By Air
From Australia, fly to Sapporo Airport on the island of Hokkaido. Airport name is “Chitose (CTS)”.
Easiest way is to do a search via Zuji or other similar online booking agents, many airlines service the Japanese market however JAL and Qantas will provide the most direct flights. JAL flights may have a Tokyo stop over and when this occurs most of their fares include accommodation at no extra cost. Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific service this route however their flights are much longer but you may be able to do a stop over in Singapore or Hong Kong.
Some Flights Are:
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JAL & Qantas Fly to Tokyo Narita switching to Tokyo Henenda which is a 75 minute bus ride, overnight at airport hotel and fly to Sapporo next day arriving around 9:00am to 2:30pm depending on your fights.
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Jetstar International now fly to Osaka and from there you can book an internal flight to and from Sapporo Chitose. Searching the net this way you can save some money however if your carrying ski gear the weight restrictions on Jetstar can be a problem as they are smaller planes.
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By train
Furano has indirect train service from Sapporo and New Chitose Airport. All trains require a transfer at Takikawa station. The last trains leave at 20:19 (New Chitose Airport) and 21:00 (Sapporo). In the winter, there is also a direct Ski Express Train from Sapporo and can also be accessed from the local Airport train which leaves New Chitose at 6:53. There are 12 direct trains from Asahikawa, with the last train leaving JR Asahikawa station at 22:37.
By bus
There is a regular Chuo Bus between Sapporo and Furano (timetable). The Lavender Express bus provides connections from Biei, Asahikawa Airport, and JR Asahikawa Station (timetable). During the ski season, there is a very convenient shuttle bus directly from New Chitose Airport (timetable). Unfortunately, the last bus leaves at 16:20, which is too early for many international flights. In 2006, there was a Night Shuttle which meets JAL flight, arriving in Chitose at 19:35 pm. The only known place to directly book this bus (outside of packages) is Prai Travel Services of Sapporo.
By taxi
If you are arriving at New Chitose Airport at 8 pm or later, this may be your only alternative. It can cost up to 50,000 yen, depending on season. Prai Travel has some discounts and can take reservations for this taxi trip. It will cost about 25,000 - 35,000 depending on season if booked in advance.
By car
Furano is accessible by highways 237 and 38. There is no expressway which reaches Furano directly. The closest expressway exit is Takikawa, about a 45-minute drive away. In good weather, it takes about 2.5 to 3 hours to reach Furano from Sapporo, or about 1 hour from Asahikawa. Driving to Furano in winter is highly inadvisable unless you are extremely familiar with winter driving in northern Japan. Highways and major roads may ice or drift over, especially during evenings and early mornings. Sudden blizzards can be extremely severe in the exposed highway areas.
