The Hokkaido Route: 530km from Cape Soya to Hakodate, Free

You don't need to pay anything to walk the full stretch from Cape Soya to Hakodate in Japan Walk Nomad. Try Japan's northernmost region first, on foot, one real step at a time. And 530km is just the shortest-path distance — visiting every landmark and filling in the conquest map takes considerably longer, so Hokkaido alone goes a long way.

530km
Free distance
(Cape Soya → Hakodate)
17 spots
Landmarks along the way
$0
Cost of the Hokkaido area
2,760km
Full route total
(Cape Soya → Shuri Castle)
179
Municipalities in Hokkaido
(conquering them all means a much longer trip)

Why is Hokkaido free?

In Japan Walk Nomad, your daily step count becomes distance on a virtual 2,760km journey from Cape Soya in the far north to Shuri Castle in Okinawa. Rather than asking you to pay upfront, we let you try the whole 530km stretch from Cape Soya to Hakodate for free. Even walking a steady 8,000 steps (about 6km) a day, Hokkaido alone takes nearly three months to cross — plenty of time to see if the habit sticks before unlocking the rest of Japan.

17 landmarks along the way

Starting at Cape Soya, the route passes through Wakkanai, Asahikawa, Sapporo, Otaru, and Hakodate, with 17 real-world landmarks placed along it. Get close enough (in-game) and you'll earn a badge plus a local comment from your alien companion, Arukyun.

🐧

Asahiyama Zoo

Munching Animal Explorer

💙

Biei / Blue Pond

Discoverer of the Mystic Pond

💜

Furano Lavender Fields

Visitor to the Purple Carpet

Mt. Asahidake (Daisetsuzan)

Challenger of Hokkaido's Highest Peak

🕰

Sapporo Clock Tower

Clock Tower Master

🎡

Sapporo Odori Park

Traveler of the Snow Festival City

🛶

Otaru Canal

Canal Stroller

Noboribetsu Jigokudani

One Who Peered into Hell

🌋

Lake Toya

Lakeside Traveler

🌃

Mt. Hakodate

Night View Hunter

Hakodate / Goryokaku

Visitor to the Star-Shaped Fort

*Eastern Hokkaido landmarks like the Shiretoko Five Lakes, Abashiri Prison, Lake Mashu, and Kushiro Wetlands sit off the direct Cape Soya–Hakodate route. Visiting all 17 landmarks on your way to Hakodate means covering more ground than the 530km shortest path.

Hokkaido alone goes further than you'd think

530km is just the shortest-path distance from Cape Soya to Hakodate. Detour to visit every landmark, or aim to fill in all 179 municipalities of Hokkaido on the nationwide conquest map, and the walking distance and time required grow considerably — walking the shortest route alone only colors in a handful of the municipalities it passes through. Take your time wandering off the main line, and Hokkaido by itself can easily keep you walking for months. The free area isn't as small as it might sound.

Free vs. full version

FreeFull version (one-time, $4.99 / ¥500)
Walkable rangeCape Soya ↔ Hakodate (~530km)Cape Soya → Shuri Castle (~2,760km)
Landmarks17114
Account / subscriptionNot requiredOne-time purchase, no subscription
How steps are countedAndroid Health Connect (your device's real GPS location is never used)

Ready to start walking Hokkaido?

No purchase required for the full 530km from Cape Soya to Hakodate. Unlock the rest of Japan whenever you're ready.

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