1. What kind of town is Pippu?

Pippu Town is located in the Kamikawa Basin, near the center of Hokkaido.

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town Tourism Association

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town

2. Scenic spots with the world's best view of the Daisetsuzan Mountains!

It's not widely known, but Pippu Town is "the town with the world's best view of the Daisetsuzan Mountains."
In any season, on a clear day, you can see the Daisetsuzan Mountains beautifully along with the seasonal landscape!

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town

1 Iinagame-dai (Good View Hill) (*Summer only)

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town Tourism Association

2 Pippu Daisetsu Parking Area Community Observation Plaza

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town Facebook

3 Murakamiyama Park

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town

4 Tasshoyama Pipi no Michi - Katakuri (Dogtooth Violet) Colony

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town

5 Driving on National Route 40 from Wassamu Town through Pippu Town

3. Detour-worthy spots to explore Pippu's delicious offerings!

As mentioned at the beginning, Pippu's main industry is agriculture. In addition to delicious rice, various farmers produce strawberries in the summer, daikon radish, pumpkin, and corn, and from autumn, cucumbers and mizuna greens. From winter to spring, they grow senbon-negi (a type of green onion), and year-round, they cultivate maitake, nameko, and wood ear mushrooms.
Furthermore, Pippu Town is home to a poultry farm that produces a brand of eggs called "Kappa no Kenran," making it a treasure trove of food.

Here are some recommended detour spots for your drive in Pippu Town.

1 NANA PLAZA

A direct sales shop that promotes delicious ingredients from Pippu.
They have many tasty treats, including onigiri (rice balls) made with delicious rice, smoothies and soft-serve ice cream made with local Pippu strawberries!
The shop was started in August 2018 by five farmers from Pippu Town, and they sell fresh vegetables sourced from farmers in Pippu and neighboring areas, as well as specially cultivated rice grown with great care.

The interior, decorated with a farmer's touch, is very unique and fun!

2 Ichigo to Kaori to Yogashiten

Photo courtesy of Nourie Co., Ltd., an agricultural production corporation

A pastry shop opened with the desire to promote Pippu's specialty strawberries.
The cakes are carefully and lovingly made one by one by the manager, Kaori, who honed her skills as a pastry chef at famous shops for over 10 years.
All the cakes sold at Ichigo to Kaori to Yogashiten feature Pippu's famous strawberries as the star. To fully enjoy the sweetness, acidity, and aroma of the strawberries, the cakes have a refined taste with reduced sweetness.
Their top recommendation is the "Strawberry Roll Cake made with Rice Flour / 450 yen (tax excl.)."

*From around November to April, they use the rare winter strawberry 'Benihoppe,' which they started cultivating this season.
They also use 'Yumepirika,' a specially cultivated rice from their own farm with a 50% reduction in pesticide use, which gives the cake a fluffy, chewy, and gentle flavor.

Photo courtesy of Nourie Co., Ltd., an agricultural production corporation

3 Nourie Shokudo

Photo courtesy of Nourie Co., Ltd., an agricultural production corporation

This is a diner in front of Pippu Station operated by Nourie Co., Ltd.
It is run to let many customers enjoy the delicious crops grown in Pippu and nearby municipalities.
They also believe that the primary purpose of "food" is to consume calories, and they offer a menu that provides the energy needed for the next day.

The name of the diner comes from "nougyo no sommelier" (sommelier of agriculture).
The diner is managed by Nourie Co., Ltd., an agricultural production corporation that farms in the town, and they use the rice and vegetables they produce as ingredients.

Photo courtesy of Nourie Co., Ltd., an agricultural production corporation

4 Calmiss Cafe

Photo courtesy of Calmiss Cafe Facebook

The menu is additive-free, handmade, and they try to use organic vegetables as much as possible.
The theme is "food that is delicious for both mind and body," and the rice used in their one-plate lunches is a special enzyme brown rice fermented for three days.
They also have a full dessert menu!

Photo courtesy of Calmiss Cafe Facebook

5 Pippurin

Photo courtesy of Pippurin

Using fresh eggs from Pippu and focusing on ingredients from Hokkaido, each pudding is carefully handmade with the aim of creating a taste that can be safely enjoyed by everyone from children to the elderly.
In addition to pudding, they offer a variety of special treats, such as "Tensai Pic-chara," a simple milk caramel made by carefully simmering fresh milk and cream, and "Guratto Chiffon," a chiffon cake that is made moist and fluffy with meringue from carefully whipped fresh Pippu egg whites, without using any leavening agents.

4. Conclusion

Pippu Town, located in the Kamikawa Basin near the center of Hokkaido, is "the town with the world's best view of the Daisetsuzan Mountains." There were many spots where we felt compelled to stop the car and take a picture during our drive!
Furthermore, with agriculture as its main industry, the town is a treasure trove of food. There are many wonderful cafes and restaurants using delicious ingredients produced in Pippu, making it full of spots you'll want to stop at during your drive.

If you live nearby, why not go for a drive after taking sufficient precautions against infectious diseases?
For those who can't visit Pippu Town just yet, be sure to check it out as a destination for when you can travel again.