Hokkaido's Asahikawa AIrport (airport code AKJ) sits roughly in the center of the prefecture, and is served by various domestic and international routes. On the domestic front, flights are available to and from Tokyo's Haneda Airport and Nagoya's Centrair Airport, with seasonal routes to Osaka's Kansai and Itami airports. As for the international flights, there are seasonal routes to Korea (Incheon), China (Beijing and Shanghai), and Taiwan. The region is popular for its proximity to the flower fields of Furano in summer, a range of winter sports in the colder months, and the Asahiyama Zoo, often regarded as one of the country's best zoological facilities.
The airport has several amenities which are helpful for international travelers, including a currency exchange machine, a duty free store, and a prayer room on the third floor. There are a number of restaurants available serving a host of Japanese and Western dishes, and one restaurant named "Tiffany" serves some halal-friendly options. For parents traveling with children, there is a nursing room on the second floor, and there are baby changing stations conveniently located throughout the terminals. Coin lockers are also plentiful, and during the winter months they have lockers that can accommodate your ski and snowboarding gear.
The airport has a host of car rental companies if you plan to self-drive on your exploration of the area - you have your pick of Toyota, Nissan, Nippon, Times, Orix, Honda, and World Net rent-a-car. Parking is also available at the airport - it's free for the first hour, and then charged at 100 yen for each hour thereafter, up to a maximum of 500 yen per day.
