hanging over a counter of a few seats; Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu, is the city best known for them. Duck under the curtain, sit shoulder to shoulder with strangers, and share a drink over ramen or grilled skewers while chatting with the owner. Most open in the early evening, but closing days and rain closures differ by stall, so check on the day you go.

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