Airport conquest series. Asahikawa Airport and Obihiro Airport, both in Hokkaido. Both serve only Haneda routes, and being in the same prefecture, they can be covered in a single day trip.

The full series index is here.

Route Design

Asahikawa and Obihiro are about 150 km apart in a straight line, but they’re directly connected by the “North Liner” intercity bus (Hokkaido Takushoku Bus). The plan: fly into one, take the bus, and fly out of the other.

I chose Asahikawa → Obihiro because the North Liner departs Asahikawa in the morning and arrives in Obihiro in the afternoon, connecting comfortably to the evening Obihiro → Haneda flight. Reservation required for the North Liner.

A bonus of this bus: it stops at Sounkyo for a rest break. There’s no time to get off and explore, but the scenery is visible from the window.

Itinerary (as of November 2021)

07:10 → 08:45Haneda → Asahikawa Airport AIRDO 81 (Special 75)¥9,570
09:10 → 09:45Asahikawa Airport → Asahikawa Station Asahikawa Denki Kidō (shuttle bus)¥630
10:30 → 14:40Asahikawa Station → Obihiro Station BT North Liner (reservation required)¥3,600
17:30 → 18:08Obihiro Station BT → Obihiro Airport Tokachi Bus (shuttle bus)¥1,000
19:10 → 20:55Obihiro Airport → Haneda AIRDO 68 (Special 75)¥10,070

Timetables are subject to change. Check the latest schedules before traveling.

45 Minutes at Asahikawa Station

After arriving at Asahikawa Station by shuttle bus, there’s about 45 minutes before the North Liner departs. Not enough time for Asahiyama Zoo, but the station was recently renovated and has souvenir shops inside.

3 Hours at Obihiro Station

Arriving in Obihiro at 14:40, the airport bus doesn’t leave until 17:30 — about 3 hours to spend. I ate Obihiro’s signature butadon (pork rice bowl) at “Butahage,” near the station.

Alternative Routes Considered

There are other ways to get from Asahikawa to Obihiro.

Via Sapporo (Limited Express)

Asahikawa → (Limited Express Lilac) → Sapporo → (Limited Express Ōzora) → Obihiro. Two limited express transfers, with about 3 hours in Sapporo. However, the JR fare is ¥11,070 — more than three times the North Liner (¥3,600). Useful if you want to add Sapporo to the itinerary or cover three airports in one day.

10:00 → 11:25Asahikawa Station → Sapporo Station Limited Express Lilac 16¥11,070
14:15 → 17:02Sapporo Station → Obihiro Station Limited Express Ōzora 7(included above)

Via Local Lines (Furano / Nemuro Main Line)

Asahikawa → (Furano Line) → Furano → (Nemuro Main Line) → Shintoku → (Limited Express Ōzora) → Obihiro. This route doubles as a rail-riding opportunity, at ¥4,700. There’s about 90 minutes at Furano for a walk around the station area.

11:33 → 12:42Asahikawa Station → Furano Station Furano Line¥4,700
14:19 → 15:04Furano Station → Higashishikagoe Station Nemuro Main Line(included above)
15:13 → 16:21Higashishikagoe Station → Shintoku Station Nemuro Main Line substitute bus(included above)
16:33 → 17:02Shintoku Station → Obihiro Station Limited Express Ōzora 7(included above)

Note: at the time, the Higashishikagoe–Shintoku section was closed due to typhoon damage and operated by substitute bus. This section has since been permanently discontinued, so this route is no longer available.

I chose the North Liner for the best balance of time and cost. The Sounkyo stop was also a deciding factor.