Hokkaido springs to life in winter—see it now

In winter, Japan’s northernmost main island Hokkaido is a place of snow-covered forests and white-crested volcanoes mirrored in glacial lakes. It’s also the land of the Ainu, an Indigenous people intimately connected to the environment through their hunting, fishing and storytelling traditions, and animist beliefs.

Travel · By Lorraine Turci, Rory Goulding · Photographs by Lorraine Turci · Published December 13, 2025 · 1 min read

Topics: Holidays & Traditions, Indigenous Peoples, Winter Sports, Deer, Musical Instruments, Festivals, Glaciers, Mountains, Lakes, Ancient History, Traditions, Folk Religion, Skiing, Travel, National Geographic Traveller (UK)

This article was produced by National Geographic Traveller (UK).

Published in the December 2025 issue of National Geographic Traveller (UK). To subscribe to National Geographic Traveller (UK) magazine click here. (Available in select countries only).