The Limited Express Ozora for Kushiro, Obihiro, and Sapporo

The Ozora is a limited express service that links the cities of Sapporo, Obihiro, and Kushiro.

The Limited Express Ozora at Sapporo Station

Previously this service was called the “Super Ozora”, but its name was shortened to Ozora in March 2020. The name Ozora means “Big Sky”. The Ozora is operated by JR Hokkaido and is fully covered by the Japan Rail Pass. All seats are reserved, and pass holders should reserve a seat before traveling.

A carriage banner on the Ozora service

Key Destinations

Stations served by the Ozora are listed below. Stops differ depending on the service number, so the stations in brackets () are not served by all trains.

Sapporo – Shin-Sapporo – Minami-Chitose – (Oiwake) – (Shin-Yubari) – (Shimukappu) – Tomamu – Shintoku – (Tokachi-Shimizu) – (Memuro) – Obihiro – (Ikeda) – (Urahoro) – (Shiranuka) – Kushiro

The Ozora makes 6 return services between Sapporo and Kushiro every day, but this is supplemented by the Limited Express Tokachi which runs 5 return services between Sapporo and Obihiro each day. Ozora No. 7 does not stop at Oiwake, Shin-Yubari, Ikeda, or Shiranuka, and other stops also vary by service.

The key destinations for the Ozora are listed below with adult one-way ordinary reserved-seat fares and representative journey times on Ozora No. 1 from Sapporo Station. Fares, times, and stopping patterns can change, so check JR Hokkaido’s date-specific journey planner before traveling.

For more detailed information on Sapporo, Obihiro, and on destinations in between please see our article on the Tokachi which follows the same route as far as Obihiro.

Departure information at Sapporo Station

Sapporo Station

Sapporo is a pleasant city with wide tree-lined roads, and plenty of parks, museums, and other cultural facilities. The city’s top attractions include several historical buildings such as the 19th-century Sapporo Tokeidai (Sapporo Clocktower) and the Hoheikan guest house in Nakajima Park. Other popular sites include the Sapporo Beer Museum and Beer Garden, Hokkaido University Botanical Gardens, and the ropeway ride to the summit of Mount Moiwa. The Sapporo Snow Festival is a major event held each February during which beautiful ice sculptures and giant snow statues decorate the city’s streets and parks.

Obihiro Station

Obihiro is a friendly city which has easy access to hot spring resorts located in nearby natural parks as well as its own unique local attractions. Top attractions include Obihiro Zoo, the modern and contemporary art collection in the Hokkaido Obihiro Museum of Art, the local history and natural history exhibits in Obihiro Centennial City Museum, and the Obihiro Racecourse. The racecourse is dedicated to a unique horse race called “Banei” in which large draft horses pull heavily weighted sleds. Hot spring spa resorts can be found at Tokachigawa Onsen, which is about 20 minutes by taxi or roughly 30 minutes by scheduled bus from Obihiro Station, and at Shikaribetsu Kohan Onsen on the shore of Lake Shikaribetsu. The lake can be accessed by bus from Obihiro Station in around 1 hour and 40 minutes or by car in 1 hour and 10 minutes. Bus services are limited, so check the timetable before traveling.

Ikeda Station

The top attraction in the town of Ikeda is a working winery called Ikeda Wine Castle. Visitors can explore the cellar, wine exhibits, shop, restaurant, and viewing terrace on a free self-guided visit. Free mini tours are normally offered on weekdays without advance booking, while longer weekend and holiday tours with wine tasting cost 2,000 yen and must be reserved at least two days ahead. The regular tasting counter is also paid. The all-you-can-eat-and-drink Autumn Wine Festival is usually held in early October, but the date and ticket arrangements should be checked for the year of your visit. The winery is open from 9.00 to 17.00. Ikeda Wine Castle is a 15-minute walk from Ikeda Station.

Not far from Ikeda Wine Castle is a dairy farm called Happiness Dairy which is well-known for its gelato ice cream, cheese, and other dairy products. Its seasonal farm shop also sells takeout pizzas such as raclette cheese and potato, or rhubarb and green soybeans. The shop normally opens from 9.30 to 17.00 and closes on Tuesdays, except during specified holiday periods. It also has a winter closure, so check its operating dates before traveling.

Kushiro Station

Kushiro is a major fishing port which is famous for its seafood and its many cultural attractions. It is also an excellent base for visits to the natural scenery around Lake Akan and Kushiro Shitsugen National Park. Some of the top sightseeing attractions are listed below.

Washo Market is a famous fish market, just a 3-minute walk from the station, where you can view an incredible variety of marine produce and buy some to eat on the spot. A popular dish here is the “katte-don”: a bowl of rice on which you can place a variety of seafood toppings according to your personal taste. For more excellent seafood check out the waterfront commercial complex Fisherman’s Wharf Moo. Just 13 minutes from Kushiro Station, this is a well-known gourmet location with restaurants, a seasonal terrace grill, and a collection of shops and food outlets.

Kushiro Children’s Museum is a science museum which emphasizes learning through play. The museum features hands-on exhibits, live demonstrations and experiments, and a planetarium. The museum is open from 9.30 to 17.00, with last entry at 16.30, and normally closes on Mondays with holiday and school-vacation exceptions. It also closes over the New Year period, so check the annual calendar before visiting. Admission to the exhibition area is 600 yen for university students and adults, 240 yen for high school students, and 120 yen for primary and junior-high school students. There are extra fees for the planetarium. This museum is an 8-minute walk south of Kushiro Station.

Kushiro Art Museum is an attractive contemporary facility exhibiting a large collection of artworks by local artists which includes oil paintings, watercolors, sketches, prints, photography, sculptures, crafts, and traditional Nihonga-style paintings. This museum also plays host to a range of events including concerts, film shows, and lectures. Admission to collection exhibitions is 460 yen for adults and 200 yen for high school and university students. Special exhibitions have separate prices. The museum is open from 9.30 to 17.00 and closed on Mondays and during the New Year holidays from December 29th to January 3rd. The museum is a 15-minute walk from Kushiro Station.

Kushiro City Museum is a large museum in a striking modern building with displays on local history, archaeology, geology, natural history, and indigenous Ainu culture. Admission is 480 yen for adults, 250 yen for senior high students, and 110 yen for children of junior high age or younger. The museum is open year-round from 9.30 to 17.00. It closes on Mondays, with holiday handling that varies by season, on public holidays from November 4th through March, over the New Year period from December 29th to January 3rd, and on occasional collection-management days. Check the annual calendar before visiting. This museum is a 15-minute bus ride from Kushiro Station.

Kushiro City Zoo is a large facility that houses exotic animals such as lions, tigers, orangutans, giraffes, and zebras, as well as native Hokkaido wildlife including the Ezo brown bear, Japanese sable, and Hokkaido sika deer. The zoo also has a breeding program for the rare red-crowned crane and an amusement area with rides. Between April 10th and October 14th the zoo is open from 9.30 to 16.30, and from October 15th to April 9th it is open between 10.00 and 15.30. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing. The zoo is closed on Wednesdays in December, January, and February and during the New Year holidays from December 29th to January 2nd. Admission is 580 yen for adults and free for children of junior high age or younger. The zoo is about 27 minutes from Kushiro Station by taxi or 55 minutes by bus.

Kushiro Fureai Horse Park is close to the zoo and has a range of activities for visitors including wagon rides, bridle-led horseback rides for beginners, and horseback trekking for more experienced riders. From late April to early November the park is open from 9.30 to 16.30, and from early November to late February it is open from 9.30 to 15.30. The park closes between its winter and summer operating seasons and on Wednesdays, or the following Thursday when Wednesday is a holiday.

Kushiro Shitsugen National Park is a large area of marshland which is popular for birdwatching, hiking, and canoe tours. Kushiro Shitsugen and the surrounding wetlands are an important habitat for wild red-crowned cranes, which gather at feeding sites during winter. The nature center at Tsurui-Ito Tancho Sanctuary normally opens from October 1st through March 30th, and the main facility at Akan International Crane Center is open throughout the year. Akan Bus also runs seasonal bus tours for crane viewing; check the operating dates before making travel plans.

Another way to see the marshes in 2026 is by taking the Kushiro Shitsugen Norokko Train on selected dates from April 25th through October 4th. This all-reserved sightseeing train runs along the Senmo Main Line between Kushiro and Toro. The second-generation Norokko cars conclude service after the 2026 season, so check JR Hokkaido for any successor sightseeing service in later years.

Lake Akan is a large crater lake with breathtaking scenery located to the north of Kushiro. On the shore of the lake is a popular hot spring resort called Akanko Onsen. Akan Tsuruga Besso Hinanoza is a luxurious hot spring inn here, with spacious guest rooms, private open-air baths with lake views, and traditional dining facilities. Regular Akan Bus services take about 1 hour and 55 minutes from Kushiro Station to Akan Lake Bus Center, and the hotel can collect guests from the bus center on request. Hotel-affiliated transfers from Kushiro, when offered, are seasonal and require advance reservations. A taxi or rental car takes around 90 minutes.

Other attractions around the Akanko Onsen resort area include the Akan Lakeside Visitor Center, which has information and exhibits related to local wildlife, plant life, and volcanoes. The center is free to enter and open from 9.00 to 17.00. It closes on Tuesdays, or the following day when Tuesday is a holiday, and from December 29th through January 3rd. Also nearby is Akanko Ainu Kotan, a community dedicated to Ainu indigenous culture which features craft shops, restaurants with traditional Ainu cuisine, and a theater where you can watch traditional dances and other cultural performances.

Lake Akan is also famous for the formation of large round balls of green algae called “marimo”. This rare natural phenomenon can be seen at the Marimo Exhibition and Observation Center which is located on Churui Island and can be reached via a sightseeing cruise boat.

Kushiro has its own airport, called Tancho Kushiro Airport, with year-round flights to and from Haneda Airport in Tokyo, New Chitose Airport, and Sapporo Okadama Airport. Additional seasonal flights include a service to Kansai Airport in Osaka. Akan Bus runs a shuttle bus service between Kushiro Station and the airport which takes about 45 minutes.

Transfer at Kushiro Station to services on the Nemuro Main Line or Senmo Main Line.

The headmark of the Ozora has an image of dancing cranes – a symbol of Kushiro

About the Ozora

The Ozora normally uses KiHa 261 series 1000 diesel trains in a basic four-car formation. Car 1 has Green Car seating, while cars 2-4 have ordinary reserved seating. All cars are non-smoking. Formations and assigned vehicles can change.

Useful Information

To plan your journey on this route use the timetable and route finder and the downloadable route map on the official JR Hokkaido English language website.

Article and original photos by Michael Lambe. All rights reserved. Last updated 24-Aug-2026.