Geography
Asahikawa is in the center of the Kamikawa basin, which is watered by the Ishikari River, Hokkaido's longest. The city is the gateway to Daisetsuzan National Park, a huge nature preserve with many mountains over 2,000 meters high, numerous gorges, valleys and waterfalls, and picturesque hot springs.
Climate
Hokkaido gets the full brunt of continental winter winds and is the only island of Japan that has a subarctic climate; its natural features are unique and attractive. There is no rainy season (Tsuyu) as there is in the rest of Japan, and summer has not really arrived until late July. The annual temperature extremes are indeed extreme, with a range from about
-28°C to 31°C. | 
