Hokkaido – Central Region – Jooch Journal

2017 Jun. Asahikawa. Biei. Kamifurano. Furano.

After exploring the less travelled eastern region of Hokkaido, we moved on the more popular and frequently visited central region where the main attraction would be Furano/Biei. The drive from Kitami towards Asahikawa will pass by some scenic spots along Route 39, including Ginga Falls 銀河瀑布.

This is Taisetsu Dam along the way. I was also looking for Oobako 大函, which is supposed to be another scenic attraction nearby, but I probably missed the sign and did not find it.

Asahikawa 旭川

We stopped by Asahikawa 旭川 specially to eat the famous ramen. Asahikawa is known for its shoyu (soya sauce) based broths, whereas Sapporo is known for its miso based broth, and Hakodate for its salt based broth. Hachiya 蜂屋 and Aoba 青葉 are the 2 famous ones in Asahikawa, amongst many others like Tenkin 天金, Baikouken 梅光軒, and Santouka 山頭火.

We only had time for one, and decided to try Hachiya which has more than 70 years of history. This is one of the most important ramen shops in Hokkaido. The broth has a nice burnt smoky taste which is very unique and I loved it. There are also plenty of seating in the shop so quite easy to get seated without waiting.

Furano 富良野

We reached Furano 富良野 after a late lunch in Asahikawa. After checking in to Natulux Hotel, a modern and conveniently located hotel next to the train station in Furano, we took a walk around the city and went for dinner at Yuiga Doxon 唯我獨尊 which serves curry omu rice. This place is a bomb and the curry is seriously good! Must eat here if you are in Furano!

The curry is spicy enough with kick, and the ox tongue topping is simply heavenly. You can refill your curry sauce by taking your plate to the counter and say “rurururu”. The tree house liked place is small and rustic, and the boss and staff are very friendly. It has definitely won me over and I am marking it on my food map. 🙂

Breakfast at the hotel the next morning was simple but nicely prepared. The famed Hokkaido milk from Furano (in glass bottle) does taste very good, much creamier and flavourful than normal milk.

We started exploring the area after breakfast. The weather was cloudy as we drove around, and chanced upon the open air Fukiage Spa, which is a short walk from the parking area. Decided to brave it and jump right in to enjoy the natural onsen since we are the only ones there. It was a funny and awkward experience, when a few subsequent visitors walked by to check out the onsen, we quickly closed our legs and turned sideways to guard our modesty, hahaha…

Shirogane Blue Pond is a man made pond that drew visitors due to its blue hue and tranquility. Nothing spectacular to me, but you can go take a look. 🙂

The Shirohige Falls is extremely beautiful, as viewed from the walking bridge.

We made a prior lunch reservation at Asperges in Biei 美瑛, a one Michelin star restaurant. The setting was bright, modern and tasteful. We had a wonderful meal here, the food was simple but very well executed and nicely presented with varied flavours and textures, and the lunch course set options priced at Y2600, Y3600, Y4600 (around S$32, S$45, S$58). Super value for a one Michelin star and the exquisite quality you get. Highly recommended.

Soft serve ice cream is very common everywhere. But not all Hokkaido ice creams are equal, I realised! This one sold at the Biei Senka next to Asperges is the best, in addition to the one I had at Lake Akan Tsuruga Wings. The milk flavour is intense and creamy, unlike the lesser ones sold at tourist spots which tasted mass produced and suspicious of artificial flavouring. I think I have eaten enough cones all over Hokkaido to give this advice, trust me on this one. 🙂

The rolling terrain in Furano and Biei area is beautiful. I can only imagine how gorgeous it can get when the fields are covered with multi coloured flowers when in full bloom during summer. For now, I can only enjoy the greenery of the early days, which is still beautiful.

There are many scenic spots and farms when I researched online before the trip. I found it a hassle to navigate point to point, and decided to randomly drive around in the Furano/Biei region following the road signs and see where instinct brings me. I ended up seeing most of the places mentioned anyway. The winding road are mostly interconnected and after one or two days of driving, you would probably cover everything, without much effort.

This is another popular restaurant in Furano, called Kumagera serving local Japanese cuisine, highly recommended by the locals. Suggest to call in advance to make a reservation as restaurants can get very busy and challenging to get a table, due to the large numbers of tourists.

We ordered their signature dishes wagyu sashimi over rice and Sanzoku Nabe which is a miso based hotpot with duck and deer meat. Always comforting to eat hotpot, in nice cool weather.

More gorgeous views of the Furano and Biei scenery the following day when the sun is out and the sky turned blue. The evaporated mist over the freshly ploughed land in the early morning was a surreal sight.

Rokkatei 六花亭 is a chain dessert place in Hokkaido, and most outlets are in set in beautiful buildings or surroudings. The one at Furano overlooks a vineyard and has stunning views. Wonderful place to make a stop and enjoy the beautiful desserts and take in the scenery. Their signature item is the Marusei butter sandwiches, which has a layer of butter cream mixed with rum-soaked raisin and white chocolate sandwiched between two soft biscuits. One practical tip for shopping, Chitose Airport is very well stocked with all the dessert shops like Le Tao, Rokkatei, and hokkaido snacks like Jaga Pokkuru and 白色戀人, so you can buy everything conveniently in one go just before you fly home.