CHITOSE
Hokkaido’s Gateway City
Where Airport Convenience Meets Natural Beauty
Home to New Chitose Airport, Chitose is a transportation hub that’s also blessed with rich nature, from Lake Shikotsu to the Chitose River. It’s packed with sightseeing spots perfect for your arrival or departure day.
Chitose City, part of Hokkaido’s Ishikari Subprefecture in the southern part of the island, is one of Hokkaido’s most important transportation hubs and home to New Chitose Airport. Located about 40km from Sapporo, it offers excellent access from both within and outside Hokkaido thanks to its well-developed airport, rail, and expressway connections. What sets Chitose apart is that there’s plenty to enjoy right around the airport itself.
New Chitose Airport
ClassicHokkaido’s gateway connecting Japan to the rest of the world, with a full lineup of both domestic and international flights. The airport itself houses a hot-spring facility, a movie theater, and a shopping mall, making it a destination in its own right. It’s a well-equipped space that makes even your wait between flights enjoyable.
📍 Inside the New Chitose Airport Terminal Building
Kirin Beer Chitose Factory
GourmetA factory tour showing how beer is brewed using the clear waters of the Chitose River. At the end of the roughly 90-minute tour, you can sample freshly brewed draft beer (soft drinks are available for drivers). It’s easy to fit in either before or after your flight.
📍 About a 20-minute drive from New Chitose Airport (reservation required)
Chitose Aquarium
FamilyAn aquarium unique to Chitose, the “hometown of salmon,” featuring exhibits that let you observe the Chitose River’s underwater world directly. Depending on the season, you can even watch salmon swimming upstream. Since it’s an indoor spot unaffected by weather, it’s especially popular with families.
📍 About a 20-minute drive from New Chitose Airport
Northern Horse Park
FamilyA theme park set on spacious grounds where you can try horseback riding or get up close with ponies. With horse-drawn carriage rides around the park and playground equipment, it’s an ideal spot for a trip with kids.
📍 About a 15-minute drive from New Chitose Airport
Lake Shikotsu & the Chitose River
Scenic ViewChitose City is also blessed with beautiful nature, including the crystal-clear Lake Shikotsu and the Chitose River nearby. With natural scenery to enjoy in every season, it’s a convenient base for sightseeing and outdoor activities alike.
📍 About a 45-minute drive from New Chitose Airport (to Lake Shikotsu)
Leave Your New Chitose Airport Transfer to MUTO TAXI
From sightseeing right after you land to a quick detour before your departing flight, transfers based around New Chitose Airport are exactly what MUTO TAXI does best.
Whether it’s the beer factory tour, the aquarium, or Northern Horse Park, a private charter taxi lets you fit in a stop freely, with your luggage stowed the whole time.