Hokkaido

Presenting the Travel + Leisure It List 2021

Whether it’s when the irises open, the tomatoes are hung, the manatees migrate or the lobsters lose their shells — to everything there is a season. Japan might be the most poetic, but Adam H. Graham finds microseasons enrich your travels everywhere.

Family stays can be stylish too—these new and refurbished hotels, resorts and villas let you go glam with the fam.

Portom International Hokkaido is about to open up, and it’s the perfect, most luxurious base to explore Japan’s northern-most island.

With the famed ‘Niseko Express’ refreshing plentiful powder daily, Japan’s winter capital is on every downhiller’s list. Park Hyatt Niseko Hanazono brings serene sophistication, exceptional dining experiences and their signature service to this resort town—which has plenty of summer draws, too.

Japan’s most northerly island isn’t just for thrill-seekers. Julian Ryall bypasses the ski slopes for three distinct tastes of the prefecture’s best booze.