Itinerary:
Sapporo: much smaller city than Tokyo but just as lively. A ton of great ramen joints and fresh seafood at Niko market.
Otaru: small tourist town with quaint canal. Delightful pastries at Le Tao and best Japanese fried chicken at Naruto main shop.
Niseko: off season ski resort town. Great views of mt Yotei. Passed by hill of the Buddha and some national parks on the way there. Seicomarts came in handy because food was not cheap here. More catered to non Japanese.
Hakodate: lots of viewpoints and national park was delightful. Best king crab and uni I have ever eaten. Ropeway view was very good. Monkey park was fun and seafood best in Japan.
Lake Toya: went back north and stayed 2 nights at 4 star onsen ryokan resort. Had pristine lake views with mt yotei. Food buffet at lake Toya nonokaze best buffet I ever had. Everything made fresh and excellent views and fireworks. Rented bikes and biked around lake.
Noboribetsu: one night in ryokan hotel. Best onsen experience with sulfuric water from the natural springs. Went to bear zoo which was cool af. Saw cubs, smart females, and giant brown bears. The town itself has amazing restaurants. Had best ramen here. There is also a national park with foot baths and views of the volcanic springs.
Furano: stayed 2 nights at La vista furano which is owned by dorms in. The farmlands of Hokkaido were beautiful. Went to many hills and vistas in the farmland. Lots of animals and ice cream. Hokkaido milk is excellent. Drove up to a volcano and to some waterfalls. Didn’t see any brown bears despite seeing lots of bear sings.
Asashikawa: currently here. Zoo is hands down best I ever been to. Animals are treated humanely. This is saying a lot because japan does not have a good reputation with animals. Ueno zoo is very sad.
Driving. As an American driving in Japan, I was hesitate at first but your mind switches up after a day or two. I have driven up mountains, long tunnels, confusing two to one way merges in Sapporo, and 10hours or so on the expressway. Not bad for a novice driver. I did rely on Google Maps and had to back park but it wasn’t difficult.
Dont sleep on Hokkaido. Most people keep going to Tokyo Osaka and Kyoto. While they are good, my best times in Japan are Kyushu and Hokkaido