Discover Makkari

For a trip to Makkari, you can focus on mountain hikes, seasonal blossoms, walks or culture. Key destinations and activities include the Makkari Course on Mount Yōtei, Makkari Arboretum, flower-related sites, parks and memorial sites. The season makes a specific difference: lilies and cherry blossoms each have their own seasonal windows, while trails and park golf offer additional options for planning your day.

Mount Yōtei and Trails

The Makkari Course is one of four named climbing routes on Mount Yōtei. It is considered relatively gentle compared with the others, but is also the longest of the four routes. This means two different features are relevant when choosing a route: its relative steepness and its length. The combination of a comparatively gentle gradient and the greatest length clearly distinguishes the Makkari Course from the other three. If you are planning a mountain hike, you can take both details into account rather than judging the entire route by steepness alone. Yōtei Nature Park also has several walking trails.

Forest, Flowers and Seasons

Makkari Arboretum is located at the foot of Mount Yōtei. A natural forest stands alongside a collection of about 80 tree species, including foreign species and species from Hokkaido and other parts of Japan. The grounds include a spring-fed pond, a lawn, walking trails and a parking lot. Ezo squirrels, chipmunks, red foxes and black woodpeckers live in the arboretum. You can also spot signs of wildlife, including walnuts gnawed by Ezo squirrels and pine cones whose shape resembles fried shrimp. Sightings and signs vary.

The flower destinations have different seasonal windows. At Makkari Village Lily Garden, colorful lilies, including ‘Casablanca’ and ‘Vitala’, bloom across an area of 1,400 square meters, with Mount Yōtei as a backdrop. The seasonal viewing period is in early August. Makkari Flower Road is a yellow ribbon of lilies about one kilometer long, along Iwanai-Tōya Prefectural Road. It runs from the border with Rusutsu to the center of Makkari, where the lilies reach full bloom in mid-August. The two periods are close together, but not the same: early August is given for the lily garden, while the flowers on Flower Road reach full bloom in mid-August.

The avenue of cherry trees at Makkari Shrine also adds a seasonal highlight. Ezo mountain cherry trees line the approach to the shrine, built in 1910; local people planted them around 1920. During full bloom, photographers and cherry blossom enthusiasts visit the avenue; the timing of the bloom varies from year to year.

Memorial Sites in Makkari

The Hosokawa Takashi Memorial Statue was erected in 1994 to mark the 100th anniversary of Makkari Village. It features a message from Hosokawa Takashi and four of his best-known songs. The statue does not sing in winter. The Hosokawa Takashi Gallery displays stage costumes, scripts and records, as well as a bronze statue of the Japan Record Award, among other items. Together, the memorial statue and the exhibits offer insight into different ways of remembering Hosokawa Takashi.

Parks and Activities

Makkari River Park has a distinctive walking trail. The park received the Minister of Construction’s “Tezukuri Furusato-shō” award in fiscal year 1995. Another recreational option is the Makkari Fureai Hiroba park golf course, with 36 holes and a practice area for short approach shots. The 2026 season runs from May 9 to October 31.

Park golf clubs and balls can be borrowed free of charge at the Forest Learning Exhibition Hall. The seasonal period for the activity runs from early May to the end of October; the hall is closed on Mondays. Check before your visit whether the equipment rental will be available on your chosen date. Makkari Campground is divided into open pitches, car camping pitches and accessible pitches.

Discover more destinations: Abuta District, Wakkanai, Otaru, Iwamizawa, Rebun District, Tomakomai, Urakawa, Ashibetsu.

For the main travel overview: Hokkaido.