In the coming season, various flowers will bloom across Hokkaido, and various foods will be in season. Lavender is in full bloom right now! Let's drive through Furano and Biei, Hokkaido's representative scenic spots, and get lots of delicious souvenirs!

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"What a perfect day for a drive!"

"That's because we've been good. What shall we eat today?"

On a certain day in June, we were blessed with good weather for the first time in a while. It was truly a perfect day for a drive! I heard this shoot is in the Furano and Biei area. For us from outside Hokkaido, hearing "Furano and Biei" makes us think, "What? Can you do that in a day!?", but apparently, for people in the Sapporo area, it's easily within day-trip driving distance. Still, we wanted to take our time and see various places, so even though it was a holiday, early rising was essential! We left home at 8:30 AM for an early start. Again, we rented a car from SAPPORO RENTA LEASE, which offers comprehensive compensation services like the "Complete Peace of Mind Package". Today's companion is this. Ta-da! It's the new Nissan Serena. How luxurious! Being able to enjoy a holiday drive in a new car is irresistible for both car enthusiasts and those who love to drive. So, let's get in and go! First, we headed to Biei. We took the expressway between Sapporo IC and Asahikawa-Takasu IC on the Doo Expressway (toll fee 3,320 yen). After exiting the expressway, we headed south on National Route 12 and National Route 237, arriving in Biei Town. The further we got from Sapporo, the wider the clear skies became, finally turning perfectly clear around Sunagawa IC! The sunlight felt wonderful. Sunagawa IC, where we stopped for a restroom break, was packed with people! Drawn by the good weather, everyone seemed to be enjoying their holiday drives in their own way. Looking around, there were many rental car license plates. That said, we were the only ones with a new car sporting a rental plate! How truly luxurious! There was a long line outside the building. Ah, a soft-serve ice cream line. With this weather, it's no wonder people want some! But we decided to hurry on. Wait, what?! The photographer, when did you (lol) sneak into line and buy one? He was almost finished eating it already. Looks like there's another foodie here!

"National Route 237 is apparently called 'Kajin Kaido' (Flower Road)."

"How wonderful! What a beautiful name!"

About 30km south on National Route 237 from Asahikawa-Takasu IC, we arrived in Biei Town. This National Route 237, from Asahikawa City to Shimukappu Village, is designated as "Kajin Kaido" (Flower Road), and efforts are being made to create beautiful scenery along it. It is a tourist road spanning eight municipalities—Asahikawa City, Higashikagura Town, Biei Town, Kamifurano Town, Nakafurano Town, Furano City, Minamifurano Town, and Shimukappu Village—and includes many of Hokkaido's representative scenic spots. As the name suggests, it's a route where you can truly enjoy breathtaking views, including parks, gardens, flower fields, rural landscapes, and even Daisetsuzan National Park. There was a sign that said "Kajin Kaido" (Flower Road), similar to the signs for national routes and town names. Normally, I'd expect blue text on white or white text on blue, but the Kajin Kaido sign was pink with blue text! Even the sign is cute! We arrived at our first souvenir spot, "Roadside Station Biei 'Oka no Kura'" in Biei Town. The Biei Roadside Station is located in the town center and is relatively small, but it's a stylish building converted from an agricultural warehouse using Biei soft stone. The retro-modern atmosphere is truly wonderful. The interior has a warm design that evokes the warmth of wood, with agricultural and livestock processed products displayed in every nook and cranny. This corner was all about curry, curry, curry. There were various types of retort curries and curry udon. Of course, all of them were carefully selected Biei-produced items. We also found cute rice packages containing Hokkaido-grown rice with Biei-produced black beans. This means our souvenirs for this trip are definitely going to be a curry feast! So, we decided to buy these! The "Biei Beef Curry," which exuded a sense of luxury, the "Biei Black Bean Rice," which cooks exactly two cups, and "Oka Jaga Wiener." We'll share our tasting impressions in the second part! Besides food, there were also miscellaneous goods reminiscent of Biei's patchwork hills. On the day of the shoot, asparagus was in season, so the restaurant menu was also extensive, featuring items like asparagus tempura and asparagus curry. It's great to enjoy Biei's seasonal vegetables. You can taste different menus every time you visit.

"Wow, what a view! The air is delicious too!"

"The Tokachi Mountain Range is so cool!"

While heading south towards Kamifurano Town, where our second spot is located, we found a place with an amazing view. We quickly pulled over for a short break. This is Miyama Pass, located along the Kanjin Kaido (National Route 237) that I mentioned earlier, and it's apparently one of the Eight Scenic Views of Kamifurano. The breathtakingly beautiful greenery and gentle hills stretched out, and in the distance, the majestic Tokachi Mountain Range was clearly visible. Our accompanying photographer was surprised, saying it's rare to see the Tokachi Mountain Range so clearly. Indeed, even the rising volcanic smoke was distinctly visible. It truly felt like "The Hokkaido!" Mid-June, when we visited for the shoot, was still too early for the lavender at Miyama Pass, but all the small plants visible on the ground are apparently lavender. When all this lavender is in full bloom, it must be a magnificent sight! Lavender can be enjoyed from late June, and late-blooming varieties until early August. The peak season is said to be around mid-July. Be sure to enjoy the Tokachi Mountain Range beyond the fully bloomed lavender fields at Miyama Pass!

"It really gets covered in lavender, doesn't it!"

"They say it's enveloped in the scent of lavender during peak season."

Let's introduce another flower spot in Kamifurano Town. After enjoying the panoramic views, how about "Hinode Park," a flower spot where you can admire flowers up close? Here, you can enjoy not only lavender but also a variety of other colorful flowers. There's a parking lot on a small hill, so you can enjoy a stroll while looking down at the townscape of Kamifurano. It's wonderful to be able to admire such magnificent flowers for free! Since late-blooming varieties of lavender are mainly planted here, you can enjoy them for a long period, from early to mid-August!

"The scenery is great, but I'm starving."

"Since we're in Furano, why don't we have some lavender soft serve?"

Next, we arrived at "Flower Land Kamifurano" in Kamifurano Town. This facility is famous for its vast grounds and experiential tourism, including harvest experiences, tasting experiences, and scenic tractor bus rides. Various flowers bloom across its immense 15-hectare area. To be able to admire them with free admission is truly amazing! During our visit, the harvest experience wasn't available, but instead, we enjoyed a tasting experience, savoring seasonal asparagus. Another charm of this place is the variety of experiences available depending on the season. These include making potpourri and pillows with lavender, tasting Furano melon and freshly picked corn, and in autumn, even an all-you-can-stuff potato and onion experience! It's wonderful to enjoy Furano's unique foods fresh! Contents vary by season. Also, as it depends on nature, there may be changes due to weather conditions, so it's recommended to check their website in advance before visiting. This is the freshly picked asparagus from the current tasting experience (540 yen). The boiled asparagus had a soft texture and sweetness, while the pickled version offered a crisp texture. It was my first time trying pickled asparagus, and it was delicious, a lightly pickled dish that retained the asparagus's natural goodness! Once we started, our appetites were unstoppable! We also had lavender soft serve (300 yen). It was truly lavender-colored! And it smelled of lavender (laughs). My husband enjoyed the aroma with every bite. Next up is the long-awaited tractor bus ride. This scenic tractor bus takes about 10 minutes to complete a circuit around the park (fare: 500 yen for adults, 300 yen for children). You can enjoy it for a limited period from June to September. It slowly tours through the fully bloomed flower fields. Departure times are as needed. This time, it was a private charter just for my husband and me, so we were able to enjoy it to the fullest, feeling like kids again! Here we go! Photographer!!! You can probably enjoy the scent of lavender when it's in full bloom! My husband also seemed to enjoy slowly taking in the magnificent scenery. Well then, "Flower Land Kamifurano" also offers a wide variety of souvenir products. In addition to classic and popular lavender products, they have freshly harvested vegetables, original goods, and more! For this trip, we decided to go all out with curry, so we bought "Furano Black Garlic," a Furano-exclusive product that pairs well with curry, and "Corn Pudding," made with corn harvested in the park, for dessert. And of course, the fresh, morning-picked asparagus we really wanted to eat! I'm already looking forward to our curry dinner tonight! To be continued in the next part!