In the summer of the year 2023, I traveled to my home town of Hokkaido.
I traveled to places with which I have a connection, touching on memories of the past and making new discoveries.
For 3 days and 2 nights we enjoyed such a short and slow trip of 500 km.
Here are the nine we visited, as well as a report on where we went and how we got there.
In the summer of the year 2023,
I traveled to my home town of Hokkaido.
I traveled to places with which I have a connection, touching on memories of the past and making new discoveries.
For 3 days and 2 nights we enjoyed such a short and slow trip of 500 km.
Here are the nine we visited, as well as a report on where we went and how we got there.
Rokka no Mori
Nakasatsunai, Kasai District, Hokkaido
I guess it was when I was a university student working part-time as a live-in worker in the Tokachi area of Hokkaido during my summer vacation that I began to have this impression of Hokkaido as a rainy month of August. The people who worked there came from all over the country and had various backgrounds. For me, who had just graduated from high school at the time, listening to their stories and experiences and working with them was stimulating and enjoyable enough, and I can say without a doubt that it has had a significant impact on my thinking about things and my outlook on life since then. This trip is also a trip to trace such memories of the past.
Well, this trip started with rain. After renting a reserved car at Obihiro Airport, which was somewhat deserted after the Bon Festival, we first visited Rokka-no-mori (Rokka Forest), which is located nearby. This is a facility operated by Rokkatei, known for its many famous confections, and is a beautiful place with well-maintained forests dotted with huts displaying paintings and other items related to Rokkatei. Among them is Rokkatei's synonymous flower-patterned wrapping paper, which was painted by a painter named Naoyuki Sakamoto, and many of his works can be seen here. I like Sakamoto's works very much, especially those depicting the landscape of Hokkaido, which remind me of the original landscape of my childhood every time I see them.
Although the park is closed in winter due to snowfall and can only be visited about half of the year, visitors can see a variety of plants from spring to fall according to the season. Despite the rain, the park is maintained by a large number of management staff, and from this point of view, one can sense the strength of the park's commitment to its maintenance. Another major attraction of this facility is "Rokka'cafe," a café operated by Rokkatei. It is a good place to take a break after a walk in the forest, and you can also have a meal here. I had a bowl of bean and tomato soup, which was a little thickly seasoned, with bread soaked in the soup, and it was superb.
Address
Nishi 3-sen 249-6, Tokiwa, Nakasatsunai, Kasai District, Hokkaido
Location
Naitai Kogen Ranch
Kamishihoro, Kato District, Hokkaido
After a 1.5 hour drive from Nakasatsunai through Obihiro City from south to north, and then through the pleasant pastures of Otofuke and Shihoro, we arrived at the foot of Naitai Kogen Ranch. This ranch is maintained by the Kamishihoro JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperative) and has approximately 2,000 head of cattle grazing on it. In fact, we could see herds of cattle everywhere.
By the time we arrived at the ranch, the rain had completely stopped and the sky was clear, but as we climbed the hill leading up to the plateau, we could see that the area was gradually turning white and entering the clouds. Our destination, a café and observatory called Naittai Terrace, is located at an altitude of about 800 meters, so by the time we arrived there, visibility was less than 100 meters and we were in a whiteout. If it had been a clear day, we would have had a beautiful view of the Tokachi Plain. The children, who seemed to be on a family vacation, were smiling and shouting "Hey, come out of the sun! We walked around the area and took some pictures, hiding in the clouds that shrouded everything. As a side note, this was my second visit to this place, the first being the solo trip that inspired me to take up photography. This time, I visited with my family, and although my camera changed from an iPhone to a mirrorless single-lens reflex camera, the scenery remained the same.
TOKACHI MILLENNIUM FOREST
Shimizu, Hokkaido
The green trip continues. The next forest we will visit is the Tokachi Millennium Forest. It is located about 1.5 hours south of Kamishihoro. The forest was created by Mr. Mitsushige Hayashi, an advisor to the local newspaper company, Tokachi Mainichi Shimbun, based on the concept of "continuing reforestation permanently into the future, 1000 years from now. In particular, the "Earth Garden" and "Meadow Garden" in the facility were awarded the highest prize at the British Garden Designers' Association Awards, with the reputation of being "the most beautiful gardens in the world.
We arrived around 3:00 p.m. and did not have much time before the closing time, so we did not spend much time in the park, but we were still able to fully enjoy the beauty of the Earth Garden and Meadow Garden, which we had hoped to see. The Rokka-no-Mori forest we visited earlier had a relatively calm impression with its concept of "creating a forest full of flowers and grasses like those on flower-patterned wrapping paper," but this facility also offers Segway tours, horseback riding, and other activities, and by participating in these activities, visitors can get a more naturalistic view of the forest. By participating in these activities, visitors will be able to feel the true nature of the forest more intensely.
Hoshino Resorts Tomamu
Shimukappu, Yufutsu District, Hokkaido
When was the last time Tomamu was associated with a sea of clouds in summer? The reason I chose Tomamu for the first night of my trip was to see the sea of clouds, which is said to occur about 40% of the time. Early in the morning at 5:00 a.m., we were greeted by a herd of wild deer as they announced that a sea of clouds was forming, and we made our way to the gondola stop that would take us to the summit of the mountain. We had to wait about an hour for our turn to board the gondola, and we were a little nervous to see if the sea of clouds would disappear during that time, but when we finally arrived, there was a fantastic sea of clouds spread out below us, illuminated by the morning sun. The cloud sea here is classified into several types depending on the weather, and on this day we were lucky enough to see the most magnificent "Pacific Sea of Clouds". This sea of clouds is said to be made up of sea fog generated in the Pacific Ocean, which travels more than 100 kilometers on the easterly winds through the Tokachi Plain and over the Hidaka Mountains.
In fact, it was here in Tomamu that I had a live-in part-time job when I was a student. From my first year to my fourth year of university, I came here to work during the summer, winter, and spring vacations, and this is where I spent much of my youth. I worked as a waiter in a French restaurant, made soft-serve ice cream by the pool, cut grass all day long with a mower in extremely hot weather, and even set up a huge ice dome called "Ice Dome" in the middle of the night at -20 degrees Celsius. I lost touch with the area when I graduated from university and started working, but recently I have started to visit often, partly because I have taken up photography. It is a curious fact that the memory of smells remains strong even after a long time, and when I step into a hotel or other facility, the smells and memories of those days come back to me vividly.
This resort facility must have fallen into financial difficulties several times and was in a critical situation, but with the change of management to Hoshino Resort, the abandonment of the hotel, golf course, and other facilities, and new attractions such as the sea of clouds have been successful, and even though I am only a former part-time worker, I am happy to see the place still crowded with many tourists, and as a fan I want to visit it many times in the future.
Lake Kanayama Forest Park
MinamiFurano, Hokkaido
On the way from Tomamu to Biei, my next destination, I suddenly thought of taking a side trip from National Route 38, the shortest route, and stopped by Lake Kanayama Forest Park for a 30-minute walk. Although it may not be as famous as other lakes in Hokkaido, it is a beautifully maintained park where visitors can enjoy camping in summer and wakasagi (smelt) fishing in winter on the frozen lake. Incidentally, this is also the training site for the canoe club of the nearby Minami Furano High School, and it must be fun to be able to practice every day in such a wonderful location. Of course, it must be tough for the canoeists themselves.
Ferme La Terre Biei
Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido
At Ferme La Terre, a stylish restaurant and bakery perched on a small hill in Biei, we were greeted by a family of four goats. In addition to the photogenic location, the food at this restaurant was truly delicious. Lunch was served on a plate with meat as the main dish, but the vegetables were so delicious that it would be rude to call them an accompaniment. All of our family members agreed that this was the best place to eat on our trip. No wonder reservations are required for weekend lunches.
When we visited, there were twin goats named Lala and Tete, about one month old, and it was very soothing to see them being pampered by their mother. No, it was not not. The mother goat is on a long leash, but the kids don't need the leash because they never leave the mother goat's side. Too cute. By the way, my daughter immediately noticed that the name of the restaurant is derived from "latte," but I didn't notice it at all until she told me. While we were waiting for our food, we had such a conversation with the waiter, who happily told us, "Please pet Lala and Tete after your meal.
MINNANO SUNAGAWA FACTORY by SHIRO
Sunagawa, Hokkaido
My wife had requested in advance that we stop by this facility, saying, "If we have time, there is a place we would like to visit. Located in Sunagawa City, about 1.5 hours drive from Biei, it is the production base of a company called SHIRO, which mainly manufactures and sells fragrance items, and has just started full-scale operations in July 2023. Products produced here are shipped to various stores throughout Japan. Visitors can enjoy an open factory tour where they can see the actual manufacturing process through a single pane of glass, as well as the Blender Lab, where they can create their own original fragrance using the same manufacturing process as in the actual factory.
It may have been because this facility had just opened, but even on a weekday evening, the facility was very crowded with young people, and my wife and daughter were working on their own fragrances in the blender lab. There is also a café and a kids' area, so families can spend time together. In fact, I spent most of my time walking around the facility, taking pictures, and talking to the receptionist about the factory. When I told them that we had stopped by on our trip to Hokkaido from out of town, they were surprised that we had gone all the way here, but I felt that this was a new type of factory with a lot to offer.
Hokkaido University
Sapporo, Hokkaido
I took lodging in Sapporo on the second day of this trip, which quickly turned out to be the last day of the trip. We visited Hokkaido University in Sapporo, which we could not miss as a green trip. Fortunately or unfortunately, Sapporo's maximum temperature on that day was 32 degrees Celsius, which is as hot as Tokyo. It is a popular place of relaxation for Sapporo citizens, but since it was so hot, the place was sparsely populated and more laid-back than ever. In fact, this is one of my hometown's hometowns and I have been familiar with this place since I was a child, but on the contrary, it was too commonplace for me to go out of my way to take a walk. But this trip made me realize that it is a very nice place.
Kitakaro Sapporo Honkan
Sapporo, Hokkaido
Originally constructed in 1926 as the Gyokyo Memorial Hokkaido Government Library, it later became an art museum and is now operated as the main building of Hokkaro Sapporo. The facility's renovation was designed by architect Tadao Ando, and is particularly notable for its large bookshelves and white vaulted ceilings. Before the renovation, the building was operated as an annex of the Yoshitaro Migishi Museum of Art, and as I had visited his former studio in Nakano, Tokyo, I felt a sense of familiarity with this unexpected connection. To conclude the trip, I had a strawberry parfait at the café attached to the museum.
Rokka no Mori
Nakasatsunai, Kasai District, Hokkaido
I guess it was when I was a university student working part-time as a live-in worker in the Tokachi area of Hokkaido during my summer vacation that I began to have this impression of Hokkaido as a rainy month of August. The people who worked there came from all over the country and had various backgrounds. For me, who had just graduated from high school at the time, listening to their stories and experiences and working with them was stimulating and enjoyable enough, and I can say without a doubt that it has had a significant impact on my thinking about things and my outlook on life since then. This trip is also a trip to trace such memories of the past.
Well, this trip started with rain. After renting a reserved car at Obihiro Airport, which was somewhat deserted after the Bon Festival, we first visited Rokka-no-mori (Rokka Forest), which is located nearby. This is a facility operated by Rokkatei, known for its many famous confections, and is a beautiful place with well-maintained forests dotted with huts displaying paintings and other items related to Rokkatei. Among them is Rokkatei's synonymous flower-patterned wrapping paper, which was painted by a painter named Naoyuki Sakamoto, and many of his works can be seen here. I like Sakamoto's works very much, especially those depicting the landscape of Hokkaido, which remind me of the original landscape of my childhood every time I see them.
Although the park is closed in winter due to snowfall and can only be visited about half of the year, visitors can see a variety of plants from spring to fall according to the season. Despite the rain, the park is maintained by a large number of management staff, and from this point of view, one can sense the strength of the park's commitment to its maintenance. Another major attraction of this facility is "Rokka'cafe," a café operated by Rokkatei. It is a good place to take a break after a walk in the forest, and you can also have a meal here. I had a bowl of bean and tomato soup, which was a little thickly seasoned, with bread soaked in the soup, and it was superb.
Address
Nishi 3-sen 249-6, Tokiwa, Nakasatsunai, Kasai District, Hokkaido
Location
Naitai Kogen Ranch
Kamishihoro, Kato District, Hokkaido
After a 1.5 hour drive from Nakasatsunai through Obihiro City from south to north, and then through the pleasant pastures of Otofuke and Shihoro, we arrived at the foot of Naitai Kogen Ranch. This ranch is maintained by the Kamishihoro JA (Japan Agricultural Cooperative) and has approximately 2,000 head of cattle grazing on it. In fact, we could see herds of cattle everywhere.
By the time we arrived at the ranch, the rain had completely stopped and the sky was clear, but as we climbed the hill leading up to the plateau, we could see that the area was gradually turning white and entering the clouds. Our destination, a café and observatory called Naittai Terrace, is located at an altitude of about 800 meters, so by the time we arrived there, visibility was less than 100 meters and we were in a whiteout. If it had been a clear day, we would have had a beautiful view of the Tokachi Plain. The children, who seemed to be on a family vacation, were smiling and shouting "Hey, come out of the sun! We walked around the area and took some pictures, hiding in the clouds that shrouded everything. As a side note, this was my second visit to this place, the first being the solo trip that inspired me to take up photography. This time, I visited with my family, and although my camera changed from an iPhone to a mirrorless single-lens reflex camera, the scenery remained the same.
Address
128-5, Kamiotofuke, Kamishihoro, Kato District, Hokkaido
Location
TOKACHI MILLENNIUM FOREST
Shimizu, Hokkaido
The green trip continues. The next forest we will visit is the Tokachi Millennium Forest. It is located about 1.5 hours south of Kamishihoro. The forest was created by Mr. Mitsushige Hayashi, an advisor to the local newspaper company, Tokachi Mainichi Shimbun, based on the concept of "continuing reforestation permanently into the future, 1000 years from now. In particular, the "Earth Garden" and "Meadow Garden" in the facility were awarded the highest prize at the British Garden Designers' Association Awards, with the reputation of being "the most beautiful gardens in the world.
We arrived around 3:00 p.m. and did not have much time before the closing time, so we did not spend much time in the park, but we were still able to fully enjoy the beauty of the Earth Garden and Meadow Garden, which we had hoped to see. The Rokka-no-Mori forest we visited earlier had a relatively calm impression with its concept of "creating a forest full of flowers and grasses like those on flower-patterned wrapping paper," but this facility also offers Segway tours, horseback riding, and other activities, and by participating in these activities, visitors can get a more naturalistic view of the forest. By participating in these activities, visitors will be able to feel the true nature of the forest more intensely.
Address
Hatai Minami, Shimizu-cho, Hokkaido
Location
Hoshino Resorts Tomamu
Shimukappu, Yufutsu District, Hokkaido
When was the last time Tomamu was associated with a sea of clouds in summer? The reason I chose Tomamu for the first night of my trip was to see the sea of clouds, which is said to occur about 40% of the time. Early in the morning at 5:00 a.m., we were greeted by a herd of wild deer as they announced that a sea of clouds was forming, and we made our way to the gondola stop that would take us to the summit of the mountain. We had to wait about an hour for our turn to board the gondola, and we were a little nervous to see if the sea of clouds would disappear during that time, but when we finally arrived, there was a fantastic sea of clouds spread out below us, illuminated by the morning sun. The cloud sea here is classified into several types depending on the weather, and on this day we were lucky enough to see the most magnificent "Pacific Sea of Clouds". This sea of clouds is said to be made up of sea fog generated in the Pacific Ocean, which travels more than 100 kilometers on the easterly winds through the Tokachi Plain and over the Hidaka Mountains.
In fact, it was here in Tomamu that I had a live-in part-time job when I was a student. From my first year to my fourth year of university, I came here to work during the summer, winter, and spring vacations, and this is where I spent much of my youth. I worked as a waiter in a French restaurant, made soft-serve ice cream by the pool, cut grass all day long with a mower in extremely hot weather, and even set up a huge ice dome called "Ice Dome" in the middle of the night at -20 degrees Celsius. I lost touch with the area when I graduated from university and started working, but recently I have started to visit often, partly because I have taken up photography. It is a curious fact that the memory of smells remains strong even after a long time, and when I step into a hotel or other facility, the smells and memories of those days come back to me vividly.
This resort facility must have fallen into financial difficulties several times and was in a critical situation, but with the change of management to Hoshino Resort, the abandonment of the hotel, golf course, and other facilities, and new attractions such as the sea of clouds have been successful, and even though I am only a former part-time worker, I am happy to see the place still crowded with many tourists, and as a fan I want to visit it many times in the future.
Address
Naka-Tomamu, Shimukappu, Yufutsu District, Hokkaido
Location
Lake Kanayama Forest Park
MinamiFurano, Hokkaido
On the way from Tomamu to Biei, my next destination, I suddenly thought of taking a side trip from National Route 38, the shortest route, and stopped by Lake Kanayama Forest Park for a 30-minute walk. Although it may not be as famous as other lakes in Hokkaido, it is a beautifully maintained park where visitors can enjoy camping in summer and wakasagi (smelt) fishing in winter on the frozen lake. Incidentally, this is also the training site for the canoe club of the nearby Minami Furano High School, and it must be fun to be able to practice every day in such a wonderful location. Of course, it must be tough for the canoeists themselves.
Address
Higasi Shikagoe, MinamiFurano, Sorachi District, Hokkaido
Location
Ferme La Terre Biei
Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido
At Ferme La Terre, a stylish restaurant and bakery perched on a small hill in Biei, we were greeted by a family of four goats. In addition to the photogenic location, the food at this restaurant was truly delicious. Lunch was served on a plate with meat as the main dish, but the vegetables were so delicious that it would be rude to call them an accompaniment. All of our family members agreed that this was the best place to eat on our trip. No wonder reservations are required for weekend lunches.
When we visited, there were twin goats named Lala and Tete, about one month old, and it was very soothing to see them being pampered by their mother. No, it was not not. The mother goat is on a long leash, but the kids don't need the leash because they never leave the mother goat's side. Too cute. By the way, my daughter immediately noticed that the name of the restaurant is derived from "latte," but I didn't notice it at all until she told me. While we were waiting for our food, we had such a conversation with the waiter, who happily told us, "Please pet Lala and Tete after your meal.
Address
Ohmura Murayama, Biei, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido
Location
MINNANO SUNAGAWA FACTORY by SHIRO
Sunagawa, Hokkaido
My wife had requested in advance that we stop by this facility, saying, "If we have time, there is a place we would like to visit. Located in Sunagawa City, about 1.5 hours drive from Biei, it is the production base of a company called SHIRO, which mainly manufactures and sells fragrance items, and has just started full-scale operations in July 2023. Products produced here are shipped to various stores throughout Japan. Visitors can enjoy an open factory tour where they can see the actual manufacturing process through a single pane of glass, as well as the Blender Lab, where they can create their own original fragrance using the same manufacturing process as in the actual factory.
It may have been because this facility had just opened, but even on a weekday evening, the facility was very crowded with young people, and my wife and daughter were working on their own fragrances in the blender lab. There is also a café and a kids' area, so families can spend time together. In fact, I spent most of my time walking around the facility, taking pictures, and talking to the receptionist about the factory. When I told them that we had stopped by on our trip to Hokkaido from out of town, they were surprised that we had gone all the way here, but I felt that this was a new type of factory with a lot to offer.
Address
54-1, Toyonuma, Sunagawa, Hokkaido
Location
Hokkaido University
Sapporo, Hokkaido
I took lodging in Sapporo on the second day of this trip, which quickly turned out to be the last day of the trip. We visited Hokkaido University in Sapporo, which we could not miss as a green trip. Fortunately or unfortunately, Sapporo's maximum temperature on that day was 32 degrees Celsius, which is as hot as Tokyo. It is a popular place of relaxation for Sapporo citizens, but since it was so hot, the place was sparsely populated and more laid-back than ever. In fact, this is one of my hometown's hometowns and I have been familiar with this place since I was a child, but on the contrary, it was too commonplace for me to go out of my way to take a walk. But this trip made me realize that it is a very nice place.
Address
Kita 8-jo Nishi 5-chome, Kitaku-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Location
Kitakaro Sapporo Honkan
Sapporo, Hokkaido
Originally constructed in 1926 as the Gyokyo Memorial Hokkaido Government Library, it later became an art museum and is now operated as the main building of Hokkaro Sapporo. The facility's renovation was designed by architect Tadao Ando, and is particularly notable for its large bookshelves and white vaulted ceilings. Before the renovation, the building was operated as an annex of the Yoshitaro Migishi Museum of Art, and as I had visited his former studio in Nakano, Tokyo, I felt a sense of familiarity with this unexpected connection. To conclude the trip, I had a strawberry parfait at the café attached to the museum.
Address
1-2, Kita 1-jo Nishi 5-chome, Chuo-ku, Sapporo, Hokkaido
Location
After the trip
I was in the Philippines on business until just before this trip, where I became very ill and was not in good shape, so I was wondering until the last minute whether I should cancel the trip or not. Recently, I have been reading many articles in the media that Japan is in a state of decline, and I think it is necessary to accept this as a fact, as various data supports it. In fact, during this trip, I saw many abandoned ranch sites and houses. On the other hand. This year, I have had many opportunities to travel, both in Japan and abroad, and each time I go, I feel that "Japan is not yet abandoned at all. The various places I visited on this trip were all highly hospitable, and I felt a strong desire for permanence, indigenization, or revitalization in the way they think. In terms of prices and wages, Japan may be poorer than other countries, but I feel that this is why the value of "knowing enough" will become stronger in the future, and I hope it will be so in the future.
08.27.2023
Almost all photos in this article were taken with Sony α7Riii + Voigtlander APO-LANTHAR 35mm F2 Aspherical