HOKKAIDO’S MINIMALIST WINTER LANDSCAPE - CO-LED BY MARK MCCOLL - NEW TOUR!

Join Lee Frost and Mark McColl on an unforgettable journey to the snow-covered winter landscape of Hokkaido, Japan.

British photographer Michael Kenna made Hokkaido famous with his stunning black & white images, and Mark and Lee have been keen to visit Hokkaido themselves for years. They're teaming-up with local photographer Yuto Hirasawa to spend 8 days exploring the stunning minimalist winter landscape, seeking out stark, simple compositions that work equally well in colour, as well as black & white. Think lone trees on snowy hilltops, sinuous fencelines snaking into the distance, torii gates on the rocky coastline and much, much more.

Travelling around Hokkaido with our own driver, each day will be planned to make the most of the prevailing weather conditions. A provision itinerary is outlined below:

 

DAY 1

Our guide will pick us up from Abashiri Memanbetsu Airport (MMB) and after lunch and a trip brief we will dive straight into photography. We’ll spend some time exploring the Ozora area, a beautiful, pastoral landscape. Blanketed in snow in winter, several trees and other attractions leap out of the snow at us, attracting the eye and acting as a great focal point for minimalist photography. We are sure to stop by Marchen Hill, famed for a line of larch trees along the horizon.

As it begins to darken, we will set off for our accommodation tonight in Kawayu Onsen, nestled in the heart of Akan-Mashu National park. Over a Japanese dinner at our hotel, we’ll go over the plan for the rest of the tour in detail. There will be time after dinner to get your gear and photography set up in advance of tomorrow.

 

DAY 2

If there are any early birds among us who would like to deviate a little from minimalism, we have the option of rising early this morning to climb up to the top of Bihoro Pass to catch the sun rising over Lake Kussharo. This is quite a beautiful sight and makes for a wonderful landscape shot. If the conditions are just right, there is the chance of witnessing natural phenomena like diamond dust or sun pillars, too.

We’ll return to enjoy a quick breakfast at the hotel before we begin a full day of photography around Lakes Mashu and Kussharo, breaking for lunch along the way. There is no shortage of minimalist photography options in this area, such as lone trees on the lakeshore and in fields and fence posts jutting out of the pure white snow. The ever-changing smoke issuing from the crater of Mt. Io, a powerful active volcano, also allows for some creative photo opportunities. Depending on conditions, there are also some natural phenomena that might make for an interesting shot, like the rare “Omiwatari” phenomenon at Lake Kussharo. Large temperature differences between day and night cause the ice on the water’s surface to swell and constrict, creating jagged slabs of ice thrusting into the air.

As darkness begins to fall, we will hurry back to the warmth of our accommodation for dinner. We highly recommend a dip in Hokkaido’s famous hot springs after being out in the cold all day, too!

 

DAY 3

We have a long day ahead of us today as we make the journey west to central Hokkaido. After breakfast, we’ll pack up into our van for the 3 hour journey to Lake Nukabira. We will find a lunch stop along the way or drop into a convenience store to get some food, before we continue on to the lake.

Our focus this afternoon is the Taushubetsu Bridge. Built in 1939, this bridge was meant to serve as a crossing over the Otofuke River for the now-defunct Shihoro Line. The subsequent creation of Lake Nukabira, a dam lake, meant that the railway line had to be rerouted and the bridge was left to crumble into ruin. In summer, water rises part way up the bridge’s pillars while in winter, and it sits on a deserted, snowy field, stretching across the lake into nowhere. We will need to snowshoe for about 30 minutes to reach the view point, but it is worth it for this rare photography opportunity!

We’ll snowshoe back to our vehicle before darkness approaches and head over to tonight’s accommodation, a wonderful ryokan - traditional Japanese-style accommodation - in Nukabira Onsen. Be sure to enjoy the hot spring baths and dinner tonight, both of which are sure to be the stand-outs of our stay.

 

DAY 4

We will enjoy a later breakfast at our accommodation this morning before we continue our journey west, headed for Biei. After a 3 hour drive, we’ll arrive in the famous “Hill Town” and enjoy a local lunch.

Once we’ve eaten our fill, we’ll head out into Biei’s rolling countryside in search of minimalist photography opportunities. There is no shortage of things to see in this region and as a Biei local himself, Yuto will certainly be able to show us around some of the best spots. From lone trees on hillsides to the frames of polytunnels lying forgotten in snowfields, you will most certainly be able to take a number of minimal shots today.

As darkness falls, we’ll head to our accommodation for today - Shirogane Onsen, nestled at the foot of Mt. Tokachi. There, we will enjoy tonight’s dinner.

After dinner, you’ll have the option to visit the famous Blue Pond’s illumination event via a convenient shuttle bus from our accommodation. This light show casts the shadows of the pond’s dead larch trees over the frozen surface, creating a minimalist photo opportunity.

 

DAY 5

We’ll have the option of a pre-dawn outing to capture the sunrise, today (depending on good weather). If the conditions are right, there is the possibility of capturing diamond dust and sun pillars, winter phenomena caused by water molecules freezing where they are in the air. Although perhaps not minimalist, the sight is quite astonishing and it’s worth getting up early for if there’s a good chance of seeing it!

For the rest of the day, we will continue to explore Biei’s hills in search of minimalist sights, breaking for lunch during the day. We may also make forays into the neighbouring town of Kamifurano which has similar scenery and also plays host to Tokachidake Onsen. From the onsen’s view point, we can admire the peaks and crags of the Tokachi Volcanic Group, which also present creative photography opportunities.

Biei is also a great location for sunset photography and if the weather is good and the group is willing, we can enjoy shooting the setting sun today. If not the sunset itself, the long shadows cast over the snow certainly make for some interesting shots. After photographing the sunset, we’ll return to our accommodation for dinner. This evening, you are welcome to visit the Blue Pond illumination event again on your own or, if the weather is fair, we can walk a little way off the main road to enjoy a little astrophotography.

 

DAY 6

We’ll head west to Rumoi, a drive of about 2 hours, stopping for lunch in town. Rumoi is famous for its delicious seafood, so we highly recommend enjoying sushi for lunch today! After lunch, we’ll hop back in our van and make our way up the coastline to Shosanbetsu. The drive directly takes 1hr 30mins.

Our main focus today is the Kompira Shrine in Shosanbetsu, with its magnificent shrine gate sticking out of the sea. This shrine gate has been captured by many minimalist photographers over the years and we will follow in their footsteps this afternoon. As well as the shrine gate itself, the snow-capped pebbles and boulders on the shoreline also make for an interesting photo opportunity.

As the light starts to fade, we will continue to the nearby town of Haboro, where we’ll stay for tonight. Dinner will be served at your accommodation this evening.

 

DAY 7

Today, we’ll spend a full day exploring the stretch from Haboro to Teshio, stopping for lunch locally during the day. There are plenty of minimal highlights to look forward to today, including the magnificent sight of the large wind turbines of Otonrui Wind Farm.

We’ll explore the coastline before heading inland to explore Teshio’s inland scenery. The vast, flat and snow-covered landscape dotted with fences, farm buildings and trees is a minimalist playground waiting eagerly for us. The area around Panke and Penke Marshes in particular are covered with deciduous trees in their skeletal winter form. If conditions are right, we may also be able to capture Mt. Rishiri in our photographs, a stratovolcano towering over Rishiri Island.

If the weather allows, we’ll capture the sun setting over the ocean before heading to our accommodation in Teshio, where we’ll enjoy dinner.

 

DAY 8

We’ll head out after breakfast on our last full day of photography, making our way up to Wakkanai, Japan’s northernmost city. We have two ways to get there - we can either go inland, exploring more rural landscapes, or along the coastline, from which we have a chance of seeing the impressive Mt. Rishiri if the weather is ideal and exploring more minimal coastline photography opportunities, like snow-covered wave breakers. Either way, we will break in Wakkanai for lunch.

Before we depart Wakkanai for the afternoon’s photography, we’ll take a look at the North Breakwater Dome, a fascinating piece of architecture with a long history that once served as a station. We’ll then depart to spend the afternoon exploring Cape Soya, Japan’s northernmost point. On clear days, you can even see right across the ocean to Russia! Fishing ports, lighthouses and wave breakers dot this stretch of coastline, providing us with plenty of interesting subjects.

As the light fades, we’ll check in to our Wakkanai accommodation. We’ll then celebrate the end of a successful tour together with a meal at a local izakaya, a Japanese eatery where we’ll enjoy tapas-style local dishes. And a nice, cool beer, of course!

 

DAY 9

Our driver will transfer us to Wakkanai Airport for our journey home.

 

Advice will be given on flights for this trip.

Photographs copyright Yuto Hirasawa.

• At A Glance...

• Deposit / Price

  £500.00 / £5,500.00

• Date

  19th - 27th January, 2026

• Included

  8 nights accommodation in en-suite rooms, all breakfasts and dinners, airport transfers and transport during the trip, tuition from Lee Frost, Mark McColl and Yuto Hirasawa

• Excluded

  All flights, lunches, drinks from the bar, travel insurance

• Fitness Level

  Moderate

• Location

  Hokkaido, Japan

• Max Group Size

  10