Just when the hues of blue, purple, and white of Hydrangea flowers fade away in June; the Hokkaido region of Japan turns into lavender. One can’t even imagine the enthralling beauty of lavender-covered hills and the refreshing scent which drifts softly in the breeze. To captivate this out-of-the-world flowers laden valley view, one must visit the much famous Farm Tomita and Furano region of Hokkaido.
The Furano flower valley usually starts witnessing blooming lavender starting late June and reaches its peak from around mid-July to early August. The other varieties of lavender which are handful could be seen blooming into mid-August. Although there are numerous flower fields in Furano, but there are some which has to be on every traveler’s list.
Farm Tomita, overlooking the Tokachi mountain range with the scenic beauty of bustling lavenders is arguably the best field in the entire Hokkaido region. Decades ago, this same very farm kick started lavender tourism in the Furano region. Travelers can take many instagram worthy images of rainbow fields formed by the plantation of different color flowers. The farm also has shops and cafes where one can buy and try authentic lavender based products and eateries. One must not give Lavender soft serve Ice cream a miss.
Travelers can also hop on a ski lift at the Choei Lavender Farm and experience the beauty of the lavender fields up from the height. While the lift takes you up on the slope, the thrill of looking back to the endless fields is speechless! If you thought this is it, then the largest lavender field of Furano-Lavender East has a lot for you.
The Lavendar East farm is so vast that one can take the lavender bus to enjoy its panaromic view. The open bus is a paid service at the facility which exists without any windows or pillars and offers an excellent view and a guided tour. Once you hop on that bus, enjoy the never-ending view, fragrance and learn trivia about these farms.
One can also view the lavender fields below from a height when at the Hinode Lavender Field. There is an observation deck for the travelers amidst the blooming lavender fields. All one can see till the skyline is purple lavender fields. Just below the observation deck is a white monument named- Bell of Love (Ai no Kane), which is a popular picture spot for the couples.
If you are a locomotive aficionado, you should definitely hop on for a ride on the Furano Biei Norokko Train. This tram train operates for a limited period of time between June and September which zips through the beautiful view of Furano and Biei. Last month in May, 19,900 Indians travelled to Japan and the destination witnessed an astounding 15.2% month-over-month hike. In total, Japan witnessed 77,600 inbound Indian travelers from January to May, which reported a growth rate of 14.1% year-on-year.
It is mind-boggling for people to imagine the snow-covered region of Hokkaido to convert into a flowers carpet region in the summers. People who visit Hokkaido in the summers come back to see how its beauty changes in the winters and vice-versa and they aren’t disappointed but only surprised!
