Lavender

If you were going to plan a romantic get away in Hokkaido, where might you go? You could possibly consider visiting the coast line, Otaru canal, or some exotic lakes in eastern Hokkaido, but I bet you haven’t considered visiting some of our nations farm land. After all, who would feel romantic in the middle of the giant corn field or rice farms? Actually, there is a perfect place for that kind of get away. It’s known as the ‘Furano’ region, located in the center of Hokkaido and it pride’s itself on having some of the most beautiful lavender farms in the world. Originally, a handful farms started growing lavender as well as other agricultural products, but since around 1970, their focus has shifted to tourism. Since then, the Furano region has drawn a multitude of tourists from both within and outside of Japan. Perhaps the most famous farm there is Farm Tomita. Following its success, other farms followed the similar path. The peak lavender season is late June to the beginning of August. If you visit there in summer, you will find a blanket of violet color - viewing beautiful lavender with a backdrop of Tokachi mountain which is spectacular, and can be quite romantic.