Category: Japan

Tired of seeing lavender everywhere?
There are many types of lavender, but most are either deep purple or light purple.
At the Colorful Scented Hill, there’s also a very light-colored lavender, which is white lavender.

The Japanese movie “Poppoya” is quite an old film.
I only remember the actors Ken Takakura, Ryoko Hirosue, and Ken Shimura.
Then there’s Ken Takakura, working on the snow-covered platform, eventually lying down on the platform buried in snow. The storyline is quite touching.
This time, I visited Ikutora Station, which is the main setting “Horomai Station” in the movie.

I had read about Miyama Pass in books a long time ago, but didn’t have much of an impression.
This time, I happened to pass by, so I decided to stop and take a look~
The famous attraction here is this Ferris wheel.

If Farm Tomita is my top summer destination in Hokkaido,
then Hinode lavender garden definitely ranks second…
Having visited before.
I already had a good impression of the park.
This time, my fondness for it has grown even more~

I visited Northwest Hill Observatory Park many years ago.
Revisiting this place is quite interesting.
Especially for these words, these ears of corn…
“Incredibly Delicious”

In 2009, I planned to visit Zerubu‘s Hill.
but I didn’t do enough research and couldn’t find it, so I didn’t go~
This time, I was driving myself and accidentally passed by, so I stopped to take a look~
I remember the first time I saw Zerubu‘s Hill was in 2005 when I came to Hokkaido with a tour group, viewing the scenery from the tour bus… and it was through the glass window.
At that time, I thought: Wow~ so beautiful~
(It was my first time traveling abroad, so I was easily amazed…)

Having visited Hokkaido three times before, I’ve been to Farm Tomita twice.
Once in August and once in September.
But I’ve never been in July, which is a bit of a regret.
Because the peak season tickets to Hokkaido are quite expensive, I couldn’t bring myself to buy them
This time, I came specifically to see Farm Tomita in July.
Just to witness the beauty of Farm Tomita in July.

If you plan to visit Shikisai-no-oka,
I highly recommend scheduling it before visiting Farm Tomita.
Otherwise, after seeing Farm Tomita, you might find this place less impressive…

Daimaru Curry Udon (だいまる) is one of the few famous restaurants in the Biei area.
When I visited in 2009, it was closed, so I missed out.
This time, it was open, so I had to try their famous curry udon~

This Hokkaido trip starts with a one-night stay in Sapporo before we begin our adventures.
So, for this night, we just needed a budget-friendly hotel.
We chose the Shintou Hotel, now renamed Centurion Hotel.
It’s located between Susukino Station and Nakajima Park Station, closer to Susukino Station.