1. What Kind of Town is Memuro?

Located slightly south of Hokkaido's center in the Tokachi Plain, Memuro is a town embraced by nature, with the beautiful Hidaka Mountains at its back.
It has a population of about 18,500 and an area of approximately 513 km². A staggering 41% of this area, 241 km², is cultivated farmland, making agriculture its core industry.

Thanks to its fertile land and favorable climate, Memuro boasts some of the highest production volumes in Hokkaido for crops like sweet corn, potatoes, and yams.
Leveraging its location, the town also has a thriving food manufacturing industry that utilizes its abundant local resources, including agricultural products.

Adjacent to Obihiro City, home to Tokachi-Obihiro Airport, Memuro offers excellent access by air.
From Tokachi-Obihiro Airport to Memuro Town (using the Town Hall as a reference point), it's about a 35-minute drive or a 140-minute trip by JR train and bus.

Furthermore, with the JR Nemuro Main Line and the Doto and Obihiro-Hiroo Expressways running through it, Memuro is also relatively convenient to access by land.
Using the expressway, you can reach Memuro from cities like Sapporo, Asahikawa, and Kushiro in about three hours.

2. Memuro, a Land of Thriving Agriculture

As mentioned earlier, cultivated farmland accounts for about 41% of Memuro's total area. To put that in perspective, the average for all 179 municipalities in Hokkaido is 11%, making Memuro's ratio nearly four times larger.

Moreover, the average farm size per household is a massive 35.1 hectares! That means a single farming family manages a field about 7.5 times the size of the Tokyo Dome—an astonishing figure.
The most commonly grown crops in Memuro are the "four major crops of Tokachi": wheat, sugar beets, potatoes, and beans. In addition to these, various farmers also cultivate a range of vegetables like tomatoes, bell peppers, broccoli, and asparagus.

Photo courtesy of Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park Facebook

To prevent replant failure (*1), farmers practice crop rotation (*2), which means the town's landscape changes every year, adding to its charm.
The beautiful scenery woven by the Hidaka Mountains towering in the background, the endless blue skies of a clear Tokachi day, and the vast fields are the treasures of Memuro Town.

(*1) Replant failure: When planting the same crop in the same place every year causes an imbalance in soil components, leading to poor crop growth.
(*2) Crop rotation: The practice of changing the crops planted in a field each year.

3. Enjoy the Voices of the Forest, the Sound of the Wind, and the Bounty of the Earth at Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park

Memuro Town is undertaking many initiatives to enhance its appeal, and the revitalization of "Shin-Arashiyama" is one of them.

Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park has been transformed into a vast camping resort where everyone can easily enjoy camping, from hassle-free day trips to leisurely stays immersed in nature.

Image courtesy of Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park HP

It's a campground that even beginners can enjoy without the hassle of pitching a tent.
You can spend a wonderful time sharing delicious food and making memories with good friends.
Additionally, Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park features a restaurant and a market where you can savor safe, delicious, and high-quality ingredients made from Memuro-grown produce.
At the café & restaurant "Koropokkuru," you'll find a wide variety of dishes incorporating seasonal ingredients, allowing you to enjoy luxurious food in a casual, everyday setting.

Image courtesy of Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park HP

There is also a BBQ terrace where you can comfortably enjoy a meal outdoors.

Image courtesy of Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park HP

At "FARMER’S BASE," you can procure local ingredients.
You can purchase vegetables lovingly grown by farmers in the fertile lands of Tokachi, surrounded by nature, and immediately enjoy them at your campsite or on the BBQ terrace.

They also plan to sell BBQ sets created by a chef who loves camping.

Image courtesy of Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park HP

Furthermore, a soft-serve ice cream made with 100% Tokachi ingredients, featuring Memuro-grown peanuts, has been available since July 15th.
This peanut-flavored soft-serve is a collaboration between "Memuro Peanuts," a group of young farmers dedicated to cultivating peanuts in Memuro, and "Uemon's Heart" from Obihiro, a renowned name in soft-serve. A perfectly roasted peanut paste is blended into a base made with fresh milk, creating a delicious treat that's enjoyable to the last bite.

Photo courtesy of Memuro Town Facebook

Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park also has an observation deck offering a panoramic view of the scenery through all four seasons!
From this observatory, you can see a 360-degree view of the magnificent Tokachi Plain. On a clear day, you can see a patchwork of fields and the Daisetsu, Tokachi, and Hidaka mountain ranges. At night, you can enjoy a sky full of stars.

Image courtesy of Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park HP

4. Conclusion

What did you think?
Memuro is an incredibly rich town, blessed with abundant food from its fertile land, dynamic scenery created by clear skies, the Hidaka Mountains, and vast fields, and the wonderful Memuro Shin-Arashiyama Sky Park where you can enjoy it all.

Starting next week, we'll be introducing local specialty products and holding a gift campaign!
We'll be updating weekly, so be sure to check back.