Wakkanai

Wakkanai sits at the northern tip of Hokkaido, closer to Sakhalin Island than to Sapporo. Cape Soya, a short drive from the city, is the northernmost point on the Japanese mainland. The city's most unusual landmark is the North Breakwater Dome, a Soviet-inflected concrete colonnade built in 1938 to shelter the ferry terminal from Okhotsk Sea storms. In summer the surrounding Sarobetsu Wetland blooms with rare wildflowers across a wide flat landscape that feels nothing like the rest of Japan. A destination for those who want to reach an edge.