I visited Daichi no Takumi at Tokachigawa Onsen. It happened to be the 29th when I visited, and since the 29th is Meat Day, they were holding a steak fair! You can enjoy steak at 29% off 😊 Today's recommended menu item “Mirai Memuro Beef Shank Steak” Rice, soup, salad, and pickles come as a set. (I ate the salad before I could take a photo...) The meat was light but flavorful, and it was very delicious! The portion was generous and I left very full 😊 It seems to be held on the 29th of every month, so please consider going. *The menu is from March 29, 2024.* - Shun no Yasai to Yakiniku Daichi no Takumi Otofuke, Tokachi, Tokachigawa Onsen Kita 13-chome 1-19 TEL 0155-67-1129 Hours 11:30–14:00 (last order) 17:30–21:00 (last order) Closed Thursdays

I attended a preview of Takutetsu Kinokotan, which opens on Saturday, April 6. Takutetsu Kinokotan is a facility run by Hokkaido Takutetsu Bus that offers hands-on harvesting experiences for shiitake mushrooms grown on logs in Shintoku. This site once hosted Minami-Shintoku Station of the Hokkaido Takushoku Railway, the predecessor of Takutetsu Bus, which ran between Shintoku, Shikaoi and Kamishihoro until its closure in 1968 (Showa 43). The Takushoku Railway also carried timber and other goods, which reportedly led to the start of log-grown shiitake here. For that reason, the facility includes a corner exhibiting photos, equipment and materials from its railway days. Located one minute from National Route 38 and about 1.5 km from JR Shintoku Station, it’s a roughly five-minute ride if you use the free rental bicycles available in front of the station, so please stop by. Also, the cute stationmaster Kinokotan will be waiting to welcome you! #Hokkaido #Tokachi #Shintoku #Shintoku Tourism Association #Takutetsu Kinokotan #Stationmaster Kinokotan #harvest experience #log-grown shiitake #mushrooms #Hokkaido Takushoku Bus #Hokkaido Takushoku Railway

Notice of Temporary Closure of Todaisetsu-so for Maintenance (April 1–7) Tomuraushi Onsen Todaisetsu-so will be closed for maintenance during the following dates. Overnight stays and day-use bathing will not be available. Closure Period • Seven days: Monday, April 1, 2024–Sunday, April 7, 2024 #Hokkaido #Tokachi #Shintoku #Shintoku Tourism Association #Tomuraushi Onsen #Tomuraushi Onsen Todaisetsu-so #Daisetsuzan National Park #remote area #hidden hot spring #single-inn lodging #closed days

This year’s Sairinka also featured a stall by Menya Bouzu. I loved the soy sauce ramen I had at Sairinka, but this time I tried the spicy miso 😊 It’s spicy but addictively tasty! I couldn’t stop sipping the soup 😊 In addition to soy sauce and spicy miso, they offer salt, miso, and mildly spicy miso, and they also have horumon ramen! It would be fun to come back and try every variety! Menya Bouzu Main Shop 12-11-1 Odori, Otofuke TEL 0155-42-2202 Hours: Mon 11:00–14:00 Tue–Sun 11:00–14:00 17:00–19:45 last order Closes when the soup runs out Closed irregularly

Yotsuba Dairy Factory Tour Located in Otofuke, Tokachi, Hokkaido, the Yotsuba Dairy Tokachi Main Factory offers a tour facility called Tasty Straight Pavilion. In addition to watching milk and butter being produced, visitors can enjoyably learn about dairy farming and the dairy industry. Yotsuba milk really is delicious! I learned that their ongoing efforts to improve quality are what make such tasty dairy products possible. On the tour you receive one tasting bottle (milk or café au lait) and a mini eraser as a souvenir.✨ If you visit Tokachi, why not stop by the Yotsuba Dairy factory tour?😊 Yotsuba Dairy Tokachi Main Factory Tour Admission: Free Schedule: Monday–Friday, three times a day Duration: About 60 minutes Reservations and inquiries 0155-42-2121

Tokachigawa Onsen in the morning Hello! It’s March and getting a little warmer, but mornings here in Otofuke are still quite cold. The temperature at 5:00 a.m. on the day of the shoot was -12.1°C. River mist formed and Tokachi Chuo Bridge was hidden. After sunrise the river mist cleared and the bridge stood out clearly! By 7:00 a.m. we could see the majestic Hidaka Mountains clearly 😊 There was no wind that day, so we also saw hot air balloons rising. Even when it’s cold, seeing scenes like this lifts your spirits! Please come and see these seasonal views while you can 😊

As the Nemuro Main Line segment between Shintoku and Furano nears closure, Shintoku Station has been getting busier. Since early this month, the station has hosted a "Thank You, Nemuro Main Line" panel exhibition; visitors stop to view the photos and take their own pictures. In the nearby waiting area, a few customers can be seen enjoying station bento boxes made by local restaurants. According to staff at Stella Station, the station kiosk, Wednesdays feature Shintoku jidori rice (Shintoku free-range chicken rice bento), while other days offer a Tokachi yakiniku bento. Both are very popular. If you're visiting Shintoku Station, please take a moment to create a page of memories of the Nemuro Main Line while savoring the flavors of Shintoku and Tokachi.

One of Hokkaido’s spring treats is birch sap water. A faint sweetness and a hint of the forest fragrance spread across your mouth. Birch sap water can only be collected during the thaw from early to mid-April (Kamuiwakka, the water of the gods). This event is offered on a long-running schedule with reservations accepted until the day before so visitors to Tokachi can experience it during their trip; feel free to join us. Event period: Friday, April 5, 2024 – Sunday, April 14, 2024, 10 days ① 10:00– ② 14:00– *Two sessions per day *Duration: 1 hour 30 minutes – About 2 hours Venue: Karikachi Kogen Park *Meet on site. Experience details: ① Birch sap water collection ② Wood splitting (optional) ③ Bonfire ④ Tasting of birch sap water ⑤ Tasting of birch sap coffee Participation fee: Adult 2,000 yen Elementary school student 1,000 yen Infants and toddlers free Other: ① Please join in warm clothing. ② If you wish to take some home, bring a washed 500 ml PET bottle, one to two bottles. Inquiries and applications Shintoku Town Tourism Association (general incorporated association) 〔TEL: 0156-64-0522〕 Reservations accepted until 3:00 PM the day before. *Reception is available on weekdays only.

The “Thank You Nemuro Main Line” panel exhibition is now on display! A panel exhibition reflecting on the history of the Furano–Shintoku section, which will close on March 31, has opened inside Shintoku Station. The panels include a timeline tracing the line’s history from the 1900 opening of the Asahikawa–Shimofurano section, which marked the starting point for eastern Hokkaido, together with about 40 historical photos showing the railway and local scenery. Shintoku Station, which will be decommissioned at the end of this month, has drawn many railfans, and it was striking to see visitors studying the panels today.

Deep Spots in Taiki Town 📍Site of the Former JNR Hiroo Line Taiki Station In Taiki Town, you can still find the remains of the station building from the Hiroo Line, the railway that linked Obihiro and Hiroo and ran until 1987. Taiki Station opened in 1930, and at its peak it reportedly handled more than 1,000 passengers a day. The former track area is now a plaza called Taiki Traffic Park, but the station building still stands. You cannot enter the building, but looking through the windows you can see the ticket gate and waiting room still preserved inside. The platform area still shows the station sign and a signal lever. In Hakubayashi Park, north of Taiki Town Hall, a steam locomotive, No. 59611, which served around Hokkaido and ran on the Hiroo Line until 1975, is on display. It was installed thanks to efforts by local steam locomotive enthusiasts. Why not come and feel the traces of the railway that once ran through Taiki Town?

I visited Indian Natsuzora, which opened last month at Roadside Station Otofuke Natsuzora no Furusato! I ordered the Natsuzora exclusive hamburger you can only get here. It paired a juicy patty made from a blend of "Otofuke Town Kino e-Beef" and pork with the town’s beloved curry. It was so tasty that I finished it in no time 😊 The Natsuzora shop also sells frozen curry, making it a great souvenir✨ After the meal, I had soft serve from SKYPIEA, the takeout-only shop at the same roadside station. It was a snowy, cold day, but Yotsuba soft serve is delicious anytime✨ It was a day fully satisfied by the roadside station’s gourmet offerings. ・Indian Natsuzora Hours 10:00–18:00 (Last order 17:30 ) Closed From November to March: every Monday (If Monday is a public holiday, the following day) Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31–January 3) Closed three days each in May and August and one day in November ・SKYPIEA Hours 10:00–18:00 (Last order 17:30 ) Closed From November to March: every Monday (If Monday is a public holiday, the following day) Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31–January 3) ・Roadside Station Otofuke Natsuzora no Furusato Hours 9:00–18:00 Closed From November to March: every Monday (If Monday is a public holiday, the following day) Year-end and New Year holidays (December 31–January 3) 2 Natsuzora, Otofuke Town TEL 0155-65-0822

Since the start of this month, Shintoku has unexpectedly enjoyed many springlike days, yet yesterday the town saw 45 cm of snow fall continuously. In an instant the town turned into a silver-white landscape. Also, Shintoku Ski Resort, which had been closed for lack of snow since February 14, will reopen from tomorrow. Look forward to it! #Hokkaido #Tokachi #Shintoku #Shintoku Town Tourism Association #a springlike day #snow #a silver-white landscape #ski resort #Shintoku Mountain Ski Resort #reopening

The view from the fifth kilometer marker on National Route 38, where the snow has thinned, looking toward the great curve of the former Karikachi Line. This sweeping bend is an indispensable historical legacy for understanding Hokkaido’s railway construction history.

Menya Karanari Otofuke Yukgaejang Ramen, Level 3 Spicy A savory, spicy broth made from oxtail soup blended with several types of chili peppers. Even the standard Level 3 was quite spicy! If you can’t handle heat, there’s a Level 0 with no spice at all. The interior is bright with raised tatami seating, and I saw families with children. Small rice is free, so it’s great to add an egg or cheese as an option at the end and turn it into gukbap. This ramen, which was popular at the yakiniku restaurant, is served here as a specialty—and it’s addictively delicious 😋 080-0301 12-3-2 KinoOdoriNishi, Kino no Mori, Otofuke, Kato District, Hokkaido 11:00–21:00

The steam sauna at Tomuraushi Onsen Higashi-Taisetsu-so was featured in a YouTube video by sauna comedian Mag Manpei. Enjoy the views from the outdoor bath, famed for its saunas and hot springs! Search YouTube for "Mag Manpei Tomuraushi Onsen" to watch the video.

Winter tradition Tokachi Ranch Umaoi Exercise Held to relieve winter inactivity and help prevent difficult births in pregnant mares. You can see the horses up close, making it an exhilarating sight! Open to the public only on weekday mornings. ※In 2024 it ended on February 16.

“Takutetsu Kinokotan,” a log-grown shiitake cultivation and agri-tourism farm slated to open this spring in Shintoku, will be exhibited tomorrow, Saturday, February 10, at “INTERNATIONAL FESTA in TOKACHI 2024” held at Obihiro’s Mori no Koryukan and the JACA Hokkaido Center (Obihiro). At the venue, visitors can sample and experience foods, music, and costumes from around the world, and enjoy experiences that let you feel the world right here in Tokachi. Please come and support Takutetsu Kinokotan as it embarks this spring on a new journey into cultivation and tourism!

I spotted someone cycling across the Shikaribetsu Pass! They’re a university student from Kanagawa Prefecture planning to ride from Kushiro to Asahikawa over ten days. They’ll stay in hotels along the way but also plan to camp at times. I heard they’re riding with studded tires—ride safely and enjoy winter in Hokkaido until the end of the journey.

I visited Hokkaido Avant in Kutcharo, Shintoku Town. Sauna enthusiasts who had come from Tokyo, Kyoto, and Oita, including members of the Sauna Research Group from Tokyo, took turns cooling down after their saunas by plunging into a hole cut in the frozen lake. Shouts that sounded like cheers or excitement echoed across the quiet lake. After cooling down, they enjoyed a peaceful time on an ice carousel.

The 33rd Shiratori Festival SAIRINKA is now taking place! About 600 illuminated art pieces move to music, creating a magical light show. Each 30-minute cycle features two parts: Part 1 — the Light Fantastic Show, and Part 2 — the Light Electro Dancing Show. The music selection appeals to children, seniors, and international visitors alike. Along the promenade called the Light Alley that connects Tokachigawa Onsen town to the venue, winter cherry blossoms are in full bloom, and a new photo spot with a Japanese aesthetic has been installed! Enjoy the winter cherry blossoms, which bloom earlier here than anywhere else in Japan, even in temperatures around -20°C. [Event Period] Saturday, January 27, 2024 – Sunday, February 18, 2024 [Lighting Hours] 19:00–21:00 [Location] Tokachigaoka Park [Parking] Available (about 100 spaces, free) [Event Maintenance Cooperation Fee] 500 yen per person for junior high school students and older *Guests staying at Tokachigawa Onsen Association member accommodations, residents of Otofuke, and elementary school children and younger are free of charge. *Otofuke residents must present an official ID showing their address.

“2024 Ecopa Winter Festival” Held on January 21, the festival featured events like a parent-and-child snowman contest and a fukumaki (bean-throwing) ceremony! The snowmen in photos 1 and 2 won the top prize and the excellence prize✨ What amazing creations! Everyone, from children to adults, was having a great time😆

Thank you for waiting! Shintoku-yama Ski Resort finally opens on January 20! This winter saw large temperature swings in Shintoku town and snowfall was slow to arrive, but thanks to snow from late December through recent days we have managed to open safely. Shintoku-yama Ski Resort is a family-friendly slope that people from beginners to advanced skiers can enjoy. The view from the summit is spectacular, and you can ski with thrills while looking out as far as Mt. Meakan and the Daisetsuzan mountain range. • 1.3 km from Shintoku Station — 4 minutes by car, 15 minutes on foot • Rental sets available [Contact: 0156-64-5546] For more details, please check the Shintoku town website.

A magical scene! A lighting event was held at Tomuraushi Onsen Higashi-Taisetsu-so on New Year’s Eve. You can also watch the video on YouTube [DJI20240101003301 0037], so please enjoy the enchanting scenery.

Beautiful winter scenery. Tokachi enjoys many clear winter days, so the blue skies and rime ice look stunning.

Spectacular View at Tokachigawa Onsen: Unryu Unryu is a river mist that appears on frigid mornings in January and February when temperatures drop below −15°C. It came to be called “Unryu” because the fog rising along the flow of the Tokachi River looks like a dragon stretching and resting. You can view this scene from the Tokachigaoka Observatory. This breathtaking sight is visible only in winter! This year is the Year of the Dragon—come to Tokachigawa Onsen to see Unryu!

Otofuke Town will be featured on NHK Hokkaido’s “Dōmin Handmade Quiz 179Q”! Please be sure to watch 😊 Program details Air time: Friday, January 12, 7:30 PM Broadcasting station: NHK Hokkaido Program title: “Dōmin Handmade Quiz 179Q” Description: Each municipality in Hokkaido highlights distinctive things or people from their town, then poses quizzes to the studio guests (this time Koji Kato, Takatoshi and Shinobu Otake) for them to answer.

Happy New Year. Thank you very much for visiting Tokachigawa Onsen in large numbers last year. Tokachigawa Onsen has plenty of charm even in winter. We sincerely look forward to welcoming you.

Announcement: Bansei Onsen Open on New Year’s Day♨️ Bansei Onsen will be open on January 1, 2024 for New Year’s Day hours! If the weather is clear, you can soak in the hot springs while watching the first sunrise rise from the Pacific Ocean 🌅 How about starting the new year with your first bath at Bansei Onsen, with a sea view? The waters at Bansei Onsen are highly concentrated iodine springs, among the strongest in Japan. Iodine is found in mouthwash, dietary supplements, and antiseptics, and is said to have antibacterial and moisturizing effects. The hot water is also praised for keeping the body warm for a long time and for making it hard to catch a chill after bathing. Spend the New Year healthy by taking a bath at Bansei Onsen! Open from 6:00 AM to 3:00 PM (dining hall open from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM; last order at 2:00 PM). ＜New Year Holiday Hours＞ 2023 (Reiwa 5): Open through Saturday, December 30 ※Dining hall and lodging available through Thursday, December 28 2024 (Reiwa 6) January 1 (Monday): Open 6:00 AM–3:00 PM (dining hall 7:00 AM–3:00 PM; last order 2:00 PM) ※Complimentary shuttle bus will not operate January 2 (Tuesday): Open January 3 (Wednesday)–January 8 (Monday): Regular hours January 9 (Tuesday)–January 12 (Friday): Closed January 13 (Saturday) onward: Regular hours (closed every Tuesday through March) Bansei Onsen Address: Bansei 2, Taiki Town Phone: 01558-7-8161 Hours: April–September: 8:00 AM–9:00 PM (last admission 8:00 PM) October–March: 9:00 AM–9:00 PM (last admission 8:00 PM) Closed: April–September: No closures October–March: Tuesdays closed

This is today's Tokachigaoka Observation Deck! Clear Tokachi skies 🌞 Daytime temperatures are around -2°C, but thanks to the sun it feels warmer than the thermometer shows. There are lots of little rubber ducks on the observation deck railing ❣️ They're so cute〜😳

'Eagle Watching Premium Tour' I joined a winter-only tour held at the Tokachi Nature Center! In light snow we traveled along the quiet Tokachi River while a guide from the Wild Bird Society explained what we were seeing. Besides Steller's sea eagles and white-tailed eagles, we spotted many other birds such as long-tailed tits, swans, and goosanders! Using binoculars and a spotting scope, we could clearly make out their features, which was truly moving ✨ Other participants brought cool, bazooka-like lenses for their cameras 😎 It was a highly satisfying 45 minutes. The tour runs only on Saturdays and Sundays through January 7. For details, please contact the Tokachi Nature Center. Contact 0155-32-6116 Tokachi Nature Center