Celebrate the registration of this World Heritage Site!
A 4-day trip to Jomon prehistoric sites and the National Ainu Museum that will indulge your intellectual curiosity Arrive at New Chitose Airport and depart from Hakodate Airport

After renting a car at New Chitose Airport, it is time to begin the trip to the Jomon sites. First off, stop by the Salmon Park Chitose to grab something to eat. Among the neighboring facilities, there is the Salmon Hometown Chitose Aquarium, which you will have reservations for. It is connected to the actual Chitose River, and the view of the natural salmon runs in the Underwater Observation Zone is a powerful visual experience. The next destination is the Kiusu Earthwork Burial Circles, a part of the Jomon World Heritage Site. The remnants of a communal cemetery surrounded by a doughnut-shaped bank can still be clearly identified to this day. For more information, check out the Chitose City Archaeological Center. Spend the first night relaxing at the Lake Shikotsu Hot Springs.

The second day starts with a walk around Lake Shikotsu. Stop by the Lake Shikotsu Visitor Center to learn about the natural environment of Lake Shikotsu and then try canoeing, or just whatever suits your fancy, on one of the clearest lakes in all of Japan. After leaving Lake Shikotsu, head to the Upopoy (National Ainu Museum and Park), which was established in 2020. The National Ainu Museum is Japan's first national museum dedicated to the Ainu people, and there, you can learn about Ainu culture as well as watch an ancient Ainu dance performance at the National Ainu Park. Explore the traditional Ainu cise dwellings, try your hand at playing the Mukkuri, and enjoy the experience of Ainu culture. Next up is a trip to the much-anticipated second Jomon site, the Kitakogane Site and Information Center, where you can get a glimpse of life from 5,000 to 3,500BC. Your lodging on this day is at the Toyako Onsen.

Start your third morning with a refreshing stroll along the lake. After you visit the Irie Takasago Museum, head to the adjacent Irie Shell Mound and the nearby Takasago Shell Mound. The two shell mounds, which tell of life from around 3,500 to 800 BC, are valuable archeological sites, where many interesting artifacts have been unearthed. You can feel excited just thinking about what life was like in this area overlooking Uchiura Bay, inhabited by ancient people eating delicious scallops. The next stop is Beyond Village near Onuma Quasi-National Park. Here, you can enjoy glamping without bringing any of your own equipment. You can have a BBQ of seafood, meat, and vegetables that you bought during the trip. After the meal, grab a hot drink and enjoy a nice conversation while gazing at the star-filled night sky.

For the final day, enjoy breakfast outdoors in the autumn air and then head to Onuma Quasi-National Park. Don't forget to take pictures of Mt. Komagatake, which can be seen on the other side of Lake Onuma. As you cross multiple bridges, be sure to take in the scenery of Onuma amid the autumn foliage. After leaving Onuma Park, head to the Ofune Site. The remains of more than 100 pit buildings have been discovered here, and the reconstruction of how they once looked is a sight to behold. From there, drive for another 10 minutes to reach the last of the historic sites in this journey, the Kakinoshima Site. This is another important site with remnants of pit dwellings and tombs, and also signs of large-scale fishing activity. With the memories of the Jomon sites still fresh in your mind, it is time to continue on to Hakodate City. Walk along the hill overlooking Hakodate Port and enjoy gourmet food in the bay area, enjoying the city until time for your flight.