An Open-Top Drive from Sapporo to Hidaka Horse Country (Niikappu and Shinhidaka), About 270 km Round Trip

Why This Drive Suits an Open-Top Route from Sapporo

A good open-top road has two qualities: long, clear sightlines and scenery that keeps changing. Route 235 runs along the Pacific coast for long straight stretches with excellent visibility, and once you head inland the road opens onto gently rolling pasture framed by white fences. Coastline and horse country, both on a single road, are what make this drive worth doing.

This route runs from central Sapporo to Niikappu and Shinhidaka (Shizunai) and back along the same road. The round trip covers about 270 km (approximate), and actual driving time will vary with traffic and road conditions. Treat the figures here as a guide for planning a full-day trip rather than an exact schedule.

Hidaka is known as one of Japan's leading Thoroughbred breeding regions, and sprawling ranches line the road for much of the way. Getting out of the city and driving through this pastoral landscape is the main appeal of the route. This guide also covers the etiquette for visiting ranches, so read through it before you set off.

From Sapporo to Hidaka via Route 235

Head south from central Sapporo on Route 36, then join Route 235 (国道235号), known locally as Hidaka-ji, which runs along the coast into the Hidaka (日高) region. The road passes through Niikappu (新冠) and reaches Shinhidaka (新ひだか), specifically the Shizunai (静内) area, which is the turnaround point for this route.

The one-way drive from central Sapporo to Shinhidaka (Shizunai) takes about 2 hours as a guide. The coastal stretch has few traffic lights and moves smoothly, so leaving early in the morning helps you avoid city traffic. Treat the travel time as approximate; it will change with the season and road conditions.

Once you are on Hidaka-ji, the Pacific Ocean stays on one side of the road and pastureland on the other for long stretches. Before long, white paddock fences appear along the road, a clear sign that you are approaching Thoroughbred country.

Past Tomakomai, roadside buildings thin out and the mix of ranches and farmland increases. Long stretches with few traffic lights make this one of the most enjoyable sections for open-top driving. Keep an eye on surrounding traffic and drive at a comfortable pace while taking in the changing scenery.

Niikappu and Shinhidaka (Shizunai): Taking in Horse Country Scenery

Entering Niikappu (新冠), the scenery shifts fully into ranch country, with pastures dotting the gently rolling hills. A little further on, you reach Shinhidaka (新ひだか) and Shizunai (静内), the turnaround point of this drive.

Plan for around 30 minutes at the turnaround point if you are just taking photos and enjoying the view, and a bit longer if you stop at the information center or other facilities mentioned below. Since this is a same-day round trip, spending too long here will push back your return.

Niikappu's Recorder Hall is a cultural facility run by the Niikappu town board of education, and makes for an easy rest stop near the turnaround point.

Around Niikappu and Shinhidaka, fenced pastures appear along the road in many places, and in the right season you can watch horses grazing from inside your car. Viewing from a safely parked car is fine, but avoid raising your voice or approaching the fence too closely, even from outside it.

What to Know Before Visiting Ranches and Horses

To view retired champions, contact the Uma no Furusato Hidaka Information Center in advance; ranches ask that visitors do not contact them directly, since that gets in the way of daily work. Once you are on site, do not enter stables or paddocks without permission, avoid loud noises such as horns or engine revving, stay behind the fence and do not touch the horses, and turn off camera flash when taking photos.

Take particular care during the season when broodmares are raising foals. Mares can become especially protective, so keep extra distance, and visits may be restricted altogether during this period. Visiting conditions also vary by ranch, so check with the information center before you go.

The Uma no Furusato Hidaka Information Center is located at 175-2 Shizunai Kamomori, Shinhidaka, inside the Hokkaido market of the Japan Bloodhorse Breeders' Association. It is open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. in summer (April 21 to October 20), closed on Tuesdays except when a Tuesday falls on a public holiday, and from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on weekdays in winter (October 21 to April 20), closed on weekends and public holidays. The center may also close temporarily, so check before you stop by.

Official Panels Installed by the Hidaka Subprefectural Bureau

Along Hidaka-ji, you will notice life-size panels at roadside stations and tourist information centers. These were installed by the Hidaka Subprefectural Bureau at 16 locations across seven towns in the region, produced in cooperation with Cygames, the company behind the game Umamusume: Pretty Derby, as part of an official initiative to introduce Hidaka as one of Japan's leading Thoroughbred breeding regions.

The facilities hosting these panels overlap with common roadside stops: roadside stations, hot spring facilities, and tourist information centers. Building a stop at one of these into your route lets you take a break and pick up local tourism information at the same time. Panel locations may change, so it is worth checking the latest list before you go.

The Return Route and Travel Time

The return trip follows the same Route 235 and Route 36 north back to Sapporo. Retracing the same road makes the route easy to plan ahead, which is reassuring if this is your first time driving Hidaka-ji.

The Hidaka Expressway's Hidaka-Atsuga IC to Niikappu IC section (9.1 km) opened as a toll-free stretch on February 28, 2026. With this section open, travel time between Tomakomai and Shinhidaka is expected to shorten by about 30 minutes in both summer and winter.

On a narrower stretch, travel time between Higashi-Shizunai in Shinhidaka and central Sapporo is expected to shorten by about 7 minutes in summer and about 6 minutes in winter. These figures apply only to the specific sections cited in the source data, not the entire route.

Tips for an Open-Top Drive

Visitors driving in Japan need either an International Driving Permit or, depending on the issuing country, an approved Japanese translation of their license; requirements differ by country, so confirm what applies before the trip. Traffic in Japan keeps to the left, the opposite of many countries, so take a moment to get used to it before setting off.

About 270 km round trip puts this route in the long-distance category for an open-top car. With roughly 2 hours of driving each way, plan a break every 60 to 90 minutes to stretch and reset before continuing. Time spent at the Shinhidaka (Shizunai) turnaround doubles nicely as a longer break.

Coastal stretches tend to be windy, and temperatures shift noticeably once you head inland. If you expect to keep the top down for a while, pack a light layer just in case, along with sunscreen and sunglasses for sunny days.

Plan the trip outside the snow season. Parts of Hidaka-ji run along the coast, so during periods when the road surface can freeze, an open-top drive is not a good idea. Choose a date from spring through autumn once conditions are stable.

Since this is a full-day round trip, check fuel and tire pressure before you leave so you are not caught off guard along the way. Roughly plan your timing to reach the turnaround point, and build in enough buffer to get back to Sapporo before dark.