Traveling to Hokkaido during the New Year holidays! Event and business information and recommendations summarized!

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: Last updated: September 28, 2018

Table of contents

1. What are some of the notable events in Hokkaido during the New Year's holiday season?

　1-1. [New Furano Prince Hotel] New Year Festival

　1-2. Kamifurano Hinode Park - 32nd Kita no Daimonji Festival

　1-3. Tanaka Brewery's "Yuku Sake Kuru Sake" - First pressing on New Year's Day -

　1-4. Tottori Shrine, Kushiro City, Hokkaido

　1-5. Otaru Beer, Otaru Warehouse No. 1

Oktoberfest image How do you usually spend the New Year holidays?

Some people make traditional New Year's dishes at home and watch Kohaku Uta Gassen (a popular New Year's Eve music program) with their family while sitting under a heated table (kotatsu). Others count down at a shrine and visit a shrine in the middle of the night for their first shrine visit of the year. Everyone has their own way of spending the holiday.
*By the way, I'm the type of person who rings in the New Year at a ski resort while drinking mulled wine.

So, in this article, I'd like to introduce some of the events that take place throughout Hokkaido during the New Year's holiday season, and whether there are any places where you can have a countdown party.

This article will also include information on popular shrines in Hokkaido for New Year's visits and their operating hours during the year-end and New Year period, so I think it will be a very informative and packed article.

You definitely don't want to find that the tourist spots you wanted to visit during your New Year's holiday trip are closed!

Before you know it, the end of the year and the New Year holidays will be here! Time flies so quickly, so we'd like to share some useful information to check in advance! Please take a look♪

<Table of Contents>
1. What are some of the notable events in Hokkaido during the New Year's holiday season?
2. Regarding the operation of tourist facilities at the end of the year
3. What are the most popular travel destinations in Hokkaido during the New Year's holiday season?
Summary

1. What are some of the notable events in Hokkaido during the New Year's holiday season?

1-1. [New Furano Prince Hotel] New Year Festival

新富良野プリンスホテル At the New Furano Prince Hotel, a special outdoor venue is set up on the premises for the annual New Year's Festival.

The event features a variety of activities, including vibrant fireworks lighting up the winter night sky, warm food from food stalls, exciting prizes from game competitions, and a nighttime tour of the ski slopes in a snow groomer.

新富良野プリンスホテル The sight of everyone in the venue counting down together in unison is full of the excitement of marking the end of this year and welcoming the new year!

As the new year begins, spectacular fireworks are launched, creating an exhilarating atmosphere! You'll definitely remember this experience forever and be glad you participated.

This warm and inviting countdown event, filled with the staff's desire to bring joy to as many customers as possible, is sure to leave participants with a warm and happy feeling.
The event starts at 22:00 PM and participation is free, so let's have a great time!

New Furano Prince Hotel New Year Festival
Address: Nakagoryo, Furano City, Hokkaido Phone: 0167-22-1111
Venue: New Furano Prince Hotel (Furano Ski Resort, Furano Zone Slope) and a special outdoor venue.
Dates/Period: December 31st - January 1st
Event time: Scheduled from 22:00 PM to 24:30 AM
Admission fee: Free (food and drinks at stalls are extra)
Free parking (390 spaces)
http://www.princehotels.co.jp/newfurano/
*Please check our website for details regarding the day's events.

1-2. Kamifurano Hinode Park - 32nd Kita no Daimonji Festival

New Year's holidays in Kamifurano Town The "Daimonji" festival began as a town revitalization event in Kamifurano town.
The first event was held from December 31, 1987 to January 1, 1988, and its popularity gradually increased as its scale expanded.

The number of participants has increased every year, and it has now grown into an indispensable event in Kamifurano Town.

New Year's holidays in Kamifurano Town The event is packed with exciting activities, including torchlight and fireworks displays, as well as plenty of stage events!

As the flames are lit one by one, the large character "大" (dai) appears floating in the pure white snow, creating a truly magical sight.
You can also see the sacred fire being lit at Kamifurano Shrine as the New Year is welcomed.

It's scheduled to take place from 11:30 PM on December 31st to 12:40 AM on New Year's Day, so you can even go straight to your first shrine visit of the year afterwards. Please come and join us!
It will be very cold, so please dress warmly when you go out.

New Year's holidays in Kamifurano Town
Kamifurano Sunrise Park - Kita no Daimonji
Address: 27 Higashi 2-sen Kita, Kamifurano-cho, Sorachi-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: 0167-45-2191 (Kamifurano Town Chamber of Commerce and Industry)
Venue: Hinode Park, Kamifurano Town
Dates and Period: December 31st (Sun) - January 1st (Mon)
Time: 23:30-24:30
Access: Approximately 15 minutes on foot from JR Kamifurano Station.

1-3. Tanaka Brewery's "Yuku Sake Kuru Sake" - First pressing on New Year's Day -

Otaru year-end and New Year events Tanaka Brewery, a very famous sake producer in Otaru, will be holding its annual year-end and New Year's event, "Yuku Sake Kuru Sake" (Falling Sake, Coming Sake), again this year.
The unique naming has attracted attention, and the number of people spending New Year's Eve at the sake brewery each year is increasing.

Tanaka Brewery is renowned as a specialty sake shop in Otaru, and in addition to its junmai sake, it is also popular for its limited-edition sakes and unique offerings such as tomato-flavored sake, which is a hit with women.

The countdown was very lively, with people enjoying drinks in a warm place with a stove, and after welcoming the new year, they also held the first pressing of auspicious zodiac-themed sake.

The event will feature a limited quantity of New Year's Eve soba noodles, a countdown, a sake barrel breaking ceremony, a toast to celebrate the New Year, and freshly made mochi rice cakes, among other activities.

Another unique feature is that they sell freshly pressed sake on the spot. The luxury of taking home freshly brewed sake is irresistible for sake lovers!

Those who purchase freshly brewed sake can also participate in a raffle with prizes, so please enjoy that as well!
*For more details, please check the official website from December onwards!

Otaru year-end and New Year events And what's great about this event is that it's not limited to adults.

Of course, the legal drinking age is 20, but children are welcome to attend. It's also nice that non-alcoholic beverages are available for drivers!

You can enjoy a drink without worrying about your children, so why not bring your family and come along?

You can enjoy a pleasant time in our shop, which is filled with the wonderful aroma of Japanese sake, while sipping on local sake!

Tanaka Brewery's "Sake that goes by, sake that comes by"
Address: 2-2 Shinkomachi, Otaru City, Hokkaido
Phone: 0134-21-2390
Venue: Tanaka Sake Brewery, Kikkogura
Dates/Period: December 31st - January 1st
Time: 23:00-25:30
Access: 10-minute walk from JR Minami-Otaru Station. *By car: Approximately 1 minute from Sapporo Expressway Otaru Interchange via Prefectural Road 17 (Rinko Line).
The parking lot can accommodate 30 cars (free of charge). http://www.tanakashuzo.com/

1-4. Tottori Shrine, Kushiro City, Hokkaido

Otaru year-end and New Year events Tottori Shrine, located in Kushiro City, Hokkaido, is known as a historical and prestigious shrine that was founded in 1891 (Meiji 24) as the tutelary shrine for the samurai settlers of Tottori Prefecture, by inviting the deity "Okuninushi-no-Okami" from Izumo Taisha Shrine in Shimane Prefecture.

Every year, the New Year's Eve festival begins at 10 PM on December 31st to purify oneself of sins and impurities accumulated throughout the year, and at midnight on January 1st, the drums of the New Year begin to resound.

While the shrine doesn't officially organize a countdown event, you can experience a unique atmosphere where visitors count down together by shouting!

The joy of everyone uniting and shouting "5, 4, 3, 2, 1" to welcome the New Year might be even more moving than ringing in the New Year at an event venue.

Furthermore, the New Year's Day Festival will be held from 7:00 AM to pray for the prosperity of the nation and a bountiful harvest.
It's not just about lining up for your first shrine visit of the year; you can experience the countdown together with other worshippers, and the sound of drums reverberating in the middle of the night is also captivating, making it a wonderful memory!
How about spending New Year's Eve in snowy Hokkaido this year?

Our shrine offers a wide range of blessings, including those related to matchmaking, culture, knowledge, commerce and economics, the land, fishing, abundant harvests, medicine, medical practice, machinery, and good fortune, so please come and pray for us!

Tottori Shrine
Address: 4-2-18 Tottori-odori, Kushiro City, Hokkaido
Phone: 0154-51-2404 Venue: Tottori Shrine
Dates and periods: From December 31st (Sun)
Event time: All day
Access: Take a bus from JR Kushiro Station for approximately 25 minutes and get off at "Tottori Shrine Mae" bus stop. *If you are coming by car, it will be very crowded, so we recommend taking the train.
URL:http://www15.plala.or.jp/tottori-shrine/index.html

1-5. Otaru Beer, Otaru Warehouse No. 1

Otaru year-end and New Year events Opened in the summer of 1995, Otaru Warehouse No. 1, located along the Otaru Canal, offers authentic German beer brewed by German brew engineer Johannes Braun, allowing you to enjoy the atmosphere of a genuine German beer pub.

The Otaru Beer Brewery's beer pub, Otaru Warehouse No. 1, will be holding its annual countdown party again this year.

Its popularity stems from its ease of participation, with free admission and only the cost of food and drinks inside the venue required. The appeal lies in being able to enjoy live music and dancing while sipping a beer.

The food served at this restaurant is also highly regarded for its deliciousness, complementing Otaru beer. You can enjoy dishes made with plenty of seafood caught in Hakodate and other local ingredients.

Otaru year-end and New Year events A major feature of the event is the serving of Eisbock beer, which is brewed over a long period of approximately seven months.
This has an alcohol content of 13.5%, which is as high as wine! Doesn't it make you want to try it?

Please note that this is a limited-time offer for this New Year's event, and only one cup will be served per person.

Otaru year-end and New Year events For those who have a typical New Year's Eve celebration, this year you might want to try something a little different, like live music and draft beer!

Otaru Beer, Otaru Warehouse No. 1
Address: 5-4 Minatomachi, Otaru City, Hokkaido
Phone: 0134-21-2323
Venue: Inside Otaru Beer's Otaru Warehouse No. 1 store
Dates and Period: December 31st (Sun) - January 1st (Mon)
Opening time: 20: 00 to 29: 00
Admission fee: Free (food and drinks not included)
Access: 10-minute walk from JR Otaru Station http://otarubeer.com/jp/

Next page 2. Information on the operating hours of tourist facilities during the year-end period.