The Limited Express Lilac and Kamui for Sapporo and Asahikawa

The Limited Express Lilac and Kamui are JR Hokkaido trains linking Sapporo and Asahikawa. Most trips take about 1 hour and 25 minutes, and there are multiple departures throughout the day.

All seats on both services are reserved. Passengers using regular tickets need a basic fare ticket plus a reserved-seat limited express ticket. The Japan Rail Pass and eligible JR Hokkaido rail passes cover ordinary reserved seats, but passholders should obtain a reserved-seat ticket before boarding. At Sapporo Station, check the departure board and ticket for the platform and boarding position rather than relying on a fixed platform number.

Lilac vs. Kamui

The Lilac and Kamui follow the same Sapporo-Asahikawa route and make the same scheduled stops. The Lilac normally uses a six-car 789-0 series train and includes Green Car seating. The Kamui normally uses a five-car 789-1000 series train and has no Green Car. Both trains are all reserved. The Kamui includes roomier ordinary reserved u-seat seating with power outlets, although formations can change. Ordinary Japan Rail Pass coverage includes ordinary reserved seats. Travelers using a pass that does not cover Green Car travel must pay the applicable limited express and Green Car charges if they choose a Green seat. Check the conditions of the particular pass before booking.

Key Destinations

There are just 7 stops on the route of the Lilac and Kamui services.

Sapporo – Iwamizawa – Bibai – Sunagawa – Takikawa – Fukagawa – Asahikawa

The key destinations are listed below with regular one-way adult ordinary reserved-seat fares and approximate journey times from Sapporo Station. Times vary by train, and discounted Ekinet products may offer lower fares.

Sapporo Station

Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido and also its largest city. Many tourists visit Sapporo for the Snow Festival which is held every February. During this week-long event large parts of the city are decorated with beautiful ice sculptures and statues built of snow. Sapporo’s other attractions include the 19th century Sapporo Clock Tower (also called Sapporo Tokeidai), the Sapporo Beer Museum, the Susukino entertainment district, the ropeway that leads to the summit of Mount Moiwa, and Hokkaido University Museum. The museum’s exhibits cover science, natural history, and the history of the university with dramatic dinosaur skeletons and a life-size model of a woolly mammoth among the displays. The museum is free to enter and closed on Mondays.

Transfers can be made here to local services on the Hakodate Main Line, Chitose Line and Gakuen-Toshi Line. Sapporo also has limited express services for destinations across Hokkaido and frequent Airport trains for New Chitose Airport, with some Airport services continuing directly to Otaru. For Yoichi, Kutchan and Niseko, passengers normally transfer at Otaru and should check the date-specific timetable.

Iwamizawa Station

This station serves the city of Iwamizawa which has a number of attractions. The top attraction here is Hokkaido Greenland, a seasonal amusement park with a broad ride lineup that includes an 80-meter Ferris wheel and the 1.5-kilometer GO-ON roller coaster. Check the park calendar and same-day ride status before visiting. Housui Winery’s shop is open from 10.00 to 17.00. It is generally open daily from April through December and closes on Tuesdays and Wednesdays from January through March. Visitors can view the winemaking setting and taste or buy wine. Natural hot spring spa facilities can be enjoyed at the resort Log Hotel Maple Lodge which is open to day trippers as well as overnight guests. Little Rock Hills is an English-style garden and cafe destination whose seasonal opening and available facilities should be checked before travel. Iwamizawa Park is home to a rose garden and a local history and science museum which includes a planetarium. The museum is open from 9.30 to 17.00, except that it opens at 13.30 on Tuesdays. It is closed on Mondays, except public holidays, and from December 29th to January 3rd. Admission is 400 yen for adults, 280 yen for senior high school students, and 140 yen for elementary and junior high school students. The planetarium costs an additional 280, 200, or 140 yen respectively.

Transfer here to the Muroran Main Line.

Bibai Station

Bibai’s main attractions are its museum, the Arte Piazza sculpture museum, and Alpen SNOWLAND Bibai. Bibai Local History Museum has exhibits exploring Bibai’s history, culture, and natural history with a special emphasis on the history of the local coal mines. This museum is a 6 minute walk from the station and is open from 9.00 to 17.00 with last entry at 16.30. The museum is closed on Mondays and from December 29th to January 3rd. Admission to the permanent exhibition is 300 yen for high school students and adults or 70 yen for elementary and junior high school students.

Arte Piazza is an open-air sculpture park which is a 20 minute bus ride or 10 minute taxi ride from Bibai Station. The park features 40 marble and bronze sculptures by the contemporary artist Kan Yasuda who was born in Bibai. There is a cafe in the park and a gallery, while workshops and events follow published schedules. Arte Piazza is free to enter and is open from 9.00 to 17.00 Wednesday through Monday. It is closed on Tuesdays, the day after a public holiday except Sunday, and from December 31st to January 3rd. The former-gym Art Space is scheduled to remain closed for renovation through March 31st, 2027, while the other areas are planned to stay open.

Alpen SNOWLAND Bibai, previously called Bibai Snow Land, offers seasonal activities including snow tubing, snow rafting, mini snowmobiles, snowmobile touring, all-terrain vehicles, and children’s snow play. Its 2026-27 season is scheduled from December 10th, 2026 to March 22nd, 2027, from 9.00 to 16.15, subject to snow conditions. The park is a 15 minute taxi ride from Bibai Station. The operator also lists a shuttle from Bibai Station for 300 yen each way without advance reservation. Restaurant use may require advance arrangements, so check the season’s visitor information before traveling.

Sunagawa Station

Sunagawa Station is the stop between Bibai and Takikawa on this route.

Takikawa Station

Takikawa’s main attractions are its aviation park and hot spring facilities. Many people come to Takikawa when its bright yellow fields of canola flowers, called nanohana in Japanese, bloom from mid- to late May. The annual Nanohana Festival is timed to the flowering season. The February Takikawa Paper Bag Lantern Festival fills the station-area streets with handmade lanterns; check the event site for the next date.

Takikawa Sky Park is an aviation park where you can experience flying in a glider. An approximately 10-minute flight costs 9,000 yen for adults and 5,000 yen for elementary, junior high, and senior high school students. The flying season generally runs from mid-April to mid-November, with non-operating days. Contact the park in advance to confirm the schedule. Motor-glider experiences are not being offered. The Sky Park is a 5 minute taxi ride from Takikawa Station.

Takikawa Fureai-no-sato is a natural hot spring facility with a variety of indoor and outdoor baths and saunas. The facility has an on-site restaurant and also a number of cottages for guests who wish to stay the night. Fureai-no-sato is open from 8.00 to 22.00 with last entry at 21.30. Bathing costs 630 yen for junior high school students and adults, 250 yen for elementary school children, and is free for preschool children. The facility is a 15 minute taxi ride from Takikawa Station; check local access options before traveling.

Transfer here to the Nemuro Main Line.

Fukagawa Station

The Rumoi Main Line no longer operates. Its final trains ran on March 31st, 2026, and the remaining Fukagawa-Ishikari-Numata railway section was abolished on April 1st, 2026. Travelers heading to communities along the former line should check bus connections and other local road transport from Fukagawa.

Asahikawa Station

Asahikawa is Hokkaido’s second largest city and is a popular base for travelers visiting nearby Daisetsuzan National Park or traveling further to the lavender fields of Furano. The most popular attraction inside Asahikawa is its zoo, but there are number of other interesting tourist spots that can all be accessed easily from the station area.

Asahiyama Zoo has animals from several continents including Asian snow leopards, American timber wolves, African lions, and Arctic foxes. The zoo is constructed in such a way that visitors can safely get close to the animals and view them in a habitat that resembles their natural environment. Admission to the zoo is 1,000 yen for adults and free for children of junior high school age and younger. For the zoo’s opening calendar please visit the official website. To get to the zoo, take bus route 41 or 47 from stop 6 at Asahikawa Station. Buses generally run about every 30 minutes during the main opening season and take around 40 minutes. The adult one-way fare becomes 670 yen on September 1st, 2026; check the bus operator for the fare and seasonal timetable before travel. A taxi ride from the station takes about 30 minutes under normal conditions.

The free Otokoyama Sake Brewery Museum presents the company’s brewing history through traditional tools, documents, ukiyo-e prints, and multilingual video, with part of production visible during the brewing season. The shop and tasting area have moved to the adjacent OTOKOYAMA SAKE PARK. Tastings are paid and end before the main facility closes, so check the park’s visitor information before going. The site is about a 20 minute taxi ride from Asahikawa Station.

Asahikawa Ramen Village is a collection of eight ramen noodle restaurants together with a souvenir shop and a ramen shrine. Visitors who want to try a variety of ramen types can order small bowls at each shop. To reach the Ramen Village take the Sekihoku Line from Asahikawa Station for 10 minutes and get off at Minami-Nagayama Station. The Ramen Village is a 7 minute walk from the station.

Kita-no-Arashiyama is an arts district with pottery, glass, dyeing, woodcraft, tea, and cafe businesses. Some studios offer workshops, but hours, experiences, and winter closures vary by business. From the station area, walk to the 1-jo 8-chome stop and take Asahikawa Denkikidou bus route 3 or 23 to Hokuhou Yasouen Iriguchi. The bus trip takes roughly 20 to 25 minutes; check the operator’s timetable and fare before travel.

Asahidake Onsen is a hot spring resort in Daisetsuzan National Park. The resort is close to the aerial lift Asahidake Ropeway which carries passengers in gondolas up Mount Asahi where they can admire the alpine views. This is also a popular ski resort in the winter. Asahidake Onsen can be reached in 70 minutes by car from Asahikawa Station. Ideyugo bus route 66 runs four daily round trips from Asahikawa Station bus stop 9 to Asahidake via Asahikawa Airport. The published journey to the Asahidake terminus takes about 1 hour and 50 minutes. The adult fare becomes 2,300 yen on September 1st, 2026; check the operator before travel because the service is infrequent and weather can affect the journey.

Popular skiing locations near Asahikawa are Kamui Ski Links and the Asahidake Ski Resort.

Asahikawa holds a Winter Festival every February. This is similar to the Snow Festival in Sapporo and features both snow sculptures and ice sculptures.

Transfer at Asahikawa Station to the Soya Main Line, Sekihoku Main Line, and Furano Line.

Useful Information

A timetable and route finder, and a downloadable route map can be found on the official JR Hokkaido English language website.

Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 21-Aug-2026.