Located about a 20-minute drive from New Chitose Airport and within an hour of Sapporo, the town of Abira is famous for its canola flower fields. The best time to see them is from late May to early June. The town is dotted with numerous canola fields, creating beautiful landscapes that resemble vast yellow carpets.

The real thrill is touring these fields, but there's a catch: canola can't be planted in the same field year after year. This means the locations of the fields change every year!

That's where the "Nanohana Map," published annually by the Kita no Nanohana Kai (Northern Canola Flower Association), becomes your indispensable guide. You can check it out beforehand on the official websites of the Kita no Nanohana Kai or the Abira Tourism Association, or you can pick one up at places like the Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Station) Abira D51 Station. First things first, get the map!

Photo courtesy of Abira Tourism Association

For example, in 2022, there were nine canola fields, and you could visit all of them by car in just a few hours. Some fields even have parking spaces, making them perfect for a stop during a drive.

Now, let's introduce a few of the nine fields and their unique features. First up is field number 4. Its most distinctive feature is the JR train line running right beside it!

You can capture a great shot of the train and the canola fields together. However, there are times when trains don't pass by very often, so it's a good idea to check the timetable in advance.

Field number 7 offers a fun, attraction-like experience with a covered wagon (pulled by a tractor) that takes you through the field. There's a fee for the wagon ride, but it takes you on a roughly 10-minute tour of the vast canola field. Gazing out at the endless yellow scenery during the bumpy ride is a truly special experience.

If you want to get up close to the delicate canola flowers, field number 3 is the place to go. You can actually walk inside the field! To do so, you'll need to purchase shoe covers (for a fee) to protect the beautiful scenery and prevent bringing in any outside bacteria.

You can take photos that make it look like you're immersed in a sea of chest-high canola flowers, so be sure to put on the shoe covers and take a stroll.

What did you think? As you can see, even though they are all canola fields, each has its own unique character and is presented in a creative way.

We've also put together a video of our actual tour of the Abira canola fields in full bloom. Please take a look if you're interested!



If you're thinking of touring the canola fields in Abira someday, we hope you find this guide helpful. And of course, since the fields change every year, visiting annually is a great option too!

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