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!

Nice to meet everyone who watched the COOL JAPAN VIDEOS!
This is the Okhotsk Ozora Town Tourism Association that disseminates attractive information about Hokkaido Ozora Town.

Ozora Town is a town located in the east of Hokkaido and was formed in 2006 by the merger of Memanbetsu Town and Higashi Mokoto Village.
In this first post, we will introduce the highlights of the Ozora Town. Enjoy!

We will introduce how to access Hokkaido Ozora Town.
【Access by plane】
◯ Tokyo Haneda Airport 〜 Memanbetsu Airport ... Approx. 1 hour 50 minutes
◯ Sapporo New Chitose Airport 〜 Memanbetsu Airport ... Approx. 50 minutes
◯ Osaka・Kansai International Airport 〜 Memanbetsu Airport ... Approx. 2 hours 30 minutes

【Access by train】
◯ JR Sapporo Station 〜 JR Memanbetsu Station ... About 5 hours 30 minutes by "Limited Express Okhotsk" / JR Asahikawa Station ~ JR Memanbetsu Station...About 3 hours 30 minutes by "Limited Express Oyuki"
◯ Sapporo 〜 Memanbetsu ... Approximately 5 hours and 30 minutes by intercity bus "Dreamint Okhotsk" reservation required

Hokkaido Ozora Town has a climate with a large temperature difference, so it is recommended to check the weather forecast when planning a trip.
Since there is little precipitation throughout the year, there are many sunny days, making it perfect for sightseeing!
In summer, the average temperature is around 20°C, making it a comfortable climate.
Snowfall in winter is from late October to late April. The minimum temperature can be -27°C, and the cold is severe in the region.

A Ozora Town where you can enjoy the scenery of the four seasons!
From here, we will introduce the sightseeing spots.
With the arrival of warm spring, the Higashimokoto Shibazakura Park Higashimokoto moss phlox Park, where the beautiful pink carpet of the moss phlox spreads, is a popular moss phlox spot.
The park has an observatory, a pink torii gate, and a sightseeing wheel.
The picturesque scenery in the vast park is a must-see! Flowering time around May ~ early June

In summer, the vast sunflower field is in full bloom, and yellow flowers spread out like the sun.
"Tomap River Park" is the earliest sunflower field in the Ozora Town.
It is located about 10 minutes by car from Memanbetsu Airport and has good access. Flowering time: mid ~ late July

Asahigaoka Park, which is famous for enjoying sunflowers for a long time, is a popular spot for the superb view from the observatory.
From the observatory, you can overlook Lake Abashiri, Mt. Shari, and the Shiretoko mountain range. Flowering time: late July ~ mid-September

The sunflower field next to Memanbetsu Airport is a hot place in social media where you can take pictures of airplanes and sunflowers!
You can enjoy about 400,000 sunflowers. Flowering time: early ~ late August
Since it is located next to Memanbetsu Airport, you can take pictures as if an airplane is taking off and landing in a sunflower field.

"Roadside Station NonkyLand Higashimokoto" with a hotel is also a popular spot!
At the shop, you can enjoy local flavors such as souvenirs, local specialties, "juicy meat buns" of Hokkaido beef and long potatoes.
It is also possible to stay at "Hotel Higashimokoto" in the Roadside Station. You can choose from twin, DLX twin, and Japanese-style rooms. There are no hot springs in the hotel, but there is a hot spring facility "Fureai Center Phlox" about 2 minutes by car from the hotel or about 9 minutes on foot, equipped with a whirlpool bath and sauna. You can slowly heal the fatigue of traveling.

Located about 10 minutes by car from Memanbetsu Airport, "Meruhen no Oka" is also a popular tourist destination that cannot be missed.
It is a famous spot for its fairytale scenery lined with seven larches.
The vast countryside spreads out and you can enjoy the picturesque scenery.
One of the highlights is the nearby Roadside Station "Meruhen no Oka Memanbetsu"!
There is a corner selling freshly caught locally and a local product corner, and you can enjoy gourmet food using local ingredients such as "Ozora pork shabu long modon" at the on-site restaurant.
There is also a free "dog run" where dogs can easily play.

Mt. Mokoto, where you can enjoy the rich nature, is also a recommended tourist destination.
It has been selected as one of the national "Nature 100 Selections". The altitude is about 1000m, so you can easily enjoy trekking!
One of the highlights is the spring water near the 8th station, the famous water "Ginrei Water".

Next, we will introduce the hot spring facilities in Ozora Town.
If you want to enjoy hot springs in Ozora Town, we recommend the town-run public bath facility "Memanbetsu Agricultural Structure Improvement Center Himawari Onsen"!
You can easily enjoy the hot springs flowing directly from the source with a day trip bath.
The hot water is abundant and the spring quality is sodium bicarbonate chloride spring, which has effects such as neuralgia, sensitivity to cold, and recovery from fatigue.

We deliver essential gourmet information for your trip to Ozora Town!
Ozora Town's proud local gourmet "Ozora pork shabu long modon" is a must-eat! At Nagashimaya, you can enjoy a bowl with an original kimchi-flavored sauce based on the return of soba sauce.

Ozora Town's two major summer events ♬♬ are "Memanbetsu Sightseeing Summer Festival" and "Nonkeyland Furusato Festival"
This year, the Tourism Summer Festival was held from July 29 Sat to 30 Sun, 2023.
The summer festival, which was held for the first time in four years, was a great success with fireworks on the water!
The Hometown Festival was also held for the first time in four years. The race to roll large grass rolls and compete was a great success.

In Hokkaido Ozora Town, there is still plenty of recommended information such as beautiful nature, sightseeing spots, and fresh seafood gourmet.
We will continue to introduce the charm of Hokkaido Ozora Town, so thank you!