JAL Staff Recommendation | Hokkaido Off-the-Beaten-Path Travel, Obihiro Tokachi Edition
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This episode features Mr. Itai from the Obihiro branch in Hokkaido, who believes the three great pleasures in life are eating, sleeping, and gaining weight 🎉
He will introduce us to the unique scenery and delicious food of the Obihiro Tokachi area!
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Tokachi District, Hokkaido is famous for its magnificent landscapes and abundant outdoor activities, known as the "Japan’s Food Granary."
With ample sunshine and clear streams nurturing seasonal vegetables, the produce here is naturally fresh and delicious.
🥩 Wagyu beef is tender and melts in your mouth.
🥛 Dairy products are top quality—did you know the local dairy cow population even exceeds the human population?
🧀 Cheese is especially famous, with over 30 workshops producing hundreds of varieties, repeatedly winning international awards 🏆
【Tokachi Farm House Winery】Get tipsy in Nordic style 🍷
Here, you can taste high-quality wines made from carefully cultivated local grapes.
The Nordic-style wooden villas (Log Cottages) offer various scenic options to meet different visitors’ needs.
⭐ "Sunset Villa": boasts magnificent river views and stunning sunsets 🌇
⭐ "Forest Villa": hidden among towering ancient trees, embraced by lush forest 🌳
⭐ "Pet-Friendly Villa": designed for pet lovers, allowing furry friends to stay 🐾
Even more special, the park offers a unique sauna made from repurposed old wine barrels—eco-friendly and novel❗
【Tokachigawa Onsen】Enjoy the special "Beauty Hot Spring" ♨
Famous far and wide for its rare "humic acid hot spring."
After a long journey through layers of plant deposits, the spring water emerges from a unique ancient lignite layer, rich in plant-based organic matter.
The tea-colored water feels soft and gentle, containing abundant natural moisturizing factors. After bathing, your skin becomes more hydrated and radiant, earning it the reputation as the "Fountain of Beauty."
【Hot Air Balloon & Sairinka】A blend of romance and fantasy ❄
In summer, take a hot air balloon ride and leisurely ascend to enjoy the vast Tokachi Plain scenery, refreshing and uplifting.
When winter arrives, the area transforms into a dreamlike world, hosting the popular event "Sairinka," where lights and music intertwine, adding endless romance and imagination to your winter trip.
【Lake Shikaribetsu Underwater Railway】Studio Ghibli animation comes to life 🏞️
Lake Shikaribetsu, located in Daisetsuzan National Park at about 810 meters elevation, is Hokkaido’s highest natural lake and is known as the "Mirror of the Sky." On its shore, the fantastical and viral photo spot is the "Lake Shikaribetsu Underwater Railway."
On the crystal-clear lake surface, a railway track seems to defy gravity, slowly extending into the underwater world.
The track gradually disappearing beneath the lake, combined with the endless magnificent natural scenery of Hokkaido’s lakeside, creates a dreamlike scene straight out of a Studio Ghibli animation, making you feel as if you are in another world.
This mysterious "underwater railway" actually has a secret—it is not a secret path to an underwater kingdom but a special track used each year before winter to drag sightseeing boats ashore.
【Tips】Since Lake Shikaribetsu’s temperature drops below freezing in winter and the lake surface completely freezes, to witness this dreamlike underwater wonder, it’s best to visit on clear, sunny days during spring, summer, or autumn.
✈Transportation Guide
From Tokyo Haneda Airport, Japan Airlines operates 4 daily flights to and from Obihiro, making travel convenient and fast.
We hope you have an unforgettable journey in the Obihiro Tokachi area 💖