I painted pictures on Kamu’s windows! Inside the Roadside Station Kamu there are many large windows. Not blank white, but a transparent canvas— children from the village drew Christmas-themed pictures for us! Some kids picked crayon colors while looking at sample drawings. Some boldly dragged crayons across the glass to create big works. Some drew characters together with friends sitting beside them. At their own pace, each child enjoyed drawing on the windows in their own way. The display runs through Monday, December 25. Some windows were even painted by adults with great design sense, so come by to soak up the Christmas atmosphere.

Dressed in Christmas colors The roadside station “Komu” symbol—its karakuri organ dolls—has been redressed in Christmas-colored outfits. They are usually painted in the village’s theme colors of orange and green, but during December the orange changes to red for the entire month. When you stop by Komu, take a quick look at the dolls’ new looks!

Christmas Window Art at kamu A joint project by Nishiokoppe Village's new and former community revitalization team members in charge of tourism! We will hold an event where elementary and junior high school students from the village will paint Christmas-themed pictures on the large windows inside the kamu building. The exhibition will run for about two weeks, so why not visit kamu decorated with Christmas artwork? We look forward to your visit. Event date and time: Saturday, December 9, 10:00–11:30 Participants: Elementary and junior high school students in the village Capacity: About 15 people Participation fee: Free Application deadline: Thursday, November 30, by 17:00 Exhibition period: Saturday, December 9–Monday, December 25

Osmanthus fragrans is in bloom. Inside Roadside Station Kam in Nishiokoppe Village there is a greenhouse where plants that struggle to grow in Hokkaido’s climate are cultivated. When I stepped into the greenhouse in early October, a very pleasant fragrance filled the air. Trees of kinmokusei (fragrant olive) and ginmokusei bloom side by side. Kanmokusei bears small orange flowers. The slightly paler ones are ginmokusei. In Honshu, the scent of kinmokusei makes people feel, “Ah, autumn has arrived.” When you stop by the roadside station, please be sure to visit the greenhouse and breathe in the scent of autumn! The Flower Park charges admission until October 15; after that date it is open free of charge.

Guided stroll through the Flower Park Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu features an attached Flower Park. On Saturday, September 23, we held an event in which participants explored the grounds with a gardener guide. This event has run for about five years, and this year’s edition invited visitors to enjoy the autumn natural garden. Autumn blooms such as asters, persicaria, and fujibakama (Eupatorium) add color to the park. It’s not only the flowers—apparently the trees and shrubs are grown with great care, and spots where grasses of different hues stand side by side are especially striking. I was surprised that about three people maintain the large Flower Park, and I’m excited to see how the plants planted in recent years will look five or ten years from now. The Flower Park remains open through October. Why not come and relax among the plants as you refresh from your travels?

[Autumn Marche Held] The Autumn Marche took place over two days on September 17th and 18th. A tent stood at the entrance of Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu, featuring chiffon cakes, Ezo deer meatballs, a flea market, and stalls selling Nishiokoppe-produced vegetables. Children from the elementary school prepared a lottery for kids and a popular "candy fishing" game where sweets were attached to magnets, which seemed to be a big hit! I couldn’t join this time, so I’m already looking forward to next year’s marche.

Introducing the post of "Hokkaido Nishiokoppe Village" COOL JAPAN VIDEOS official social media account! Hokkaido Nishiokoppe Village is a village in the northeastern part of Hokkaido where about 90% of the village is occupied by forests. The "Ice Tunnel" at the foot of the Mt. Uenshiri is a popular tourist spot created by water flowing down due to melting snow in spring. The Roadside Station "Nishiokoppe Hana Yume" where you can purchase local specialties also has a "Flower Park Kamu" and you can enjoy a natural garden.

[September Event Information] Even though hot days continued into September, a cool breeze has finally begun to blow. Today, we bring you this month’s event information. 1) September 9 (Sat)–October 9 (Mon) A joint initiative by Kamikawa Town, Takinoue Town, and Nishiokoppe Village will present “Gurufura Drive 2023.” Visit the three municipalities’ gardens and events during the period, collect stamps, and enter to win local specialty products! 2) September 17 (Sun)–September 18 (Mon) At Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu we will hold a small autumn harvest market to give thanks for the season’s bounty. The market runs from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM. 3) September 23 (Sat) Also at Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu, we will offer a guided flower park walk led by the site manager ❀ Morning session starts at 10:30; afternoon session starts at 1:30 PM. Each session will last about an hour and a half. To reserve a spot, contact the tourist information center Satozumu. TEL: 0158-85-7125 4) September 24 (Sun) At Komu Museum of Art a reproduction original illustration exhibition of picture-book author Satoshi Kako, accompanied by a gallery talk and a bread-baking program, is planned. *The reproduction original illustration display runs from Friday, September 22 to Thursday, October 12.* Please come and visit Nishiokoppe Village.

Hello to everyone watching Cool Japan Video! I’m Kurashima, Tourism Officer with the Community Revitalization Team of Nishiokoppe Village. I’d like to share lots of enticing tourist information about Nishiokoppe Village, Hokkaido. I look forward to your interest. Nishiokoppe Village, Hokkaido, lies inland from the Sea of Okhotsk in Eastern Hokkaido. The population is 1,002 (as of the end of July, Reiwa 5), and about 90 percent of the village area is covered by forest. The contrast between the forests and snowy landscapes is beautiful, and many public buildings are unified by orange-colored walls. The village experiences large temperature swings: winter can reach minus 20 degrees Celsius and summer can exceed 30 degrees Celsius. Despite the harsh natural conditions, the area is rich in nature and full of remote, scenic spots and waterfalls to explore. Now, here are some of the attractive sightseeing spots in Nishiokoppe Village, Hokkaido. At the foot of Mount Wenshiri, the “Ice Tunnel” offers a mystical, ice-filled world and is a popular destination. The tunnel, formed by water flowing from spring snowmelt, sits in a mountain valley so the ice remains even in summer, creating a mysterious scene. Because of collapse risks it is usually closed, but this July it was opened for one day for the first time in four years. Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu blends a flower park with a roadside station. Inside the roadside station you can find a rare wooden mechanical organ called Oto-Ki-Bayashi that plays music using wind. The shop sells dairy products such as soft-serve made with Nishiokoppe-produced grass-fed milk, and processed Ezo deer products (leather goods, pet food, etc.). The adjacent flower park features a garden designed around a “natural garden” concept that recreates plants suited to Nishiokoppe Village’s climate and landscape. About a 10-minute drive from Roadside Station Nishiokoppe Kamu, the Komu Museum of Art, “Komu,” follows the concept of seeing, touching, playing, and creating. It exhibits about 3,000 wooden toys and works, and large wooden play structures are available for visitors to touch and play with. One especially popular attraction is the wooden sandbox filled with 160,000 wooden balls, where you can enjoy the scent of wood and a kind of woodworking bath. You can also take part in hands-on woodcraft workshops to make things yourself. Enjoy a luxurious time experiencing art in the forest. Gyōja Falls, a 20-meter waterfall where you can feel the power of nature, is another highlight. The falls began to be called Gyōja Falls after a woman in the late Meiji period repeatedly stood under the waterfall praying for her parent’s recovery from a serious illness. Upstream from Gyōja Falls are Akaiwa Falls, with a beautiful brick-colored riverbed, and Kuroiwa Falls, which flows through a primeval forest of Ezo spruce; you can enjoy all three falls along a single route. Next, here are campgrounds where you can enjoy wide-open nature and outdoor activities. Forest Park underwent major renovations over two years in Reiwa 4 and 5, preparing tent site improvements and new playground equipment for a renovated reopening in Reiwa 6. In Reiwa 5 the tent sites are available until October 15, but playground equipment is not usable. The park also has paid log houses available year-round and a BBQ house for day-use barbecues. Surrounded by primary forest, Wenshiri Campground has no cooking facilities and is recommended for a wild camping experience. Like the Ice Tunnel, it is located on Mount Wenshiri and offers one free bungalow that can accommodate up to ten people. Note that the area around the primeval forest may have bear sightings, so caution is required when using the site. Nishiokoppe Village is also known for its guitar factory, Okhotsk Musical Instrument Industry Co. Ltd., where beautifully sounding instruments are made. Founded in a way that succeeded a lumber company, Okhotsk Musical Instrument Industry now produces 20,000 guitar bodies annually. A separate building on the factory grounds houses a free showroom open to visitors for casual tours. Access to Nishiokoppe Village: From Haneda Airport to Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport takes about 1 hour 45 minutes. From the Osaka area, you can fly from Kansai International Airport or Osaka International Airport to New Chitose Airport (about 1 hour 50 minutes), take JR to asahikawa station (about 2 hours 10 minutes), transfer to a JR limited express and get off at Nayoro (about 1 hour), then take a bus to Nishiokoppe Village (about 1 hour). A bus from Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport to Nishiokoppe Village takes about 1 hour 20 minutes. From the Ice Tunnel to other beautiful landscapes and delicious local food, Nishiokoppe Village offers a variety of experiences. We will continue to share the charms of Nishiokoppe Village, Hokkaido, so please stay tuned!