Hokkaido Roads Closed for Winter: Shiretoko Pass Closure Dates, Spring Reopening, and Detour Routes [2026-27]

Hokkaido has several national and prefectural routes that are gated closed every winter and stay impassable until spring. The best-known example is the Shiretoko Traverse Road over Shiretoko Pass (National Route 334): for the 2025-26 season, it was fully closed around the clock starting at 5:00 PM on November 4, 2025, and reopened in stages starting at 9:30 AM on April 28, 2026 (Kushiro and Abashiri Development and Construction Departments announcement, same, reopening announcement). All sources were checked as of 2026-09-29.

This article uses only primary information published by the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau, each of Hokkaido’s General Subprefectural Bureau Construction Management Departments, and local municipalities, to cover: (1) real examples and periods of national and prefectural routes that close every winter, (2) the actual closure and reopening record for Shiretoko Pass, (3) detour routes while it’s closed, (4) the difference between scheduled “winter closures” and “temporary closures” that happen suddenly due to heavy snow or blizzards, and (5) how to check closures on your own route before departure. Many sections haven’t announced their 2026-27 schedule yet, so where confirmed we write it as “actual record (which dates, which year),” and where not yet announced, we say so.

Which Hokkaido National and Prefectural Routes Close in Winter? Some Sections Gate Shut Every Year

Around Hokkaido, there are national and prefectural route sections that are not plowed during the snow season and stay gated closed all winter. The managing authority differs by section: national routes are managed by each Development and Construction Department of the Hokkaido Regional Development Bureau (MLIT), while prefectural routes are managed by the Construction Management Department of each of Hokkaido’s General Subprefectural Bureaus. For example, within the Kushiro Construction Management Department’s jurisdiction alone, 10 routes are subject to winter closure, including the Kussharo-Mashuko-hanten Line (from Atosanobori, Teshikaga Town, to Lake Mashu First Observation Deck; October 31 – April 17) and the Kussharo-Tsubetsu Line (from Urankoshi, Teshikaga Town, to Tsubetsu Town; October 31 – May 15) (Kushiro Construction Management Department, Kushiro General Subprefectural Bureau, “Winter Road Closures”, updated August 10, 2026). Within the jurisdiction of the Wakkanai Construction Management Department, Soya General Subprefectural Bureau, 7 routes are also subject to closure, including the Kami-Otonoppe Otonoppe Line (from Fūretsupu, Esashi Town, to near Kami-Otonoppe; October 31, 2025 – May 29, 2026) (Wakkanai Construction Management Department, Soya General Subprefectural Bureau, “Winter Closure Sections (Prefectural Routes)”). Both overlap with sightseeing routes in eastern and northern Hokkaido, so check carefully if you’re driving those areas.

These are just examples from the Kushiro and Soya Construction Management Departments; Hokkaido has similar lists under other Construction Management Departments, including Sorachi, Iburi, Kamikawa, and Oshima. If you know the section name for your planned route, the most reliable approach is to search “winter road closures” on that jurisdiction’s Construction Management Department page.

From What Month to What Month Is Shiretoko Pass (National Route 334, Shiretoko Traverse Road) Closed?

The Shiretoko Traverse Road over Shiretoko Pass, National Route 334 (from Yunosawa, Rausu Town, to the prefectural route intersection at Iwaobetsu, Shari Town, about 23.8 km), is one of the longest-closed sections in Hokkaido. For the 2025-26 season, it had a nighttime closure (5:00 PM–9:00 AM, due to risk of road icing) from 5:00 PM Friday, October 24, 2025, through November 3, followed by a full, round-the-clock closure starting 5:00 PM on Tuesday, November 4, 2025 (Kushiro and Abashiri Development and Construction Departments, “Winter Traffic Restrictions Begin October 24,” announced October 17, 2025).

Reopening was from 9:30 AM on Tuesday, April 28, 2026, with staged nighttime restrictions for a while afterward due to continued risk of icing. Stage 1 ran 9:30 AM–4:00 PM, Stage 2 ran 8:00 AM–5:00 PM, followed by lifting the nighttime restriction for round-the-clock access (the dates for moving between stages after the reopening date were undecided at the time of announcement; Kushiro and Abashiri Development and Construction Departments, “Lifting the Winter Closure of the Shiretoko Traverse Road,” announced April 24, 2026). As of September 29, 2026, the closure start date for the 2026-27 season (this coming winter) hasn’t been announced yet. In a typical year, the change to nighttime restrictions happens in late October and the shift to a full closure happens in early November, so use that as a general guide for timing. The announcement is usually issued by the Kushiro and Abashiri Development and Construction Departments in mid-October. For how to plan your drive through the Shiretoko area, including Shiretoko Pass, see Shiretoko & Utoro Campervan Drive Guide.

When Does the Niseko Panorama Line (Route 66) Close for Winter?

Prefectural Route 66, the Iwanai-Toya Line (known as the Niseko Panorama Line), which crosses the Niseko mountain range, is another section closed every year from late October to late April. For the 2025-26 season, the winter closure began at 10:00 AM on October 24, 2025, and was lifted at 10:00 AM on Monday, April 27, 2026 (Kutchan Town, “Notice of Lifting the Winter Closure of Prefectural Route 66, Iwanai-Toya Line,” updated April 27, 2026). If you’re planning to drive this route from Niseko toward Toya in winter, you’ll need to detour during this period.

When Will the 2026-27 Season’s Closure Dates Be Announced?

All the dates above are actual results for the 2025-26 season (fall 2025 – spring 2026). As of September 29, 2026, no section has yet had an official announcement of specific 2026-27 season (fall 2026 – spring 2027) closure start or reopening dates. Since Shiretoko Pass’s announcement usually comes from the Kushiro and Abashiri Development and Construction Departments in mid-October, check each Development and Construction Department’s or Construction Management Department’s page once October arrives. Reopening dates (spring) are announced even later, typically after entering April. These are “typical-year guidelines,” not a forecast for this specific day, so always confirm the actual date from that year’s announcement.

What’s the Detour Route While Shiretoko Pass Is Closed?

While Shiretoko Pass is under winter closure, the officially announced detour for driving between the Rausu side and the Utoro side is National Route 334 → National Route 335 (Rausu Town) → National Route 244 (Konpoku Pass) → National Route 334 (Shari Town) (Kushiro and Abashiri Development and Construction Departments announcement). Since the distance and travel time are longer than crossing the pass directly, if you’re planning to travel between both sides of Shiretoko in winter, you’ll need to build this extra detour time into your itinerary. For how to plan a loop route around eastern Hokkaido, see Eastern Hokkaido Loop Campervan Model Route, and for the overall Shiretoko sightseeing flow, see Shiretoko Campervan Travel Guide.

How Is a “Winter Closure” Different From a Sudden Closure Due to Heavy Snow or Blizzards?

The Shiretoko Pass and Niseko Panorama Line closures described so far are “planned winter closures” with dates decided in advance. Separately, there are “temporary closures,” where national routes and expressways close without notice during heavy snow, blizzards, or poor visibility. Temporary closures can happen even on flat-land national routes and expressways, and the section and duration depend on that day’s weather, so you can’t know the dates in advance. For how to make driving decisions in bad weather and how to think about waiting out a closure, see Bad Weather Measures for Hokkaido Campervan Travel.

For a winter closure, you can plan your itinerary on the premise of “never entering that section at all,” while for a temporary closure, you need to “check before departure and again on the morning of departure.” Both can be checked on the road information pages introduced next.

How to Check Closures on Your Own Route Before You Depart

You can check closures on national routes and high-standard highways caused by severe weather or disasters on MLIT’s “Road Traffic Information Provision System.” For an overview of winter mountain-pass closures in one place, there’s also “Kita no Michi Navi,” jointly run by Hokkaido’s Development and Construction Departments and the Hokkaido government. For prefectural route (non-national-route) winter closures, the period for each route is published on the page of the Construction Management Department that manages that section (such as the Kushiro and Wakkanai Construction Management Department pages introduced in this article). If your planned route includes a mountain pass or a narrow prefectural route section, check these pages twice — the day before departure and again on the morning of departure — before you set out.

Route	Section	2025-26 Season Closure Period
National Route 334, Shiretoko Traverse Road (Shiretoko Pass)	Yunosawa, Rausu Town – prefectural route intersection at Iwaobetsu, Shari Town (approx. 23.8 km)	2025/11/4 17:00 – 2026/4/28 9:30 (staged nighttime restrictions continued after reopening)
Prefectural Route 66, Iwanai-Toya Line (Niseko Panorama Line)	Kyowa Town – Rankoshi Town (section as published by Kutchan Town)	2025/10/24 10:00 – 2026/4/27 10:00
Prefectural Route, Kussharo-Mashuko-hanten Line	Atosanobori 113, Teshikaga Town – Lake Mashu First Observation Deck	10/31 – 4/17
Prefectural Route, Kami-Otonoppe Otonoppe Line	Fūretsupu, Esashi Town – near Kami-Otonoppe (13.0 km)	2025/10/31 – 2026/5/29

What to Check Before Driving Hokkaido in Winter

• Check a map beforehand for whether your planned route includes a mountain pass or a narrow prefectural route section
• If it does, check that season’s closure period on the page of the Development and Construction Department or Construction Management Department that manages it
• If the 2026-27 announcement isn’t out yet, use last season’s actual dates as a guide, and check the official announcement again once October arrives
• The day before and the morning of departure, check the Road Traffic Information Provision System and Kita no Michi Navi for any temporary closures
• Build the extra distance and travel time for any needed detour into your itinerary

For gear, snow-road driving, and keeping warm while parked overnight when driving a campervan around Hokkaido in winter, see The Complete Guide to Driving a Campervan in Hokkaido in Winter and Winter Hokkaido Campervan Travel Guide. If this is your first time driving Hokkaido in winter, you can resolve your concerns one by one at Before Traveling Hokkaido by Campervan in Winter.

Related Pages

• Shiretoko & Utoro Campervan Drive Guide | Complete Guide to the World Heritage Site, Cruises, and Shiretoko Pass
• Shiretoko Campervan Travel Guide
• Bad Weather Measures for Hokkaido Campervan Travel
• The Complete Guide to Driving a Campervan in Hokkaido in Winter
• Eastern Hokkaido Loop Campervan Model Route

Featured photo: 690 Noda, “Mt. Rausu from Shiretoko Pass” (CC BY 3.0, Wikimedia Commons)