Savor Ramen Where Miso Began In Japan's Ultimate Snowy Wonderland

If you visit Sapporo, Japan, for no other reason, come for the miso ramen. This unique broth was invented here by Morito Ohmiya in 1958, combining the century-old style of noodles with miso — a fermented soybean paste and staple of Japanese cooking. Sapporo is a large city in Japan's far north, a winter sports hot spot, and there's no better antidote for a cold and overcast day than a steaming bowl of miso ramen. Sapporo boasts more than 1,000 restaurants specializing in ramen, and there's even a specific walkway known in English as "Ramen Alley." Although the miso version is its signature dish, many other ramen flavors are popular as well.

Japanese cuisine is ragingly popular around the world, and many travelers come to the Land of the Rising Sun just for food tours. Tokyo — the city with the most Michelin-starred restaurants in the world — is a magnet for foodies, and less-famous destinations like Nagoya are must-visits for culinary vacations. But as savory and delicious as its ramen is, Sapporo has much more to offer than squiggly noodles. Come winter, this prefectural capital transforms into a winter wonderland.

Sapporo is the capital of Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island where winters get famously cold. On January nights, temperatures typically drop to 10 degrees Fahrenheit, and they remain well below freezing all day. That's why favorite Hokkaido activities include skiing at one of many local resorts and warming up in a hot spring (known as "onsen"). When they're not scarfing down ramen, Sapporo residents can stroll the beautifully lit winter streets and walk out on the sheets of drift ice that encrust the Sea of Japan.

This all culminates in the Sapporo Snow Festival (known in Japanese as Sapporo Yuki Matsuri), which takes over the city for one full week in February. Gigantic sculptures are constructed and displayed in Odori Park, along with other locations around the city. These elaborate creations depict famous buildings, human characters, and mythical figures, and their porcelain-colored surfaces come alive at night, thanks to sophisticated lighting effects. The tradition started as a small community event in 1950, but these days Sapporo draws over 2 million people to its Snow Festival every year. While winter is usually the low season for travel, snow-covered Sapporo is one of Japan's most unmissable tourist destinations.

Hokkaido is Japan's second-largest island, and on a map, it looks kind of like the nation's "head," yet this enormous land mass contains only 4.2% of Japan's total population. Hokkaido is mountainous and seismically active, with a total of 31 active volcanoes. Put these together, and you'll find an island both rural and scenic, far from the claustrophobic hubbub of Japanese mega-cities. The people of Hokkaido embrace winter, but the warmer months offer nature trails, mountain escapes, and the spectacular "rainbow meadows" of Biei and Furano.

Sapporo is well-connected, thanks to the New Chitose Airport, just 30 miles outside the city serving domestic and international flights, and Sapporo Station, a central railroad hub that can connect you to Tokyo and beyond. There's a wide range of accommodations, from backpacker hostels (starting in the $70 range in the high season) to luxury suites. In all seasons you can enjoy the Historical Village of Hokkaido, an open-air survey of traditional architecture, and the adjacent Hokkaido Museum, which chronicles the island's heritage through indoor exhibits. At the end of the day, you can always enjoy a bowl of miso ramen — and a bottle of Sapporo Beer, another famous local export.