Shintoku New Soba Festival is about to begin! Preparations are underway for the 10:00 start.

The 49th Umaissho “Shintoku” Heavy Snow Festival This event has arrived again this year! The Heavy Snow Festival is a food celebration where you can eat and buy Shintoku’s high-quality vegetables and soba. The big draw is the all-you-can-stuff local vegetables (500 yen) and freshly harvested, freshly ground, freshly made, and freshly boiled new-season Shintoku soba. You’ll also find fresh fruit brought from Shintoku Town’s sister city, Higashine City in Yamagata Prefecture. On the stage there are magic shows and live performances, and if you buy meat at the venue you can borrow charcoal and a grill free of charge to enjoy a BBQ.

Autumn colors are beginning. I went to Tokachi Dam to prepare for the Kinaushi Shrine Enshrinement Anniversary Festival held on Tuesday, October 1st. Daytime temperatures in town rise to around 20°C, but nights fall into the single digits, and I expect mountain valleys are even cooler. I also received word that fall colors have started at Tomuraushi Onsen Higashi-Taisetsu-so, so they may have advanced considerably in the past week. In a typical year, the colors peak around early next month near Tomuraushi Onsen Higashi-Taisetsu-so, while the area around Kuttari Lake near Tokachi Dam reaches its best in mid-month. Please come and see the unspoiled wilderness painted by autumn foliage.

Karikachi Trail Running The rain that fell from last night into the early morning cleared, and the 12th Karikachi Trail Running began with its starting gun! Runners tackled three courses that use the former Karikachi Line railway bed to run through nature. Participants numbered 143, coming not only from Hokkaido but also from as far away as Tokyo, Nagoya, and Fukuoka. With a temperature of 17°C and a pleasant autumn breeze, conditions were ideal for the event.

Under a clear Tokachi sky today, the Shintoku Shrine autumn festival features a mikoshi offering and a parade through the town. The shaded areas are already cool, but sunlit spots still feel like summer. Local volunteers, sweating as they go, are preserving and passing on the town's traditions.

Thank you for waiting! The outline for the 21st Shintoku New Soba Festival, held on Sunday, September 29, has been announced. This year, seven local soba shops and soba enthusiasts from town will take part, with 9,000 servings of soba prepared. In addition to freshly harvested, freshly milled, freshly made, and freshly boiled soba with excellent flavor, each shop will offer creative twists to enhance their dishes—such as spicy daikon grated soba, unagi soba, and large prawn tempura soba—so please enjoy delicious soba in Shintoku on the day.

From today until September 6, The Royal Express, operated by Tokyu Corporation and JR Hokkaido, will stop at Shintoku Station every Friday, so the tourism association greeted and welcomed passengers on the station platform. The Royal Express, named to evoke elegance and a sense of occasion with a concept of beauty and a sparkling journey, is a special train notable for its royal blue livery; it runs with a diesel locomotive (DE15) and a power car coupled together. At Shintoku Town Tourism, they offered hospitality in hopes that the sparkling beauty of Hokkaido, Tokachi, and Shintoku Town—no less dazzling than the train—would reach the passengers.

Sahoro Lake Campground Reopens! Thank you for waiting! Sahoro Lake Campground, which had been closed since Saturday, May 25 due to a water system failure, has reopened for use from Saturday, July 27. Please note that Tokachi Dam Campground remains closed because bears are still being sighted.

The Takatoshi Land episode filmed in Shintoku Town will be broadcast. On Sunday, July 14, at 4:05 PM on the Fuji TV network, "Discover! Takatoshi Land SP: Aiba, Yasumura and a Four-Person, Whirlwind Trip Around Hokkaido" will air. The four travelers give a full showcase of Shintoku Town's charms, so please do watch!!!

The buckwheat flowers have begun to bloom! The flowers have started to appear in the buckwheat fields known as "Soba Road," near the Soba House along National Route 38. The bloom will expand from here, and by late July to early August the fields will be blanketed in a carpet of pure white buckwheat flowers.

September 15th The 12th Karikachi Trail Running event has been confirmed!🏃🏃🏃 Starting and finishing at Karikachi Kogen Park, where the Karikachi Line and Shinnai Station once stood, this race sends about 200 participants across four courses—22 km, 12 km, 5 km, and 4 km—along the old Karikachi Line railbed, forest roads, and other natural trails. Under a crisp autumn sky, come feel Hokkaido’s vast wilderness as you run the route people once traveled by train since the Meiji era.

On today’s UHB Hokkaido Cultural Broadcasting evening program "Min Tere", Tsuru-ajisai at Karikachi Kogen Park will be featured around 5:15 PM and around 6:30 PM. The climbing hydrangeas are still in full bloom. See these flourishing flowers on TV and visit the site this weekend to enjoy them in person.

We created a leaflet with directions to Masudayama so visitors can enjoy the views of trains passing along the Sekisho Line, a frequent subject of inquiries to the tourism association. Parts of the route are unpaved and some sections are rough, so please drive with great care. Also, since this is a natural mountain area, be aware of possible brown bear sightings. Detailed precautions are listed on the leaflet titled "Important Notice for Those Heading to Masudayama," so please read it. This information pop-up is also posted under "News" on the Shintoku Town Tourism Association website.

We did a test setup of “Hammocks Among the Birch Trees,” planned for this summer. Despite struggling with more sagging than expected, we finally created a soothing time. If you are planning a summer trip along the Obihiro–Asahikawa–Furano route, why not relax among the birch and hammocks at Karikachi Kogen Park? Details will be posted later on the tourism association’s website and social media. #Hokkaido #Tokachi #Shintoku #Shintoku Tourism Association #Route 38 #Hokkaido Garden Path #Karikachi Kogen Park #birch #hammock #relaxation

We joined the townwide ‘National Route 38 Environmental Beautification Activity’ organized and carried out by local residents, and planted seedlings of 6,000 red salvias and dusty miller along 43 blocks of Route 38 in Shintoku, where the sky was still cloudy after the rain. This road is known as the Hokkaido Garden Path and is used by visitors traveling between Obihiro and Furano or Asahikawa. We hope it will offer a warm welcome to drivers on summer sightseeing trips and lift their spirits.

Yesterday, on Sunday, I started from Karikachi Pass and hiked up to Sahoro-dake. Along the way I passed the summit of Sakurayama and reached the Sahoro-dake summit in about two and a half hours. Blessed with fine weather, I enjoyed views of the Tokachi Plain below and, in the distance, Mt. Tomuraushi—one of the Daisetsuzan range—and the Hidaka Mountains, which are scheduled to be designated a national park in July. On the trail I also delighted in the white flowers of Chishima-zakura beginning to show as they turn into leaf cherry, savoring all the unique pleasures of mountain hiking. #Hokkaido #Tokachi #Shintoku #Shintoku Tourism Association #Karikachi Pass #Sahoro-dake #Sakurayama #Tokachi Plain #Daisetsuzan range #Mt. Tomuraushi #national park #Hidaka Mountains #Chishima-zakura #mountain hiking #National Route 38

Advance Notice: Climbing Hydrangeas Blooming It’s still a bit early, but from mid-June to early July hundreds of estimated climbing hydrangea plants that twine around the larch growth forest in Karikachi Kogen Park will begin to bloom. Their cream-colored, 5 mm flowers form clusters that make the larch trees look as if they are wearing dresses. This year has been warmer than usual, so blooming may occur earlier; we will announce it once the flowers open. The usual peak viewing season is from early to mid-July.

Yesterday, tourism association staff accompanied members of the Shintoku Mountaineering Club and the police to Komadori-sawa, the midpoint, to carry out marking work to prevent hikers from getting lost on the trail up Mt. Tomuraushi. They marked two guiding arrows and a ❌ sign indicating impassable sections on the snow using red lime. With the summer mountain season approaching, we hope people enjoy Mt. Tomuraushi with a realistic climbing plan and adequate equipment. Also, since there are still few climbers now and bears may appear near the trail, please include a bell or whistle and consider carrying bear spray when making your plans.

The seasonal Tomuraushi Line bus service has been approved. This summer, as last year, a route will run between Shintoku Station and Tomuraushi Onsen. Will this summer be as hot as last year? Seek cool relief, immerse yourself in the healing power of vast nature, and discover hidden hot-spring baths. Take this chance to visit Tomuraushi Onsen as well as go mountain climbing!

GANKE FES ’24 Confirmed! Ganke rises on the lakeshore of Kuttari Lake, a place where Ainu myths endure. We are excited to announce GANKE FES ’24, set against this spectacular location. Date Saturday, July 6th, 2024 GANKE FES is a festival themed around “sway, dance, play, feel,” offering a variety of experiences including music, art, food, activities, a market, camping, and sauna. Enjoy Hokkaido-style music in multiple settings—on canoes, under shady lawns, or beneath the stars—at GANKE FES. Discounted tickets for local residents are on sale at Shintoku Town Community Center! Hours Weekdays from 8:30 to 17:15 Closed on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.

We have a share car! Sahoro Resort Hotel has installed a share car service called Uqey (Yūkī) Rent-a-Car so guests can explore nearby towns from the hotel as a base. It’s convenient as there is no need to book at the counter, it’s available 24 hours, and everything is done by smartphone, so you won’t have to wait. It is also available to visitors who are not staying at the hotel.

Enjoy some time for yourself in Hokkaido! Sahoro Resort Hotel now offers mountain bike rentals and canoe experiences. Feel the fresh breeze as you cycle to Hokkaido-style landscapes near the hotel, such as Karikachi Kogen Park and Poppo no Michi, sights you can best discover by bike. You can also paddle a canoe on Shinnai Pond near Sahoro Bear Mountain. Originally developed by Indigenous people to approach game without being noticed, the canoe is a perfect way to relax and soak up Hokkaido’s great outdoors.

A sheep shearing contest is taking place at Yorkshire Farm in Shintoku Town. The contest judges each sheep on the speed and neatness of its fleece removal. Some sheep stay calm while being shorn, others struggle. Is that luck, or a skill to keep them calm? About 70 spectators came to watch and were captivated by the shearers who could finish a sheep in roughly five minutes.

On Thursday, May 9, a shop selling mountain-dried fish called Miura Shoten, located in front of Shintoku Station, Tokachi, will open a ramen eatery after remodeling part of its premises. It will serve ramen at lunch and operate as a Chinese-style diner in the evening. Please try the signature bowl crafted by the owner, who trained in ramen for six years in Aichi Prefecture.

On Saturday, May 11 and Sunday, May 12, the 2024 Japan Shears, the national championship for sheep shearing, will take place at Yorkshar Farm in Shintoku Town—starting at 10:00 on the 11th and running until 15:00 on the 12th. Spectators are welcome, so if you’re interested, please come and watch! Please note that although Yorkshar Farm serves as the venue, the event is organized by a different group, so please refrain from directing inquiries to the venue.

This time of year marks the blooming season for sankayō (skeleton flower, *Diphylleia grayi*), whose white petals turn translucent after rain. I heard someone had spotted the hard-to-find sankayō, so I immediately went to a nearby woodland. It had just stopped raining, and in high spirits I found the plants — there were a few in the area. Unfortunately, perhaps because there hadn't been enough rain or because they were still in bud, their petals had not become translucent. Rain is forecast for next week as well, so I'll try again then.

Notice of the End of Night Cherry Blossom Illumination Thank you to the many visitors who came this year. As of today, Monday, May 6, the night cherry blossom illumination has ended. From now on, Mt. Shintoku will deepen in fresh greenery and be filled with the voices of wildflowers and birds. Please come and enjoy mountain walks such as hiking and birdwatching.

A Golden Week event is being held at the Shintoku Shrine grounds from today through the 5th, every day from 10:00 to 15:00, where petals and leaves of cherry trees mingle. Near the shrine, yellow forsythia, dandelions, and white plum blossoms are in bloom, bringing smiles to visitors.

Thank you for your patience. Bike rentals are now available in front of Shintoku Station. This season, due to popular demand, city bikes and mountain bikes are loaned free of charge. *Electric-assist bicycles are 1,000 yen per day* From Shintoku Station, please fully enjoy Hokkaido’s nature, cuisine, railway heritage, and a wide range of activities! If cycling feels too tough, we also offer rental cars.

Karikachi Kogen Park is under light rain, but the cherry blossoms are in full bloom. #Hokkaido #Tokachi #Shintoku #Shintoku Town Tourism Association #Karikachi Kogen Park #Full bloom of cherry blossoms #Ezo-yamazakura (Ezo cherry) #National Route 38 #Hokkaido Garden Path