Obihiro & Tokachi

The heart of Hokkaido's Tokachi Plain — the Garden Path, butadon pork bowls and a ‘kingdom of sweets’, with Lake Shikaribetsu and Tokachigawa Onsen nearby.

Obihiro is the main city of the Tokachi region in eastern Hokkaido, set in the middle of the vast Tokachi Plain with the Hidaka Mountains to the west and Daisetsuzan to the north. Fields, pastures and windbreak forests form a quintessential Hokkaido countryside. Tokachi is one of Japan's key producers of wheat, red beans, potatoes and dairy, which has made Obihiro a ‘kingdom of sweets’ and the birthplace of butadon. In the city, visit Rokkatei's flagship store, the Kita no Yatai food stalls, Ban'ei horse racing and Midorigaoka Park. South of the city are Hokkaido Garden Path sights such as Manabe Garden, Shichiku Garden, Kofuku Station and Rokka no Mori; to the north are Tokachigawa Onsen, Lake Shikaribetsu, Naitai Highland Ranch and the Taushubetsu River Bridge. In winter you can also go to Toyokoro to see Jewelry Ice. Garden season runs May–October, peaking June–August. Winters are bitterly cold and dry with plenty of sunny days; January–February is the season for the Lake Shikaribetsu ice village and Jewelry Ice, and the Kamishihoro Balloon Festival takes place in early August. The JR limited express from Sapporo takes about 2.5 hours, and there are direct flights from Tokyo Haneda to Obihiro Airport. Sights are spread out, so renting a car is recommended; plan on 2–3 days.

Top sights

• Tokachi Millennium Forest – A forest garden of about 400 hectares at the foot of the Hidaka Mountains. The meadow garden designed by British garden designer Dan Pearso…
• Kofuku Station – A disused station on the former JNR Hiroo Line, which became famous for its “From Aikoku to Kofuku” tickets. The wooden station house is co…
• Taushubetsu River Bridge – A concrete arch bridge on the former Shihoro Line. It rises and sinks with the seasonal water level of Nukabira Lake and is known as the “P…
• Ban'ei Tokachi (Obihiro Racecourse) – The only draft horse racing in the world, where heavyweight horses weighing about a tonne pull hundreds of kilograms of iron sledge up a 20…
• Manabe Garden – Japan's first conifer garden, developed from a century-old nursery. Japanese, Western, and landscape gardens connect through the forest.
• Shichiku Garden – A private garden created by 'the flower grandmother' Akiyo Shichiku, where about 2,500 kinds of flowers and plants bloom in turn through th…
• Tokachi Hills – A 'agriculture and food' themed garden on the hills of Makubetsu Town, with views over the Tokachi Plain. The restaurant cooks with vegetab…
• Rokka no Mori – A flower and plant forest created by Rokkatei, where the wild plants from its wrapping paper bloom. Scattered through the woods are small a…
• Nakasatsunai Art Village – A cluster of small art museums in a cypress forest, linked by walkways made of old railway sleepers. It is quiet and has the feel of Hokkai…
• Aikoku Station – A former Hiroo Line station paired with Shiawase Station. The station house is now a transport museum, displaying an old steam locomotive a…
• Lake Shikaribetsu – Hokkaido's highest natural lake at about 810 m, surrounded by the primeval forest of Daisetsuzan. In winter, when the lake freezes, an ice…
• Naitai Highland Ranch – A public ranch of about 1,700 hectares, Japan's largest, with a hilltop terrace overlooking the Tokachi Plain and cattle grazing on rolling…
• Tokachigawa Onsen – A rare plant-based 'brown coal' hot spring. The amber water is smooth and silky, known as the 'beauty bath,' and swans can be seen by the r…
• Rokkatei Obihiro Main Store – The flagship store of Rokkatei, a famous Hokkaido confectioner, where you can buy the raisin butter sandwich cookie. The second-floor café…
• Kita no Yatai – A food street of about 20 small yatai stalls near Obihiro Station, each with only a dozen or so seats, serving Tokachi-ingredient grilled d…
• Butadon Pancho – The original butadon restaurant, founded in 1933. Charcoal-grilled pork is served over rice with a sweet and savory sauce. It is a must-eat…
• Midorigaoka Park & Obihiro Zoo – A large park for Obihiro residents, featuring a roughly 400-meter scale model of the Tokachi Plain, a centennial memorial hall, an art muse…
• Ikeda Wine Castle – A winery run by Ikeda Town that produces 'Tokachi Wine.' Its castle-style building lets visitors tour the aging cellars, taste wine, and bu…
• Jewelry Ice (Otsu Coast) – Ice blocks from the Tokachi River mouth are washed up on the beach and sparkle like gemstones in the morning sun. It is a winter-only scene…

Where to eat

• Panchou, Original Butadon – The original Obihiro butadon shop, founded in 1933. Charcoal-grilled Tokachi pork loin with a secret sauce, right in fr…
• Butadon Tonta – One of Obihiro's highest-rated butadon shops on Tabelog, with a sweet-savory sauce from a family that once ran a meat s…
• Indian Curry City Center Branch – A beloved curry staple of Tokachi, served since 1968 by century-old restaurant Fujimori. A plate costs around 700 yen.
• Heiwaen Main Branch – A yakiniku veteran in Obihiro founded in 1959. It pioneered grill-style Genghis Khan lamb and hand-slices whole lambs.

Itineraries

• Grand Hokkaido Self-Drive Loop – A complete loop from New Chitose, covering Central Hokkaido's flower fields, Shiretoko, the easternmost point of Nemuro…