Our tour guide, Oscar, was a friendly Taiwanese. During the drive, he introduced the sights and shared many recommended local Hokkaido foods and souvenirs. Overall, the tour was pleasant and communication was smooth. The itinerary felt like a "quick tour." The first half of the itinerary had relatively short stops at attractions, such as the Cyro Observatory (about 15 minutes) and the Bear Ranch (about 30 minutes), which was just enough time to see everything. The later stops at Lake Toya Onsen and Noboribetsu Jigokudani Observatory were more reasonably timed and less rushed. While the Shikotsu Lake Icefall Festival had a longer stop (about 80 minutes), we spent about 10-15 minutes walking and taking photos along the lake. The exhibition area (which requires a 1000 yen ticket) was extremely crowded, making it impossible to see everything. In the end, we only queued for one small igloo (about 10 minutes), which resembled a church, and skipped the observatory and other igloos due to the long queues (I felt the observatory would take over 30 minutes). I'm not sure if the large crowds are because it's Saturday, the first day of the tour; it might be better if you join a weekday tour. Overall, if your goal is a short trip and you want to quickly see several famous attractions in the Doyo area in one day, this itinerary is quite suitable. However, if you want to take your time taking photos and carefully exploring each attraction, I would recommend a longer, independent trip.
A day trip is perfect for those who want a quick overview. Some attractions are difficult to reach without transportation, or the places you can only visit in a day are limited. Our guide, Xixi, was very enthusiastic and provided detailed explanations along the way, including the stories behind the places, recommended souvenirs and items, and photo spots. She was also very punctual and proactively asked everyone if they wanted photos taken. Overall, it felt like a whirlwind tour; while you couldn't thoroughly explore every shop, it would be ideal for those who want to see the sights quickly.
Because it's a bit far from Sapporo, I opted for a day tour, which turned out to be surprisingly good. The snowmobiles were amazing! Highly recommend!
Anonymous User
Family
Showa-shinzan Weather, Climate and Best Time to Visit
Data source:Meteostat Update date:2025-09
Showa-shinzan year round climate
Spring (March–May): Average 2.6–11.9°C, cold and rainy climate; keep warm. Common activities: Enjoying the scenery after the spring snowmelt, viewing the volcano from afar. Recommended clothing: Warm jacket, sweater, waterproof clothing.
Summer (June–August): Average 16.0–22.8°C, warm and humid, with relatively high rainfall, especially in August. Common activities: Hiking (be aware of changing weather), enjoying the volcanic landscape. Recommended clothing: Lightweight and breathable clothing, rain gear, sun protection clothing.
Autumn (September–November): Average 13.8–20.0°C, pleasant climate, gradually decreasing rainfall. Common activities: Viewing autumn leaves (depending on tree species), walking. Recommended clothing: Light jacket, long-sleeved shirt.
Winter (December–February): Average -1.7–-0.2°C, cold and dry, low chance of snowfall. Common activities: Enjoying the winter volcanic landscape, experiencing snow activities (if there is snowfall). Recommended clothing: Heavy coat, hat, gloves, scarf.
Showa-shinzan climatological average
Annual average temperature: approx. 9.7°C / Annual rainfall: approx. 1146 mm / Summer humidity: 70%–80% / Rainiest month: August
Showa-shinzan monthly average temperature and precipitation
Month
Air temperature (°C)
Precipitation (mm)
January
-1.7°C
62.5
February
-1.2°C
29.6
March
2.6°C
53.2
April
8.1°C
53.1
May
11.9°C
66.8
June
16°C
149.2
July
21.4°C
116.1
August
22.8°C
218.8
September
20°C
166.8
October
13.8°C
118.4
November
7.2°C
73.2
December
-0.2°C
38.6
Showa-shinzan weather for the next seven days
2/13
Friday
Heavy snow
1.7°C/-3.9°C
2/14
Saturday
Light freezing rain
3.1°C/-2.1°C
2/15
Sunday
Patchy rain nearby
4.1°C/-1.4°C
2/16
Monday
Light snow showers
-0.2°C/-3.2°C
2/17
Tuesday
Partly Cloudy
1.9°C/-3.7°C
2/18
Wednesday
Blizzard
1.1°C/-4.4°C
2/19
Thursday
Blowing snow
-1°C/-5.4°C
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