Tokyo. Hokkaido's varied landscapes include remote mountain ranges, fertile lowland plains, sweeping forests and enormous wetlands home to rare birds and other wildlife. Even for the Japanese, Hokkaido has a somewhat wild and exotic aura - place names have distinct Ainu origins and the capital Sapporo is closer to Russia's Vladivostok than to Tokyo; while the Siberia-influenced climate and wide open spaces are unlike anything found in the rest of Japan. Hokkaido's mild summers are ideal for sightseeing, cycling, camping and hiking.