- August 21st, 2014
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- TouristSpots
- NorthernArea
[Buckwheat Field in Horokanai] Japan's Largest Buckwheat Fields of 3,200 ha Are Exhaustively Covered with About 6 mm Small White Flowers
CONTENTS
Horokanai Buckwheat Fields
Horokanai town in the northwestern part of Asahikawa city is the best buckwheat town in Japan. Total buckwheat planted area is 3,200 ha, and the amount of buckwheat production is over 2,900 ton, and those are the largest area and production in the Japan. Its quality is the best grade in the Japan, too, and Horokanai Buckwheat Noodles (幌加内そば) has a good reputation. In a summer, the buckwheat fields are covered with white flowers, and I think that visitors are moved by the views. The best time to see is from late July to mid August. The Horokanai has 4 famous viewing spots, and white buckwheat flowers can be enjoyed at Soba-no-Hana Observation Deck (ソバの花展望台), Hakugin-no-Oka (Silver) Hills (白銀の丘), Junpaku-no-Oka(Snow-white) Hills (純白の丘) and Shirojutan-no-Hatake (白絨毯の畑 * Fields of the White Carpet).
Movie of Horokanai Buckwheat Fields
It is said that the growing Buckwheat is suitable for cool climate, a large temperature gap between the daytime and the evening and morning fog that mildens temperature rise in the daytime. It is certain that the Horokanai is one of the coldest places in the Japan. In Moshiri (母子里) nearby Lake Shumarinai, -41.2 degrees Celsius, the Japan's lowest temperature, was recorded in 1977, and a monument named Crystal Peaks was built. The Horoknai has also heavy snow. The maximum snow deposit was over 313 cm in 2018, and broke the Hokkaido record of Kucchan. The winter is amazing in the Horokanai.
As for tasty restaurants in the Horokanai, most of those are restaurants related to buckwheat noodles, and Hachiemon (八右ヱ門), Kiritachitei (霧立亭) and Soba-no-Sato (そばの里) are popular in particular. I ate the buckwheat noodles at the Hachiemon, and it was tasty. As for onsen, a day trip bathing can be enjoyed at Seiwa Onsen Ruonto (せいわ温泉 ルオント). By the way, Horokanai Town New Soba Festival (幌加内町新そば祭り) is held between 2days in early September.
Hachiemon
Hachiemon (八右ヱ門) is a popular buckwheat noodles restraunt in Horokanai town located in the northwest part of Asahikawa city. There is a building near Horokanai town office. Horokanai is famous as a major production area of the highest-grade buckwheat flour. The buckwheat noodles using buckwheat flour produced in Horokanai can be eaten. They got the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition. I visited the Hachiemon several times before, but the business was closed around 13:00 and I was not able to enter it. It is a popular after all. However, it opened a business and I visited here when I happened to pass around 13:30 on weekdays. Read More
Lake Shumarinai
Lake Shumarinai (朱鞠内湖) is a man-made lake in Horokanai town located in the northern part of Asahikawa city, and is well-known for the largest man-made lake in Japan. 13 big and small islands float on the surface of the lake, and a feature of the lake is complicated topography like a fjord. The perimeter of the lake is about 40 km. The maximum water depth is 40 m. 1st Uryu Dam (雨竜第一ダム) was built in 1943, and the lake was born. The water surface is 23.73 km2. The height of the concrete gravity dam is about 45.5 m. The Horokanai is one of the coldest places in the Japan, and In Moshiri (母子里) nearby the lake, -41.2 degrees Celsius, the Japan's lowest temperature, was recorded in 1977, and a monument named Crystal Peaks was built. The Horoknai has also heavy snow, and my father told me that Horokanai people used to go in or out their houses via the 2nd floor because an entrance of the 1st floor was surrounded by snow in a winter. The winter is amazing in the Horokani. Read More
Buckwheat Noodles of Hokkaido
Hokkaido occupies about 40% of buckwheat production of Japan, and is the largest buckwheat production in the Japan, and Nagano prefecture, Ibaraki prefecture, Fukushima prefecture and so on follow the Hokkaido. The climate is cool in a summer, and a large temperature gap is great for good buckwheat, and the buckwheat production of the Hokkaido is increasing. Horokanai (幌加内), Fukagawa (深川) and Otoineppu (音威子府) are the 3 largest production places. Especially, the Horokanai is the best buckwheat production and the largest planted area in the Japan, and is well-known as a buckwheat town, and uses buckwheat fields as tourist attractions well. In Fukushima town, Sengen Soba Buckwheat Flowers Viewing Party (千軒そばの花鑑賞会) is held in buckwheat fields, and a fantastic conbination of the buckwheat fields and Matsumae Kagura (松前神楽) can be enjoyed. Read More
List of Buckwheat Fields
Views with white flowers can be savored at the Soba-no-Hana Observation Deck, the Hakugin-no-Oka (Silver) Hills, the Junpaku-no-Oka(Snow-white) Hills and the Shirojutan-no-Hatake. My visited places are as follows.
Soba-no-Hana Observation Deck
The Soba-no-Hana Observation Deck is a viewing spot along National Route 275 in the central part of the Horokanai. Only this place has sightseeing facilities in the 4 viewing spots. Soba Museum (そば博物館), Soba Shrine (そば神社), a buckwheat noodles restraunt, a gaezebo, a parking lot and a restroom are built at the site, and the Horokanai buckwheat noodles or a soft serve icecream can be eaten at Kitamura Buckwheat Noodles restraunt (きたむらそば). The buckwheat noodles using buckwheat in fornt of visitor's eyes has a good reputation. The visitors can look over the buckwheat flowers in Seiwa dictrict. A walk is built in the buckwheat field, and the gazebo is also built in the buckwheat field. Here is the only viewing spot that tourists can enter the buckwheat fields. Admission free. The parking lot is free of charge. They open a business from mid July to August.
Atmosphere of Soba-no-Hana Observation Deck Can Be Watched on Youtube
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Movie of Soba-no-Hana Observation Deck
| Admission fee | Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | Free parking is provided (20 Cars) |
| Business hours | Open 24 hours * Buckwheat noodles restraunt 11:00-14:00 |
| Regular closing day | Open all year round * Buckwheat noodles restraunt From late August to mid July |
| Telephone number | +81-165-35-2380 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 701 858 851*36 |
Hakugin-no-Oka (Silver) Hills
Hakugin-no-Oka (Silver) Hills is a viewing spot in Shinnariue district located in the southern part of the Horokanai. There is no sightseeing facility. Visitors can view the buckwheat flowers on a gentle hill in a short distance away from the National Route 275. A parking lot is not offered, so the visitors stop their cars on a shoulder of a farm road. The visitors can view the buckwheat flowers along the National Route 275. But the view from the farm road is better than the National Route 275. The buckwheat fields is not allowed to enter, so please savor the view only from the road.
Atmosphere of Hakugin-no-Oka (Silver) Hills Can Be Watched on Youtube
Movie of Hakugin-no-Oka (Silver) Hills
| Admission fee | Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | parking lot is not provided |
| Business hours | Open 24 hours |
| Regular closing day | Open all year round |
| Telephone number | +81-165-35-2380 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 701 226 440*28 |
Shirojutan-no-Hatake (Silver White Carpet Fields)
The Shirojutan-no-Hatake (Silver White Carpet Fields) is a viewing point in Shinnariue district located in the southern part of the Horokanai. It is along the National Route 275, but a view from the route is not good. A comfortable view is at a short distance away on a side road. After going ahead along the side road, and a cemetery comes into sight, and a paved road turns into a gravel road there, and a view is good at a short distance away from there. But a lot of bees fly, beware of the bees. There is no sightseeing facility. Visitors stop their cars on a shoulder of the road, and see the buckwheat flowers blooming. The buckwheat fields is not allowed to enter, so please savor the view only from the road.
| Admission fee | Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | Free parking is not provided |
| Business hours | Open 24 hours |
| Regular closing day | Open all year round |
| Telephone number | +81-165-35-2380 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 701 167 677*86 |
Junpaku-no-Oka(Snow-white) Hills
The Junpaku-no-Oka(Snow-white) Hills are a viewing point located in the southern part of the Horokanai. A parking lot is built along the National Route 275, and it looks like a parking park. Visitors can view the buckwheat flowers on a gentle hill. There are only the parking lot and a bench. The parking lot is free of charge. The buckwheat fields is not allowed to enter, so please savor the view only from the parking lot.
| Admission fee | Free of charge |
|---|---|
| Parking lot | Free parking is provided (5 Cars) |
| Business hours | Open 24 hours |
| Regular closing day | Open all year round |
| Telephone number | +81-165-35-2380 |
| Home page | Home page is here |
| Mapcode | 701 168 555*25 |
List of Events
The Horokanai Town New Soba Festival is held in the Horokanai.
Movie of Horokanai Town New Soba Festival
List of Activities
Buckwheat Boodles Making can be experienced in the Horokanai. Refer to following websites for the activities. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
Buckwheat Boodles Making Experience
Movie of Buckwheat Boodles Making Experience
| Horokanai Soba Dojo(幌加内そば道場) | ASOVIEW |
Jalan |
|---|
List of Accommodations
Refer to following websites for the accommodations in the Horokanai. You can get information regarding online reviews and photos.
By the way, Club Tourism (クラブツーリズム), a Japanese tour travel agency, provides various types of tours such as day trip tours or ordinary tours. In the case of bus tours, tourists do not drive their cars themselves, so they can savor alcohol. Choosen tourist attractions are national parks such as Rishiri and Rebun, Shiretoko, and popular tourist places such as Furano and Biei, and some activities such as hiking and fruit picking are also enjoyed depending on seasons. If you are interested in tour trips, you should visit the club tourism's website for details.
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