Last checked: October 30, 2026
Fancy an afternoon of fishing through a hole in a frozen Hokkaido lake, then eating your catch hot from the fryer? Lake Kanayama (かなやま湖, also written 金山湖) in Minamifurano is a short trip from Furano and Tomamu.
You fish for wakasagi (Japanese smelt), a small fish, with gear that comes with the tour. Your catch is fried on the spot as karaage (から揚げ). You need at least 4 people, and the tour meets at a roadside station with no pickup. We explain how to get there below.
We built this guide from the KKday listing, the operator’s website, Minamifurano Town, the local bus companies and the Japan Meteorological Agency. The listing is new and has no reviews yet. We flag anything we couldn’t confirm.
At a Glance
- Price: from about US$37 per person on KKday (as of October 2026). Everyone pays the same, adults and children
- Group size: 4 to 20 people per booking, ages 3 to 90. Fewer than 4 people can’t book
- Meeting point: Roadside Station Minamifurano (道の駅 南ふらの) at 13:30. There is no pickup
- Length: KKday says 4 hours. The operator says the tour runs until 16:00
- Season: January 8 to March 10, 2027. The operator says dates can change with the ice
- Included: fishing gear, liability insurance, and your catch fried on the spot
- Not included: warm clothing. Bring your own ski wear, snow boots and gloves
- Language: the listing’s detail section says the guide speaks Japanese
- Free cancellation: up to 2 days before
Prices and available dates vary. Check the booking page before you book.
Where Is Lake Kanayama?
Lake Kanayama sits in Minamifurano Town (南富良野町), in the middle of Hokkaido. The tour meets at Roadside Station Minamifurano (道の駅 南ふらの) in Ikutora (幾寅). By car, the station is about 45 minutes from Furano. It is about 2 hours from Asahikawa Airport and about 1 hour 50 minutes from New Chitose Airport.
HOKKAIDO REGION
Lake Kanayama, Minamifurano, Hokkaido
Meeting point: Roadside Station Minamifurano, 13:30
From Furano: About 1 hour by bus, or about 45 minutes by car
Is This Tour Right for You?
✅ Great if you…
- travel in a group of 4 or more. The minimum is 4 people, and everyone pays the same price
- bring kids. Ages 3 and up can join, and younger children can come along without gear
- stay in Furano or Tomamu for skiing. It’s an afternoon tour that starts at 13:30
- have never ice fished. The gear is included
⚠️ Think twice if you…
- are 1 to 3 people. KKday needs at least 4 people to run the tour
- need English explanations. The listing’s detail section says Japanese (see The Language Question)
- don’t own warm clothing. The tour doesn’t lend any
- might be late. Arriving late counts as a same-day cancellation, with no refund
- like to pick a tour by its reviews. This listing has none yet
When Can You Go?
This is a winter-only tour. The lake needs ice, so the tour runs only from January 8 to March 10, 2027.
📅 When you can ice fish
Open Part of the month Closed
The operator says the dates can change with the condition of the ice.
Source: KKday listing and the operator’s website, checked October 2026.
Can I go in December?
Not this winter. KKday shows dates from January 8, 2027, and the operator lists the same start. Earlier winters began on December 25, so a December start is possible in a year with good ice, but don’t plan around it.
The operator’s October 16, 2026 notice says the busy period, which covers all its winter tours, runs from about December 20 to about February 10. If your dates are in that window, we’d request your booking early. KKday needs your booking at least 2 days ahead.
What the Tour Includes (and What It Doesn’t)
| Included | Not included |
|---|---|
| Complete set of smelt fishing gear | Warm clothing. There are no rentals |
| Liability insurance | Pickup or a ride to the station |
| Your catch, fried on the spot | Parking fee, tent and heating: not mentioned in the listing |
Source: KKday listing, checked October 2026.
The listing doesn’t mention a tent, a heater, a toilet at the fishing spot, a parking fee or any extra cost for the fried fish. Ask KKday before you book. You can message them from the booking page.
The Language Question
⚠️ The guide may speak only Japanese — The top of the KKday page lists five languages: English, Japanese, Korean, Thai and Mandarin. The detail section says the instruction language is Japanese. We couldn’t confirm any English guiding
- No reviews to check — The listing is new and has no reviews. No past guest has said how it goes without Japanese
Is there an English-speaking guide?
We couldn’t confirm one. If you don’t speak Japanese, we’d pick a quick message to KKday before you book and ask whether the guide can explain in English. The detail section says Japanese, so don’t count on it.
Your Afternoon, Step by Step
13:30
Meet at the station
Be at Roadside Station Minamifurano before 13:30, because a late arrival counts as a same-day cancellation
Next
Fish through the ice
You use the included gear, with a guide
After fishing
Eat your catch, fried on the spot
16:00–17:30
The tour ends
KKday says 4 hours, which means about 17:30, while the operator says 16:00
Source: KKday listing and the operator’s website, checked October 2026.
We’d plan on 17:30 when you book a bus home. That gives you the longer of the two times.
How Wakasagi Ice Fishing Works
Wakasagi are small fish, so the gear is small too. KKday’s photo caption says the hole and the rod are both small.
A small hole
You fish through a small hole in the ice.
A short rod
The rod is small, not like a rod for big fish.
A fried snack
The smelt you catch are fried on the spot as karaage.
KKday doesn’t promise a catch, and the listing says nothing about how many fish to expect. Think of it as a winter afternoon with a chance of a snack.
Cold and What to Wear
The numbers below are 1991–2020 averages at the Japan Meteorological Agency station in Ikutora (幾寅), at 350 m above sea level. The average daily high is -3.7°C in January and -2.6°C in February.
| Month | Average daily low | Average deepest snow |
|---|---|---|
| January | -14.6°C | 66 cm |
| February | -14.4°C | 75 cm |
| March | -8.6°C | 77 cm |
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency, Ikutora station, checked October 2026.
KKday says to bring warm gear such as ski wear, snow boots and gloves, because the tour doesn’t lend any. If you’re skiing in Furano or Tomamu, you probably have ski wear already. Wear it.
What to Bring
- Ski wear, snow boots and gloves (required by the listing)
- Hand warmers, thick socks, a hat and a neck warmer. These are our additions, not on the listing
- Your own food and drinks. The roadside station shop opens 9:00–17:00 (October to May), so you can buy snacks before 13:30
⚠️ Ice and stoves — Minamifurano Town calls the lake’s wakasagi spots places with no manager, so you fish at your own risk. It asks people to hold off in bad weather. If you use a stove inside a tent, the town says to air it out about once an hour. Carbon monoxide poisoning has sent people to the hospital there, and some have died. The listing doesn’t say where the tour fishes or whether it uses a tent, so follow your guide
Getting to Roadside Station Minamifurano
Trains no longer run on the Nemuro Line between Furano and Shintoku, and buses now cover the route. Three bus lines stop at the roadside station, according to the town’s September 2026 timetable. KKday doesn’t give you a ride from Furano.
From Tomamu Station by town bus
The town bus leaves Tomamu Station at 12:39 and reaches the roadside station at 13:14. It costs ¥610 and runs daily. That’s only 16 minutes before the meeting time, so a delay costs you the tour.
From Furano by bus
The Northliner (ノースライナー), run by Hokkaido Takushoku Bus, leaves Furano Station at 9:27 and 11:02. It arrives at 10:12 and 11:47 and costs ¥700. It needs a reservation. The Furano Bus (ふらのバス) leaves at 10:26 and arrives at 11:26 for ¥1,150.
By car
About 45 minutes from Furano and 2 hours from Asahikawa Airport. It is 1 hour 50 minutes from New Chitose Airport and 2 hours 20 minutes from Sapporo by expressway. The roadside station has 74 spaces for regular cars, toilets and Wi-Fi.
From Sapporo
We’d pick the 7:58 Tokachi 1 (とかち1号) to Tomamu, arriving at 9:42. The town bus leaves Tomamu at 9:52 and reaches the station at 10:27, three hours before the tour. If you miss that bus, the 12:39 bus still gets you there at 13:14.
The 10:45 Tokachi 3 (とかち3号) reaches Tomamu at 12:29. That leaves 10 minutes to the 12:39 bus and 16 minutes to spare at the station. Any delay becomes a same-day cancellation, so we wouldn’t take it. Trains that stop at Tomamu have reserved seats only, and the station has no ticket office, according to Hoshino Resorts Tomamu. Buy your ticket before you get to Tomamu.
Another route: the 8:52 Ozora 3 (おおぞら3号) reaches Shintoku at 11:13. The Northliner leaves Shintoku at 12:04, arrives at the station at 12:45 and costs ¥800. It needs a reservation.
From Furano
We’d pick the Northliner at 9:27. It arrives at 10:12, 3 hours 18 minutes before the tour, and you can book a seat. The Furano Bus at 10:26 doesn’t need a booking, but it costs ¥1,150 and takes an hour.
Getting home
If the tour runs to 17:30, you can catch the 17:47 bus to Tomamu, arriving 18:21. The 18:44 Ozora 10 (おおぞら10号) then reaches Sapporo at 20:29. The 17:47 bus doesn’t run on Sundays. If the tour ends at 16:00, the 17:22 town bus reaches Tomamu at 17:55 every day.
For Furano, the Furano Bus leaves at 17:58 and arrives at 19:00. The last one leaves at 19:03 and arrives at 20:05. The Northliner leaves at 17:40 (toward Asahikawa) and 18:02 (toward Obihiro).
Driving
Winter roads need care. The Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau’s winter driving guide says hard braking at 50 km/h on an icy road takes about 112 meters to stop. If you’ve never driven on snow, we’d take the bus from Furano or Tomamu.
How to pay
| Where | How |
|---|---|
| The tour | Prepaid on KKday |
| Furano Bus | Cash, paid when you get off. An IC card isn’t mentioned |
| Northliner | Cash. Booking online accepts cards |
| Town bus | Not stated. We’d carry cash |
| Fairfield by Marriott Minamifurano | Cards and mobile payment. No cash |
Source: KKday, Furano Bus, Hokkaido Takushoku Bus and Klook, checked October 2026.
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
Where to Stay
If you don’t have a car, we’d pick Fairfield by Marriott Hokkaido Minamifurano. Google Maps puts it about 160 meters from the roadside station, so you walk to the 13:30 meeting point and don’t need a bus.
Klook shows the room rates, which change with the date. Klook says the hotel takes cards and mobile payment, not cash.
Staying in Furano or Tomamu also works, since buses run from both. Furano has Furano Natulux Hotel, La Vista Furano Hills and Shin Furano Prince Hotel. Tomamu has Tomamu The Tower and Hoshino Resorts RISONARE Tomamu.
Booking, Cancellation and Weather
This is a request booking. The operator approves it, and KKday confirms within 1 day. You must book at least 2 days before.
Cancellation
KKday’s cancellation policy (as of October 2026):
Weather and ice
⚠️ The tour can be canceled — The listing says it may be canceled for bad weather and that the period may change with the ice. It doesn’t spell out a refund if the operator cancels. Ask KKday before you book
- Don’t be late — If you miss the meeting time, KKday treats it as a same-day cancellation
Fishing Rules in Hokkaido
The tour includes the fishing gear. We couldn’t confirm a fishing permit requirement for this lake, and the listing mentions no permit fee. Ask KKday when you message them about language.
For the rules that apply to visitors, see Fishing in Hokkaido: The Rules Visitors Need to Know.
Minamifurano Town also asks anglers to protect itou (イトウ). It asks people not to fish for any species downstream of the JR rail bridge over the lake (金山湖橋梁) to the dam, all year. It also asks for no hole fishing for itou across the whole lake from December 15 to January 31. The listing doesn’t say where the tour fishes, so follow your guide.
Nearby
Tomamu is about 35 minutes from the station by town bus. If you want a ski day on another day of your trip, Klook sells a one-day Hoshino Resorts Tomamu lift pass with a round-trip bus from Sapporo. Klook says the Ice Village there is open from mid-December to mid-March. Prices change by date.
Prices in the box below are set by Klook and change by date.
FAQ
QCan I join alone?
No. The minimum is 4 people per tour, and KKday takes 4 to 20 people per booking. If you’re a smaller group, we’d look at a different ice fishing trip.
QCan kids join?
Yes, from age 3 to 90. Children under 3 can come along, but they don’t get fishing gear.
QDoes the guide speak English?
We couldn’t confirm. The top of the listing names five languages, including English, but the detail section says Japanese. Ask KKday before you book.
QWhat if I don’t catch any fish?
KKday doesn’t promise a catch. The listing doesn’t say what you get if you catch nothing.
QDo I need a fishing license?
We couldn’t confirm a permit requirement for this lake. The gear is included. Ask KKday.
QCan I get there without a car?
Yes. Buses run from Furano and Tomamu to the station. From Sapporo, take the 7:58 train.
Ready to Book?
A frozen lake, a tiny hole and a plate of fried fish you caught yourself. Not a bad way to spend a Hokkaido afternoon.
If you’re a group of 4 or more near Furano or Tomamu and own warm clothing, this tour is an easy pick. Message KKday about English first.
