Furano

When Japanese think of lavender, they think of Furano. One highly recommended spot is Kami Furano's Hinode Park. A ski resort in winter, the park features an observation deck at the peak that offers visitors spectacular views of the surrounding area, as well the Tokachi mountain range and Mount Yubari. Added to this, the park’s stunning pastoral landscapes and lavender fields, with their fragrance floating on the breeze, make for a truly relaxing and memorable experience.

Naka Furano's own Farm Tomita was introduced to Japan in Japan Railway's 1976 calendar, and has grown in popularity ever since. Visitors can also take in the well-known Saika no Sato ("Hometown of Saika") and town managed lavender gardens. Saika no Sato takes great pride in its extensive acreage of cultivated lavender. Although the area gives a somewhat somber impression, being located in a forest, a high elevation affords visitors a wonderful vantage point for viewing the surrounding area and Tokachi mountain range. Lavender picking also available.

With gently rolling hills and pastoral landscapes, the town of Biei is a fairy tale world unto itself. Surrounded by the Tokachi mountain range, Biei is known far and wide for its local arts and crafts, which make the best of the area's excellent natural environment and characteristic climate. One of the area's more colorful features is Patchwork Road, featuring overlooks with such whimsical names as "The Northwest Hill Observatory", "Ken & Mary's Tree", "Seven Stars' Tree", "Mild Seven Hill", "Zerubu Hill", and "Parent & Child Tree".

This immense ranch, comprising more than 400 hectares and part of the "Refresh Line" that runs along the base of Mount Biei-Fuji, affords visitors spectacular 360 degree panoramic views, including the Tokachi mountain range. Other items of interest along the Refresh Line include White Birch Street, Sedai Dam, Shirohige Falls, Shirogane Steadfast Falls, the Shirogane Relaxation Forest, the National Shirogane Wild Bird Forest, the Tokachi-dake Observatory, and the Tokachi-dake Volcanic Ash Information Center.