Journey through eastern Hokkaido Prefecture, where spring arrives last in Japan. First, head east from Obihiro through the expansive fields of the Tokachi Plain, which produce much of Japan's food, then along the Pacific Ocean where you can savor the fresh, local produce and seafood. Visit a closed railway that is popular with rail fans, then roll through vast marshlands, a rarity in Japan, and observe the spring wildlife frolicking outside your window as you steam toward your final stop in Nemuro.

• Thane Camus
• Christelle Ciari
• Rachel Walzer