Winter Family Trip in Japan with ANA -Hokkaido・Otaru-

Hi, My name is Minoru Koyama from the ANA Akindo Sapporo branch.
ANA Akindo was established in 2021 and is responsible for the regional revitalization business in the ANA Group.
We have 33 regional offices throughout the country, from Asahikawa, Hokkaido in the north to Ishigaki, Okinawa in the south. We’re working with local communities to create movement of people and goods through the promotion of local attractions.

Of the 111 cities the Sapporo Branch oversees, the areas I’m responsible for are the Shiribeshi region, which includes Otaru and the Shakotan Peninsula, as well as the Hidaka region, known for the Cape Erimo and Japan's largest producers of race horses.

I will be guiding you as the navigator of the area here, so please take a look.

Popular Japanese YouTuber “Kimono Mom” came to Otaru to experience its winter charms. On her channel, she sends out various messages to her 1.5 million followers from around the world, but mainly focuses on “Washoku”, Japanese home cooking. For many of her overseas followers, Hokkaido is a “mecca” in Japan. I accompanied Kimono Mom and her family and introduced popular tourist spots and souvenirs as they traveled to Hokkaido for “Let’s go on a family trip to Hokkaido with ANA!"

This time, it was a one-night, two-day family trip with 3-year-old “Sue-chan”.
On the first day, they enjoyed playing with snow and skiing at Kiroro Resort in Akaigawa Village. While in Otaru, they took a canal night cruise in the snow. And, speaking of Otaru, yes, we cannot forget sushi!! They were able to enjoy the fresh sushi at the counter with the chef standing right in front of them, which was a treat in and of itself as being seated at the sushi counter is often deemed challenging for those with small children.

On the second day, they visited the Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery. They toured the factory where the smell of whisky casks wafted over the vast land and then bought some precious limited-versioned whisky as a souvenir.

After that, they traveled back to Otaru to experience glass making and other activities. At the end of the tour, they headed to Sapporo to attend the magnificent “Sapporo Snow Festival”, held for the first time in three years with a large number of spectators.
You can see the exciting journey on their YouTube channel.

Be sure to check out the YouTube "Travel to Hokkaido in Snow Season."

In addition, "Catch Asia Global" is currently broadcasting the coverage of the "Let's go on a family trip to Otaru with ANA!". Why not check it out, too?

This year, the city of Otaru is celebrating the 100th year since the completion of the Otaru Canal and it is planning various events to mark the milestone. The Kita-Shiribeshi region, which includes Shakotan Town, Furubira Town, Yoichi Town, Niki Town, Akaigawa Village and Otaru City, has many more tourist attractions in addition to what we could introduce this time.

Since Sapporo is located nearby, there are still very few travelers who stay overnight in the Otaru area and enjoy the Shiribeshi area leisurely. On this trip with Kimono Mom, we wanted to showcase how you can thoroughly enjoy the night view of Otaru if you spend the night.

Come and enjoy Otaru and other neighborhoods in Shiribeshi with ANA. We look forward to welcoming you!

The ANA Group will continue to support local businesses and communities promoting the appeal of regions in Japan to both domestic and international audiences.