[Hachiemon in Horokanai] Tasty Buckwheat Noodles Produced in Horokanai with Stewed Chicken

Hachiemon

Hachiemon (八右ヱ門) is a popular buckwheat noodle restraunt in Horokanai town located in the northwest part of Asahikawa city, and is near Horokanai Town Office. Mr. Kuniaki Suzuki (鈴木 國明) is a restraunt owner. Originally, he used to open a buckwheat noodle restraunt called "Karakiya (唐木屋)" in the Asahikawa, but he moved from the Asahikawa to the Horokanai in 2000's. The Horokanai is famous as a major production area of highest-grade buckwheat flour. Buckwheat noodles using buckwheat flour produced in the Horokanai can be eaten. They got the Bib Gourmand in MICHELIN GUIDE Hokkaido 2012 Special Edition and 2017 Special Edition.

I used to visit the Hachiemon several times before, but their business was closed around 13:00, and I was not able to enter it. The restraunt is really popular. However, they opened a business when I happened to pass around 13:30 on a weekday, so I visited here. The restraunt looked a renovated private house, and it was not so large, but cozy. Counter seats, table seats and small separate Japanese style rooms are provided, so I guess that even family customers enjoy meals.

The Horokanai is famous as the best buckwheat town in Japan, and supply high quality buckwheat noodles. So they have tourist spots related to the buckwheat. Except it, Lake Shumarinai (朱鞠内湖) is a famous tourist attraction. 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.

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). Article is here

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. Article is here

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. Article is here

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