Hokkaido: Enjoy ethereal experiences, from Barbie-pink flower fields to crab feasts

HOKKAIDO – Mention a Hokkaido holiday and what comes to mind are its snowy landscapes and powdery snow. But Japan’s most northerly and least developed island is more than ski slopes and ice festivals.

When you hop onto a train or take a short drive from its city centres and fancy resorts, the rural landscape unfolds into another world.