One of the craziest places I visited in a recent 2019 Japan Trip was Wakkanai, Hokkaido. And a twenty minute drive from the city is the northernmost point in Japan, Cape Soya. Like most places in Hokkaido, the area is desolate and wind swept. Small fishing villages with impressive marinas dot the landscape. To get here, take a flight from Tokyo or Sapporo to Wakkanai Airport and rent a car.
There is free parking at the park which is nice. Here, you will see a monuments and statues which are significant. The “northernmost” monument is a great place to take a selfie.
One of the main interest at the Cape is the chance to see Russia from here. Since Sakhalin Island is about 30 kilometres away, you can see in the distance its mountains on a clear day. By the way, from Wakkanai there is a ferry that takes you to Sakhalin Island but you need a Visa of course.
As there are numerous fishing villages here, you can explore and take some unique photos of fishing boats stored for the winter season.
I highly recommend visiting the Wakkanai area of Hokkaido even in the late-Fall season as there are interesting places to visit. Although JR Hokkaido runs daily train trips, the best way is to fly from Sapporo or Tokyo.