Skip the tropics this summer. Our guide covers the best of Rusutsu’s green-season — amusement park rides, golf with views of Mount Yotei, and more outdoor fun.
Everyone has a summer playbook — be it a tropical island escape or a summer in Europe with Spritzes and a great lakeside villa. While we love these ideas as much as you do, there’s a strong case for going in a different direction this year: towards Hokkaido.
Why Rusutsu, instead of Tokyo or Kyoto?
Why visit Hokkaido during the green season? In the summer, Japan’s northernmost island is comfortably cooler than the main Honshu island, where most visitors will experience hot and humid weather in Tokyo, Kyoto and Osaka.
Rusutsu especially, is where that case gets made. Hokkaido’s powder-magnet ski town doesn’t shut shop when the snow melts. The slopes turn emerald; Mt. Yotei gradually loses its snow-capped hat, and a town best known for snowsports reveals a second personality entirely. Think verdant rolling hills against blue skies, hot-air balloons drifting over farmland, and the largest amusement park in Hokkaido.
Let’s get you started: Summer in Hokkaido: 10 Best Activities in Niseko, Rusutsu and Furano
Why should I visit Rusutsu in summer?
Rusutsu Amusement Park is a big reason to visit, especially for families and adrenaline seekers. Tucked inside Rusutsu Resort, this amusement park is Hokkaido’s largest, with eight rollercoasters, a Ferris wheel, a go-kart track, and various children-friendly zones. It’s the kind of place that lets serious travellers stop pretending they’re too cool for a rollercoaster.
Come summer, the park rolls out an outdoor Super Jumbo Pool with slides, fireworks at night, and unforgettable views from the gondola and Yotei Panorama Terrace. The Cycle Trail and the resident sheep round out a family-friendly itinerary suited to all ages.
I’m not a fan of roller coasters; what are other more relaxing activities available?
Hokkaido’s landscape is enormous, and Rusutsu sits squarely in the good stuff — mountains, rivers, untamed forests, and sky for days. The adrenaline menu reads well: white-water rafting on the Shiribetsu, canoeing on Lake Toya, mountain biking down trails that double as ski runs in winter.
For a gentler pace, there’s horseback riding through wildflower fields, fly-fishing afternoons, and farm-to-table harvesting where you pull your own carrots before someone cooks them for you. The hot-air balloon ride at sunrise is the showpiece — Mount Yotei from a panoramic aerial view is hard to top.
Why is golfing popular in Rusutsu?
Hokkaido is one of Asia’s most scenic golfing areas among people who know the game, and Rusutsu’s 72-hole course is the headline act. Four courses, all with Mount Yotei as the scenic backdrop, and fairways so quiet that you can hear your own swing thoughts.
The Tower Course, laid out by Jumbo Ozaki, is the crowd-pleaser — generous off the tee, tighter into the greens. The Izumikawa encourages beginners to play with a simpler terrain, while the River and Wood Courses demand a sharper game and reward you with the views to match.
Read more: A COO’s Guide To Golf In Hokkaido
If it rains, what are the recommended indoor activities?
The resort runs a steady programme of family-friendly handicraft workshops. Rusutsu Arena handles the indoor energy with climbing walls, bouldering, and table tennis when the weather doesn’t cooperate.
The real curiosity is the two-storey indoor carousel. Built by the same craftsman who made the twin for Michael Jackson’s Neverland Ranch, it’s one of only two in the world. We believe you should file this right under: “Things You Didn’t Know You Needed to See in Rusutsu.”
Which restaurants should I dine at, while visiting Rusutsu?
A note on summer dining: many of Rusutsu’s local izakayas close when the snow melts, so the selection shrinks once the lifts stop spinning. But worry not, here are our picks: Oktoberfest’s buffet inside the resort is a reliable choice for families with mixed appetites and a shifting table count.
For a local option, head a few minutes out to Mokumokuya for all-you-can-eat Genghis Khan lamb grilled at the table. Call ahead since they keep irregular hours through the warmer months and accept cash only.
At the amusement park, Ruth & Moose Forest Café handles brick-oven pizzas and burgers, while Névé Café covers coffee, pastries and a few vegan picks for breakfast.
Don’t miss this: 12 Best Soft Serves and Ice Cream To Taste In Hokkaido
Where can I stay?
The Vale Rusutsu is the easy answer. Named Japan’s Best Ski Hotel at the World Ski Awards, it puts you within walking distance of the gondola, the golf shuttles, and the amusement park.
The 1- to 4-bedroom residences come kitted out with proper kitchens and laundry machines (a washer and a dryer); the kind of luxury that makes longer stays effortless. In green season, you trade the skis for golf clubs and call it a fair swap.
Looking forward to summer in Rusutsu?
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