Beautiful autumn leaves and kayaking in Lake Shikotsu, Hokkaido

Lake Shikotsu

Enjoy canoeing while appreciating the autumn leaves at Lake Shikotsu, famous for being the cleanest and clearest lake in Japan.

Canoeing on Lake Shikotsu

Getting to Lake Shikotsu and the best time to go

Lake Shikotsu can be reached in one hour from Sapporo and 40 minutes from New Chitose Airport by driving. It was ranked number one in Japan for 11 consecutive years (until 2018) in the ‘lake water quality ranking’, conducted by the Ministry of the Environment. Witness the beautiful blue water and the panoramic landscape surrounded by mountains. You can also experience various activities such as canoeing and kayaking. October is an especially great time to go, as you can enjoy canoeing while looking at the beautiful autumn leaves as shown in the picture above.

Lake Shikotsu at night

If you have plans to visit Sapporo, it’s a great opportunity to enjoy the nature of Lake Shikotsu.