Exploring Japan’s Wild North by Motorcycle | Hokkaido 7-Day Ride

Exploring Japan’s Wild North by Motorcycle | Hokkaido 7-Day Ride

You’re about to join us on a journey through the majestic,
untamed landscape of northern Japan. Seven days, two motorcycles and roads that go on forever. We’re in Japan, but not the Japan
you know. This is the wild north. Raw and untamed. Open roads, hidden routes,
endless horizons. We’re traveling here with Moto Tours Japan, exploring and scouting
new routes for riders around the world. Seven days, two bikes, one journey. And it all starts now. All right. Welcome to Hokkaido. Welcome to the city of Chitose. Oh, well, here we go. It’s a pretty chilly morning. Oh, look at this! Scenic road, number one. We are actually next to Lake Shikotsu. This is lake Shikotsu. It’s actually Japan’s
second deepest lake. And it is known for its clear waters. Unfortunately, it’s
not a sunny day, so you cannot see, pretty well how clear the water is. Right now, we’re actually
on the west side of Hokkaido, and we’re going to be driving for the next couple of days
to the east side of Hokkaido. We’re going to be exploring new routes. We’re going to be exploring,
the food the region has to offer. Hokkaido is known for its amazing food. Maybe we’re going to find some hidden
gems. We’ll see about that. Basically just, you know, like, get to know
what that side of Hokkaido has to offer. We haven’t decided yet if we’re going to
make it all the way to the north because of the weather. The weather here changes a lot. So you might have sun
in one part of Hokkaido and then is super cloudy, super foggy,
super rainy on the other side. And we’re only going to be here
for about a week. So yeah, not a lot of time to explore the whole island of Hokkaido, but
we’re going to make the most out of it. Right now we are in the city of Chitose,
which is a pretty small city. It has only about 100,000 inhabitants. And, we’re actually
on the outskirts of the city. So if you’re coming to Hokkaido, I highly
recommend you stay away from the cities. I mean, there’s not a lot to do in the cities. Hokkaido’s known for its nature
and its amazing views. So it’s always a good idea to find hotels
on the outskirts of the city. The riding season in
Hokkaido is not very long. This is the northernmost island of Japan,
and in winter I believe the temperatures go below us
-30 degrees or so. Good temperatures start,
probably at the end of May, and maybe it goes
until the end of September. Maybe beginning of October, you could still ride if you dress up
pretty well. We are right now
at the end of the season in Hokkaido. So it’s
actually pretty chilly already. So here’s the thing. If you’re thinking
about riding in Hokkaido, whether you join a guided tour
or rent a motorcycle and explore on your own, August is the perfect time. The days are long and sunny, warm weather in the south,
and that perfect cooler air up north. Ideal conditions for riding. Yesterday we actually went to this roadside station
right before picking the bikes. We had lunch there. And this roadside station is called Salmon Park. And Chitose is actually known
as the City of Salmon. So of course
we had to try some local dishes. They had everything from salmon pasta, to grill salmon burger. Even salmon ramen, you guys. Absolutely insane. Something you’ll quickly notice in Japan
is that roadside stations are an awesome place
to stop for lunch. Try some local food
and take a quick break. Plus, the bathrooms are spotless
every single time. There is this old railway bridge
nearby that I want to check out. I believe it was built back in the 1930s,
mainly to transport timber across this region in Hokkaido,
and it was used until the 1950s. This bridge is actually built in what’s today a dam. So right now we’re actually
in the right season to see it because once November comes around,
I believe the whole dam floods and this bridge is completely covered
by water. I’m just going to stop here
for a while and take in these views because it’s absolutely stunning. There’s a bunch of cows everywhere. They’re lucky
they have all this space to roam around. The thing about this bridge is you can easily see it from a distance,
but we want it more than that. We found out there’s actually a locked gate
and the local association keeps the key. So we ask around and… Well, guess what? We got the key. So we’re going in. Well, here it is. This is the gate. And… You see over there? It says: “Attention! Bears in the area”. But bears aren’t our only problem out here. Well, let’s go. Bears are not our only problem. The thing is,
we are not equipped with the bikes or the tires to do this type of road. So we got to go really slow. And that’s not all. The sun is setting fast
and in bear territory that’s definitely not
where you want to be when darkness hits. It’s almost 4 p.m. We’re not going to have light for that
long anymore. We’ve got our go all the way to the bridge
and back in less than an hour, I believe, because the darker it gets,
the more chances we have of finding bears on this road. After a few bumps and slips
along the way, we finally made it. And you could say the rocky road, which on another bike
would have been pure fun, was totally worth it. Good morning everybody. Good morning from Lake Akan. We are being welcome to this side of Japan with a sunny day. How lucky we are. Time to roll. This is quite a lovely little town here. Right by the Akan lake. It’s a very touristy area, I’d say. There’s a lot of
hotels, little shops around the area. The lake Akan is right over there on the other side of these huge hotels. Quite a lovely town. I still have a range
of about 185km with the bike. But today we’re going to be going
to one of the most rugged areas
and probably isolated areas of Hokkaido. So we better fill up our
bikes before heading there. Look at all these little shops here. Good morning. Thank you. Now, with our tanks full, we can finally head toward Shiretoko, which, as I was telling
you, is one of Hokkaido’s most remote corners. Yet somehow also one of the most visited. And not only by tourists. There are about
400 brown bears living in the peninsula, and that is actually a pretty big population
for the size of the peninsula. But what I find really interesting
about this peninsula is that it has two faces, so to speak. The east side is more of a calm coastline. So you got lots of hills,
lots of little bays. And the west side is more dramatic. So you have basically these massive, tall cliffs. Very steep cliffs
bordering the whole coastline. So why the difference, you ask? Well, it’s
actually all because of drift ice. So what happens is every year in winter, these massive blocks of ice come floating
down from the Sea of Okhotsk. And I’m sorry
if I’m mispronouncing that, but it’s a very difficult word. And what happens is that over the years,
these massive blocks act as sandpaper, and they basically grind and they carve
the surface of these massive cliffs. But on the east side,
the sea is more calm, it’s more protected. And so you get kind of a smoother
landscape, more or less. The Shiretoko pass sits
at almost 1000m above sea level and is one of the highest points
on the Shiretoko Peninsula. From here
you can see rugged mountains, dense forests and the Pacific Ocean
stretching to the horizon. We’re now on the Shiretoko Peninsula and we’re bordering the West Coastline. So this is the more dramatic side
of the peninsula. Maybe it’s difficult to see it on camera,
but there are massive cliffs over there, and actually some of the cliffs
on this side of the peninsula can be as tall as 120m. This national park is
a haven for wildlife, and riding through it makes you feel like you’ve entered one of Japan’s last truly wild places. This has to be one of the most beautiful
places to ride a motorcycle in Hokkaido. Let me tell you. The Shiretoko Pass
is actually closed in winter. They close it
from the beginning of November until late April, or beginning of May,
depending on the temperatures. And what it’s really cool
is that once they open this pass, since there’s a lot of snow
that’s being cumulated on the road. There is this huge truck
that goes and cleans the roads, and of course, they throw the snow
to the sides of the roads that you get these huge walls of snow. So that becomes a huge
touristic attraction here on the region. And you would see buses and buses
and buses of people visiting this area by the end of April, beginning of May. Amazing. I would love to see that one day. Well, it’s about time to grab some lunch. There were some locals
that recommended us the restaurant right. Is this tiny place. And it’s actually managed
by the wives of fishermen. So, of course it’s local dishes,
local fish, local everything. And apparently it’s a very popular place
because there are people waiting already. Is it okay if we record? What’s it for? For our YouTube channel. I’m fine with it, as long as I’m getting paid. Unfortunately, we don’t have a big budget. Well, then I’m sorry. I’m just too expensive. Are all the women here fishermen’s wives? Some are, some aren’t. There are also fishermen’s parents. Where do people usually come from? All kinds of places. We get visitors from England, France,
and many other countries. There are people from China too. Lots come from Asia, though recently it’s mostly Europe. So you can speak a few languages. Oh, totally! Others, not me. I can manage a bit. People usually speak Japanese well, so we can talk just fine. All the best with everything. Thank you. The food was really delicious. Glad to hear that. See you again sometime. Don’t split up, okay? There’s one more incredible destination waiting on the eastern coast of Hokkaido. I’m talking about the Notsuke peninsula, a narrow stretch of land shaped by wind and time. Well, we’ve made it to Notsuke Peninsula. This is a peninsula located on the very east side
of Hokkaido, and it is actually a sandbar. It is stretches for only 26km. So what happened is the currents of this
area brought in sand, and over the years
they formed this peninsula. And since it sits so low,
just a couple meters above sea level, the shape of the peninsula
is constantly changing due to sea erosion. There’s a lot of trees around this area
right over there on my right side, but most of them are actually dead, and that’s
because of the sea water coming here. So now it looks basically
like a ghost forest. They’re still standing, you know, but they’re dead. And I think that’s why, many locals refer to this peninsula
as the end of the world. Sounds quite dramatic. Look at this little family of deer
right here. There are plenty of deer in this area. Look at that. Hey, buddy. Hokkaido isn’t just about nature
and wild landscapes. It’s also a Paradise for food lovers. Its cuisine is often considered
among the best in Japan, from fresh seafood and dairy
to local specialties that people travel across the country
just to taste. And right now, we’re heading to a place
where we’ll get a taste of one of those local specialties. As I was telling you before, roadside stations are one of the best
places to try local dishes. So we have come to another roadside
station and Kaito here will be trying the local oysters. Oyster. Something that will never stop surprising me is is how Japanese, instead of a menu sometimes, they have these dishes right here, and this is how you choose
what food to get. It looks so real. They look super real and you see exactly
what you’re going to get. Unfortunately,
that big smile didn’t last long. The road isn’t always kind. Sometimes you’ve got to face
tough conditions, and today seems to be one of those days
for us. We’re getting completely drenched
on our way to the hotel, and deer have basically
taking over the road. Between the heavy rain, poor visibility and animals
suddenly appearing out of nowhere, it’s definitely not
making things easy for us. Morning comes and with it rain. There’s actually a strong wind alert
for the area, but we don’t know that yet. And I’ll tell you this much. The weather
isn’t going to be our only problem today. Good morning
from a super rainy day in Hokkaido. We were staying at this place
near the Akan lake, and, somehow we forgot gas stations in
Hokkaido close on Sundays, and we were confident, you know, we woke
up, went to the gas station. We had about,
what, 40km range still on our bikes. And, we found the gas station and it was closed. And then we started looking
and the nearest gas station from that one was 40km away. Kaito barely made it. I still have like 15 of range. And Kaito maybe about 5km. Oh my God. And it’s raining to up it off. A couple minutes earlier Just as he’s thinking everything’s done, luck is on his side. I made it! Woohoo! Oh, finally. Finally! Drink it! Drink it! 17 liters! It was completely empty. Well, I think today we’re not going to be doing
a lot of riding. We’re gonna find something indoors to do
today. Let’s go. Now, with our tanks full, we continue on our way,
completely unaware of the wind alert. Something that will soon make itself
very clear. Man, this wind in nuts! We’ve got to stop here. Quick bathroom break and quick break from the wind. Oh, man. The power just went out of at the convenience store. Look at this. Everything is dark. There’s a storm coming. We better get going. What we didn’t realize
was that the storm was already causing trouble ahead. Oh my God, that car went into the ditch! I wasn’t recording a couple minutes back, but there was actually this tree
feel out of nowhere, right from my left side. I managed to save myself
by going to the right, but honestly, it was pretty close. There is that right that looks quite dangerous as well. And I think that car over there probably went into the ditch because it was escaping the tree. Oh my gosh. Are you alright? Yeah, I’m fine. I’ve contacted the police already. Alright. Thanks for your concern. Take care. Well, I think that’s enough adventure
for one day. Since
the weather isn’t really on our side, we look for something indoors. And that brings us to the
Drift Ice Museum, which is actually one of the
must visit stops along the routes
designed by Moto Tours Japan. We are about to go in
and this room is -15°C. And we’ll have to wear this right here. It’s not super warm,
but it’s going to help us for sure. They’re the ones who make adventures
like this possible. Creating guided and self-guided tours
that let riders explore Japan’s most incredible roads
and local treasures for themselves. Wow, this is really, really cold. Whoo hoo hoo hoo! This drift ice they have here
comes all the way from the Amur River in Russia. Look at this. The rules in this room are simple: Grab the towel,
give it a good spin in the air and see how fast it freezes. Look at this! It’s completely frozen. Whoo hoo! Look at this road, you guys. There are incredible
roads around every corner here. Japan is a country of motorbikes, and there is something very unique,
very special to this country. And that is motorcycle shrines. This country has built hundreds
of shrines dedicated to motorcycles. And today we’re going to be heading
to one of these places. People who visit these shrines
go there for all sorts of reasons. Riders go there
because they want to be safe on the road. They don’t want to have accidents. And also motorcycle dealers visit
this place as well because they want to have good business. Today we’re going to be visiting
one of these shrines. We’re going to be heading towards
Obihiro City. It’s not exactly in the city,
I believe, but somewhere around that area. And we’re going to be heading to this
shrine called Urahoro, if I’m not mistaken. We’re not only going
to be visiting this shrine, but we’re going to be doing
what they call here a blessing ceremony. So, usually riders,
when they get a new bike, when they start,
you know, riding motorcycles in general, they go to one of these shrines,
you give a donation and they prepare a whole blessing ceremony
for your bike and for yourself
so that you’re safe out there on the road. Kaito and I, we’re going to keep going on
many motorcycles adventures from now on. And we thought, you know, right now we’re in Japan. It’s the time to do it. Probably is the only country
who does this. I’m not sure about this. I’m not 100% sure,
but I believe it is the only country that has these motorcycle shrines
and motorcycle blessing ceremony. So we’re headed
that way. We’re going to do it today. So it turns out Japan isn’t the only country with shrines
dedicated to motorcycles and riders. You can actually find them in places
like India and Taiwan, all celebrating the same wish
for safe travels on two wheels. We have arrived. Look at this place. It’s tucked in this mountain. Bikes to the left. Oh, look at that. We’ve got VIP parking. This is going to be quite the experience. Let me tell you. Let’s check what they have here. These are stickers from the people that have visited
this place. It’s a pity we don’t have our sticker
right now with us. Wow. Look at this place. They do ceremonies for bicycles as well. Look at that. These are kind of business cards from the people
that got their blessings here. And now it’s the year of the snake. So they’ve done, this little thing here. A motorcycle with two snakes. We’ve arrived in the town of Urahoro, home to the Urahoro motorcycle shrine. The shrine was first built back in 1896. Though not here. It was later
moved to its current location in 1923. But the real connection to motorcycles
has a story behind it, and it’s one the master shared with us. It’s a story that gives this place
its heart and meaning. The ceremony is about to start. We’re going in here right now. The shrine’s master lost a close friend in a tragic accident. A deer suddenly jumped onto the road,
and though he tried to avoid it, he wasn’t lucky. To honor his friend’s memory and to raise awareness about road safety, the shrine was dedicated to riders. The master himself kindly
opened up to us, sharing
why this place means so much. His friend had always dream of retiring
and riding across the United States, but that journey never came to be. Today, around
2500 people visit this shrine every year to pray for safety and remember those who never
made it home. And today we’ve come to do the same: To receive a blessing for the road ahead. We got some souvenirs
from the shrine here. They gave us rice from Hokkaido. Beautifully packed. Look at this. And, they gave us this tiny Torii gate. And also,
this is something you would normally put, like in your garage,
or you keep it in your house. And it’s basically –
What does it say here? “The guard of the motorcycle” The guardian of the motorcycle. Look at this. We’ve been invited
by the master of this shrine and his wife to have some lunch here. We’re going to try some local food. Look at this. They have some vegetables, rice, miso soup. Some meat over here. It looks very yummy. Wow, look at this. Grilled chicken with a secret sauce. It’s so good. So, so good. Really good. Wow. As the day comes to a close, just when we think we can eat another bite
of delicious food, we end the evening
with a dinner full of Hokkaido flavors, made from fresh, local ingredients. Honestly, it’s so good, we might just have to come back
for seconds. Good morning everybody. Good morning
from another sunny day in Hokkaido. We are now right
next to the Saroma Lake. This one right here. It’s a pretty big lake. Today we’re going to be riding
towards the Bihoro area, and, we’re going to be going
across the Bihoro pass. The Bihoro pass is one of those passes
that I highly recommend to anyone coming to Hokkaido to visit. Apart from the Shiretoko pass
that we visited a couple days ago. And what I really like about this pass is that once you get to the top of it,
you have the stunning view of the Kussharo Lake, which is actually
Japan’s largest caldera lake. But for now, let’s see
what else we can find on our way there. This journey
is reaching its final chapter. Today is our last day riding through Hokkaido. We don’t know exactly what the road has in
store for us, but one thing’s for sure: we’re going to enjoy every twist, turn, and breathtaking view along the way. Look at this red carpet here. This red carpet you see right here is actually one of the largest
communities of glasswort in Japan. And the best moment to see them
is from the mid August to mid-October. The best season being mid-September,
which means we came right on time. We’re actually very lucky
to be able to see this tiny coral looking plants,
because we were talking with a local a couple days ago and he told us it was not the right season,
but it turns out it is the perfect season. This place looks absolutely stunning. Not a lot of people live
outside the big cities in Hokkaido, like maybe Sapporo or Kushiro. These areas here
are mostly farmland and it’s just little houses here and there,
you know, spread out across these fields. So it is truly a beautiful,
beautiful landscape. You basically got green 360 degrees around you. We’ve made it into the Akan Mashu
National Park and it’s pretty chilly, let me tell you. Once you get onto these mountains passes the temperature changes
completely. What a view. What a view. I think we’re very close
to the top of this pass. And on the other side, we’ll have,
Kussharo Lake. We’re going a little bit off the beaten
path. Usually people walk up there. There’s this pretty path that takes you all the way to that viewpoint, and you get the stunning views
from the lake. But instead we
are going here up this “road”. And the view is absolutely amazing. This is the kind of path
we’re in right now. Very rocky. As the sun sets over Hokkaido, it feels like the perfect ending
to an unforgettable ride. Every road, every view and every encounter reminded us of why
we travel. Not just to see new places, but to feel them. This trip was made possible by

Join us on a 7-day motorcycle adventure across Japan’s northern island of Hokkaido, a place known for its wide open roads, untouched nature, and incredible riding scenery.

Together with Moto Tours Japan, we explore some of the best routes in the country — from winding mountain passes and peaceful lakes to local towns and coastal roads that stretch for miles.

If you’ve ever dreamed of riding a motorcycle in Japan, this is the perfect glimpse into what touring Hokkaido is really like. The landscapes, the food, the people, and the feeling of freedom that comes with every ride.

🏍️ Book your 2026 Hokkaido tour with Moto Tours Japan here:
https://www.mototoursjapan.com/guided_tours/japan_bikers_mecce_tour_hokkaido.html

Please note: 5:20
This section was filmed under special circumstances. Rental bikes aren’t allowed to enter this road.

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