The magpie often seen in Tomakomai. In Japan, it had been breeding for many years in limited areas like Saga Prefecture, but it has started to be seen in Tomakomai for about 20 to 30 years. About the size of a pigeon, it has a stylish black and white body with long tail feathers that shimmer blue to green depending on the light✨. You might find it perched on power lines near the Tomakomai Tourist Information Center, so be sure to look for it! (Image provided by Roadside Station Utonai-ko)

Good morning! 🌞 This is the view from the 16th floor of the only city hotel in Tomakomai, the "Grand Hotel New Oji," featuring the "Sky Restaurant Grand View." You can see Tomakomai Port in the distance! 🚢 During lunchtime, we offer a buffet or à la carte menu, and for dinner, you can enjoy a course or à la carte while taking in the night view of this city of 160,000. Please enjoy a wonderful time with your loved ones! 🍴

The city of Tomakomai, home to the active volcano Mt. Tarumae. The Tomakomai City Museum is currently hosting a photography exhibition by Naoki Ishikawa, a photographer active both domestically and internationally, known for his series capturing volcanoes and more🌋 The displayed works are being shown for the first time in Japan! The exhibition runs until June 21st. Be sure to check it out. Also on display is "Discover! Mt. Tarumae – Nature Encountered on the Hiking Trails"

🌸 The cherry blossoms are in full bloom! 🌸 The image shows the cherry blossoms at "Idemitsu Culture Park" in the city center. The blooming of cherry blossoms in Tomakomai tends to be later compared to Sapporo, often blooming in mid-May, but it seems to be getting earlier each year. 🌸 Could this be due to climate change? (Image provided by Tomakomai City Museum)

🌸 The Ezo Yamazakura cherry blossoms in front of Tomakomai Station have started to bloom. 🌸 Today, the expected high temperature is 11°C, making it a bit chilly, and the sunlight is weak, so I couldn't take very good photos. However, I believe you'll be able to see pictures of the cherry blossoms in full bloom soon. The white figure in the background of the second photo? It's actually a bus stop. It is shaped like Tomakomai City's official character, Tomachoppu. If you visit Tomakomai, be sure to check it out in person! 🚢

Cherry blossoms have started to bloom near the entrance of Highland Skating Center, on the east side of Midori Gaoka Park in Tomakomai City🌸 The full bloom at Kintaro Pond, located southwest of Midori Gaoka Park, the city's top cherry blossom spot, seems to be a little further away.

In front of Tomakomai Station on April 18th. It's cloudy, but the temperature has exceeded 10°C. The buds of the Ezo cherry trees in the city center have unexpectedly started to bloom!

The nanisaki (Naniwazu) flowers have begun blooming on the shores of Utonai-ko (Lake Utonai). Even though the snow has melted, the northern landscape still lacks much green, and the yellow blooms brighten it cheerfully. (Image provided by Lake Utonai Wildlife Center)

It was the morning of Saturday, March 21st in front of Tomakomai Station. During the night, a brief snowfall arrived with strong winds ⛄

＼ ˗ˏˋ Everyone, thank you for waiting!! 📢⚡ ˎˊ˗ ／ Bike rentals will begin on Wednesday, April 1, 2026! 🚲💨 Reservations are accepted by phone or email📲💻 We look forward to many of you using the service!! 😊✨

Morning at Utonai-ko ✨ The silhouette of a large all-white heron, the Great Egret, gleams against the morning sun. (Image provided by Roadside Station Utonai Lake)

A Ezo squirrel eating near Lake Utonai Sanctuary🐿 Ezo squirrels replace their fur with highly insulating winter coats and remain active through the winter without hibernating. They dig up the nuts they buried in autumn little by little to secure food. Spring will soon arrive in Hokkaido. (Image courtesy of Lake Utonai Sanctuary)

Tomakomai, known for having relatively little snowfall even in Hokkaido. As you can see, there was almost no snow in front of the station yesterday. However, please be aware that mornings and evenings still get quite cold. Many drivers in the city tend to change their tires from mid to late April. Those who drive over inland mountain passes in Hokkaido sometimes wait until after Golden Week in May to switch tires.

🎎The Hina Doll Festival is on now at Fashion Mail Plaza in front of Tomakomai Station!🎎 Around 800 hina dolls are praying for world peace and recreating scenes such as the Sapporo Olympics (1972) and a moment from the film "National Treasure."✨ Location Fashion Mail Plaza (Omotemachi 3-chome, Tomakomai City) Dates Open daily from 10:00 to 18:00 until Sunday, March 15 (closed Wednesdays)

A long-tailed rosefinch nibbling on seeds. This charming wild bird is slightly smaller than a sparrow and is notable for the reddish coloring on its head. The bird in the photo is male, since both its head and chest are red. (Females have a white chest and only a red head.) (Image provided by Roadside Station Utonai Lake)

The 60th Tomakomai Skating Festival is now open! The festival is packed with attractions, including the ever-popular ice mega-slide, snow sculptures, food stalls, and a lively stage program. Of course, the famous shibare-yaki is also available At the tourism association booth, we have a Tomachop lottery and drinks ready, so please stop by ⛸

Minato de Hinamatsuri From Thursday, February 5, 2026 to Tuesday, March 17, 2026, about 250 hina dolls will gather inside Tomakomai West Port Ferry Terminal! Hina dolls no longer needed at home will be displayed in fun, creative ways 🎎 Also, on Sunday, March 1 at 2:30 PM, a "Hinamatsuri Concert" will be held!

The Former Hokkaido Government Office in Sapporo City, a nationally designated Important Cultural Property often called the Former Hokkaido Government Office or the red brick government building, completed a major renovation called the “Reiwa Renovation” last year. The renewed first-floor exhibition room features corners for all of Hokkaido’s municipalities, 179 in total. Of course there is also a corner for Tomakomai, so please try to find it.

Tomakomai in the north. You can't see flowers or fruit outdoors in winter. In central Tomakomai City, the greenhouse Sun Garden at Idemitsu Culture Park keeps greenery through the winter by focusing on evergreen plants and planting species that bloom in winter, plants with scented leaves or flowers, and species not usually seen in the Tomakomai area. You can find rare plants that don’t appear in Tomakomai’s winter, such as camellia japonica and citrus, so come and be soothed by the blooms without worrying about the weather ✨

Good morning. Yesterday, Tomakomai hosted the Tomakomai City Coming-of-Age Celebration for 20-year-olds.✨ Congratulations to the honorees and their families! Tomakomai’s official mascot, Tomachop, also tried on a kimono.👘 If you’d like to see Tomachop in kimono, please visit the Tomakomai Tourist Information Center.

This year marks the 60th Tomakomai Skating Festival. The highlight is shibare-yaki, a jingisukan grilled outdoors below freezing (the Hokkaido dialect word shibareru means "cold"). Grilled on a drum-can grill and enjoyed with beer, the seasoned jingisukan tastes exceptional. A huge ice slide is another favorite with children. Tomakomai’s signature winter event, the Tomakomai Skating Festival, takes place this year on Saturday, February 7 and Sunday, February 8, 2026.⛸ We hope you will join us!

Here are the main spots in Tomakomai to watch the first sunrise of the year 🌅 The sunrise is expected at 7:03 AM. Please refrain from idling near private homes or any other behavior that might cause a nuisance. ● Roadside Station Utonai Lake ● Tarumae Shrine ● Midorigaoka Park Observatory ※Temporarily open from 11:00 PM on December 31 to 9:00 AM on January 1 ● the beaches of Itoi and Tarumae ● Yufutsu Marina Waterfront Breakwater and others

A tiny bird even smaller than a sparrow, with round, charming eyes—the subspecies of long-tailed tit known as the shiraneaga (shimaenaga). Found only in Hokkaido, this wild bird is beloved by birdwatchers and nicknamed the "snow fairy." In winter it grows a fluffy, pure-white plumage and looks just like a snowball! It mainly lives in forests and woodlands; with leaves gone in winter it becomes easier to spot, and it is often seen along the Lake Utonai lakeside. (Image courtesy of Roadside Station Utonai Lake)

Winter in Tomakomai often makes both sidewalks and roads icy and slippery. Shoes with non-slip soles—such as those with glass fiber reinforcement, built-in spikes, or wraparound spike bands—are essential. Use sand where available and pay attention to how you walk.

Locomotive and VIP coach lit up! ✨🚂✨ This year marks the 30th anniversary since the Oji Light Railway (commonly called the Yamasen Line), which had been on display in Tokyo, returned to Tomakomai. About three thousand LEDs light up the Yamasen Line at Oji Acacia Park. Symbol Street Terrace has also started ✨ Enjoy exploring a variety of unique shops while taking in this special winter light scene ✨

Midorigaoka Park Observatory in Tomakomai City offers views of the city and Mt. Tarumae from 56 meters above sea level. Admission is free. Open hours are 10:00–18:00 in winter and 9:00–21:00 in summer. On the second floor, a multipurpose lounge hosts concerts and workshops, making it a relaxing spot for residents. In the observatory plaza you may also encounter wildlife such as Ezo squirrels and Ezo deer ✨🐿🦌

Recently, part of Utonai-ko (Lake Utonai) froze over. A swan standing on the ice flaps its wings✨🦢 Roadside Station Utonai Lake, which posts many stunning photos on social media, is open in winter from 9:00 to 17:00. It offers plenty of delicious local food and goods, so please stop by for a break during winter road trips. (Image provided by Roadside Station Utonai Lake)

Tomakomai-made craft beer is now available for purchase at the Tomakomai Tourist Information Center🍺 We are selling five distinctive varieties, including ones made with Tomakomai-grown haskap and others using Tomakomai-grown yachiyanagi instead of hops‼ *Because these items require refrigeration, we offer ice packs and insulated bags for those carrying them for long periods (each available for a fee). At Hokkaido Brewery, the brewpub and beer kitchen in Nishiki-cho 2-chome, Tomakomai City, you can enjoy the full range of craft beers alongside local game such as venison✨ Please give them a try🍺

Early winter at Utonai-ko (Lake Utonai). The swans’ silhouettes stand out against the gradient, making the scene look like a painting. (Image courtesy of Roadside Station Utonai Lake)

The curtain at Tomakomai Civic Auditorium, which will close at the end of March next year, was donated in 1968 by Oji Paper Co., Ltd.'s Tomakomai Factory. The curtain, depicting Mt. Tarumae, Tomakomai Port, and the Oji Paper factory, holds many memories for Tomakomai residents from stage performances, choir contests, and other events.