[Image1]Introducing experience tours you can take in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region 😄~A journey to glimpse the se
[Image2]Introducing experience tours you can take in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region 😄~A journey to glimpse the se
[Image3]Introducing experience tours you can take in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region 😄~A journey to glimpse the se
[Image4]Introducing experience tours you can take in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region 😄~A journey to glimpse the se
[Image5]Introducing experience tours you can take in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region 😄~A journey to glimpse the se

Introducing experience tours you can take in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region 😄

~A journey to glimpse the second life of pharmaceutical scientists~
An experiential tour titled “Visiting the medicinal herb fields of Rikubetsu, Japan’s coldest town”!!

Rikubetsu is known as Japan’s coldest town.
In a place where winter temperatures can drop below minus 20°C, a couple tends their own medicinal herb fields and develops products gentle on people’s everyday lives.

The couple, Mr. Yu Hinata and Ms. Mikie Hinata, originally worked for a major pharmaceutical company in the Kansai region.
Mr. Hinata also holds a doctorate in pharmaceutical sciences.

With abundant knowledge and experience, the Hinatas moved to Rikubetsu in 2017.

Living in the remote, mountainous Rikubetsu area, they visit the herb fields every day and pursue cultivation methods suited to cold climates while developing products at the same time.

This retreat program invites you into the Hinatas’ daily life in Rikubetsu to learn about life there, the herb fields, and medicinal herbs.
You will touch herbs and plants and enjoy a relaxing program for the mind and body.

After working in the fields, you will try blending an original herbal tea using the herbs the Hinatas cultivate.

Beside the fields, sip your own herbal tea and enjoy herb-based sweets while sharing a quiet, peaceful time with the Hinatas.

Tour Schedule
13:00 Gather at Jotoma Exchange Center and travel to the herb field
In the fields surrounded by rich nature, about 20 kinds of medicinal herbs are cultivated.

13:15 Farm work and herb harvesting experience
Surrounded by fragrant plants, you will harvest herbs and try weeding and other farm tasks.

14:00 Move to the seed-growing research facility

14:20 Original herbal tea blending experience
Using dried herbs, you will blend your own original herbal tea.

14:50 Tea time with the herbal tea you made
Finally, relax with the herbal tea you made and herb-based sweets made by the Hinatas.

15:30 Tour ends

Operated: June to September
Time: 13:00–15:30 (about 2 hours 30 minutes)
Group size: 2–12 people
Price:
For 2 people: 13,200 yen per person
For 3 or more people: 11,000 yen per person

*With English interpretation, prices are as follows.
For 2 people: 24,200 yen per person
For 3 or more people: 18,700 yen per person

■Please make your reservation at least three days before your desired date.
■Please note that we may not be able to accommodate your requested date due to guide availability or other circumstances.

This is a wonderful opportunity to meet producers through hands-on experiences and learn about their lives, medicinal herbs, and the behind-the-scenes of farming and food production!!
Why not make a Tokachi experience part of a page in your travel memories?
We would be delighted if you did 😄

If you are interested, please visit the official website of our federation and see “BEHIND THE GOOD TASTE – A journey connecting to Tokachi, the source of food.”

Contact
KUNAUPublishing Co., Ltd. Slow Travel HOKKAIDO
Email address: slh@slow-life-hokkaido.com

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Mar. 26, 2025
Introducing hands-on tours you can enjoy in Hokkaido’s Tokachi region 😄 ~Enjoyed on a wooden deck at the farm~ Savor Matsuhashi Beef BBQ at Matsuhashi Farm in Sarabetsu Village Matsuhashi Farm has run livestock operations in Sarabetsu Village for over 90 years. The farm manages every stage from breeding and fattening to sales, and also grows wheat and soybeans. Yasuhiro Matsuhashi, the fourth-generation owner, is rethinking Tokachi agriculture, shifting from yield- and income-focused farming to sustainable, self-sufficient practices. His current theme is stockpiling and seed preservation so the next generation will not go hungry. The cattle raised by Mr. Matsuhashi are called Matsuhashi Beef. They focus on preserving the beef’s natural lean flavor with minimal marbling. This plan lets you taste that proud beef on a BBQ terrace built on the farm grounds. From the wooden deck you can see vast fields. Eating locally raised beef amid a panorama that seems to blend into the fields makes the flavor especially memorable. Tour Schedule 11:30 Gather at Matsuhashi Farm 11:35 Farm introduction and walk / Introduction to Matsuhashi Beef Learn from Mr. Matsuhashi about the care he takes in raising Matsuhashi Beef. 12:00 BBQ with Tokachi fields spread before you Enjoy the lean flavor of Matsuhashi Beef and the taste of locally grown vegetables on a perfect BBQ deck with sweeping field views. 13:30 Commemorative photos in the fields Put on shoe covers and take commemorative photos against the spectacular backdrop. 14:00 Tour ends Operating season: June–August Time: 11:30–14:00 (about 2 hours 30 minutes) Participants: 4–100 people Price: ◎ Vegetable Course / A BBQ course focused on freshly harvested vegetables with less meat (mid-July–end of August) ・Without English interpretation: 9,900 yen per person ・With English interpretation: 14,300 yen per person ◎ Matsuhashi Beef Standard Course / Standard plan to enjoy Matsuhashi Beef ・Without English interpretation: 13,200 yen per person ・With English interpretation: 17,600 yen per person ◎ Matsuhashi Beef Premium Course / A luxury plan featuring rare cuts of Matsuhashi Beef ・Without English interpretation: 20,900 yen per person ・With English interpretation: 25,300 yen per person ※As an option, an all-you-can-drink plan is available for 2,000 yen (tax included) for each course. Please make a reservation at least seven days before your desired date of use. (We may not be able to accommodate your requested date due to guide availability or other reasons.) Visitors who have been living abroad within seven days before entering Japan cannot enter hygiene-controlled areas for quarantine reasons, so please understand. Depending on the World Organization for the Animal Health’s reported global outbreaks of foot-and-mouth disease, participation in the tour may be refused. Please be aware of this in advance. This experience offers a great opportunity to meet producers, learn about Matsuhashi Beef and Mr. Matsuhashi’s philosophy, and discover the behind-the-scenes of livestock farming and food production!! We hope this Tokachi experience will become a memorable page in your travel story 😄 If you are interested, please visit the relevant page on our official website, "BEHIND THE GOOD TASTE – A Journey Connecting to Tokachi, the Source of Food." Contact Knau Publishing Co., Ltd. Slow Travel HOKKAIDO Email: slh@slow-life-hokkaido.com
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Mar. 22, 2025
Introducing an experiential tour you can take in Hokkaido’s Tokachi😄 A journey to touch the preciousness of life through gratitude for the food we receive An experiential tour: “Visit Kyoko Endo, a livestock farmer in Shihorocho, and meet her beloved wagyu”!! In the heart of Tokachi, the agricultural and dairy town of Shihorocho, the Endo family raises cattle🐂 Kyoko Endo, who supports the family business as a veterinarian, compiled the story of one particular cow into a video and booklet titled “Beloved Wagyu.” She wants people who eat that beef to see the cow’s journey of overcoming injury and growing strong, and to feel the wonder and energy of receiving life as food!! “Beloved Wagyu,” carrying Kyoko’s feelings, is sent to households across the country🥩 On this occasion, through caring for the cows, you will reflect with Kyoko on the value of taking life to nourish us😄 Tour Schedule 10:00 Gather at Endo Livestock Farm 10:05 Farm introduction and presentation of “Beloved Wagyu” (video screening) Change into work clothes and learn about “Beloved Wagyu” while watching the video! 10:35 Barn tour and hands-on work (brushing, cleaning, etc.) Move to the barn to help with grooming the wagyu and assisting with tasks around the farm! 11:35 Make “Beloved Wagyu” pizza with Ms. Endo Try making pizza using Beloved Wagyu beef and vegetables and cheese produced in Shihorocho 13:00 Tour ends Operating period: Year-round Time: 10:00–13:00 (about 3 hours) Group size: 2–6 people Price: For 2 people, per person Adult 18,700 JPY, Child 3,300 JPY For 3 or more people, per person Adult 12,100 JPY, Child 3,300 JPY If English interpretation is included, the prices are as follows. For 2 people, per person Adult 30,800 JPY, Child 3,300 JPY For 3 or more people, per person Adult 20,900 JPY, Child 3,300 JPY Please make a reservation at least seven days before your desired date of use. (We may be unable to meet your requested date due to guide availability or other reasons.) Please note that visitors who have arrived in Japan within the past seven days and live abroad may not be allowed to enter sanitary areas for quarantine reasons. Depending on the “Global Foot-and-Mouth Disease Situation” as determined by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries, we may refuse participation in the tour. Thank you for your understanding. This tour offers a great opportunity to meet producers and learn about livestock farming and the realities behind our food while taking part in hands-on experiences!! We hope you will make an experience in Tokachi a memorable page in your travel memories😄 If you are interested, please visit our federation’s official website section “BEHIND THE GOOD TASTE – Journeys that connect you to Tokachi, the source of food.” Contact Knao Publishing Co., Ltd. Slow Travel HOKKAIDO Email: slh@slow-life-hokkaido.com