1. What kind of town is Pippu Town?

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

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town Tourism Association

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town

2. The most beautiful view of Mt. Daisetsu in the world! A spectacular spot

It is not widely known, but Pippu Town is "the town with the most beautiful view of Mount Daisetsu in the world." No matter what season it is, on a clear day you can see Mount Daisetsuzan beautifully along with the seasonal scenery!

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town

1 Ii-Nagamedai (summer only)

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town Tourism Association

2 Pippu Daisetsu Parking Area Exchange Observation Square

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town Facebook

3 Murakamiyama Park

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town

4 Totsuso-san Pipi no Michi, Dogtooth Violets Colony

Photo courtesy of Pippu Town

5 Driving along National Route 40 from Wakkanai Town through Pippu Town

3. Explore the delicious foods produced in Pippu Town! Detour spots

As mentioned at the beginning, agriculture is the main industry in Pippu Town. In addition to cultivating delicious rice, various farmers produce strawberries, daikon radishes, pumpkins, corn, and other crops in the summer, cucumbers and mizuna in the fall, senbongi onions from winter to spring, and maitake mushrooms, nameko mushrooms, and kikurage mushrooms all year round. Pippu town is also home to a poultry farm that produces the brand of eggs known as "Kappa no Kenran," making the town a treasure trove of food. We will introduce some recommended detour spots for driving in Pippu Town.

1 NANA PLAZA

A direct sales store that distributes delicious ingredients from Pippu. There are lots of delicious things to choose from, including rice balls made with tasty rice, smoothies made with local Pippu strawberries, and strawberry soft serve ice cream! The store was opened in August 2018 by five farmers from Pippu Town, and sells fresh vegetables from farmers in Pippu Town and neighboring farms, as well as specially grown rice that has been painstakingly cultivated. The interior of the store is decorated in a way that you would expect from a farmhouse, making it very unique and fun!

2 Strawberries, Kaori and a Western-style confectionery shop

Photo provided by: Agricultural Production Corporation Nourier Co., Ltd.

This Western-style confectionery shop was opened with the desire to spread the word about strawberries, a specialty of Pippu Town. The cakes on display here have been carefully crafted by store manager Kaori, who has honed her skills as a pastry chef at a famous store for over 10 years. All of the cakes sold at Ichigo to Kaori and other Western confectionery shops feature strawberries, a specialty of Pippu Town. They have a refined taste with a moderate sweetness, allowing you to fully enjoy the sweetness, sourness, and aroma of strawberries. The most recommended item is the "Rice Flour Strawberry Roll/450 yen (excluding tax)"! *From November to April, we use the precious winter strawberry "Benihoppe," which we started cultivating this season. They also use "Yumepirika," a specially grown rice grown on their own farm that uses 50% less pesticides, which gives the rice a soft, chewy, and gentle flavor.

Photo provided by: Agricultural Production Corporation Nourier Co., Ltd.

3 Nourie Restaurant

Photo provided by: Agricultural Production Corporation Nourier Co., Ltd.

This is a restaurant located in front of Pippucho Station, operated by Nourie Co., Ltd. The farm operates so that many customers can enjoy the delicious produce grown in Pippu Town and nearby cities and towns. We also believe that the most important aspect of food is taking in calories, so we provide menus that will give you energy to face the next day by taking in calories. The name of the restaurant comes from "business sommelier." The shop is run by Nourie Co., Ltd., an agricultural production corporation that operates farms in the town, and they use not only the rice but also vegetables produced there as ingredients.

Photo provided by: Agricultural Production Corporation Nourier Co., Ltd.

4 Calmiss Cafe

Image courtesy of Calmiss Cafe Facebook

The menu is additive-free and handmade, and they try to use as many pesticide-free vegetables as possible. The theme is "food that is good for both the body and the mind," and the rice used in one-plate lunches and other meals is special enzyme brown rice that has been fermented for three days. The sweets menu is also extensive!

Image courtesy of Calmiss Cafe Facebook

5 Pippurin

Image provided by: Pippurin

Using fresh eggs from the local Pippu area and focusing on ingredients from within Hokkaido, each one is carefully handmade with the aim of creating a taste that can be enjoyed safely by people of all ages, from children to the elderly. In addition to puddings, there are many other carefully crafted snacks on offer, such as "Tensai Picchara," a simple-tasting milk caramel that is carefully kneaded using only fresh milk and cream, and "Guratto Chiffon," a moist chiffon cake made without the use of leavening agents and using meringue made by carefully whipping fresh egg whites from Pippu.

4. Summary

Pippu Town, located in the Kamikawa Basin in the center of Hokkaido, is known as the town with the most beautiful view of Mt. Daisetsu in the world. There are many spots where you'll want to stop the car and take photos while driving! In addition, the town's main industry is agriculture, making it a treasure trove of food. There are many wonderful cafes and restaurants that use delicious ingredients produced in Pippu, and there are plenty of spots you'll want to stop by during your drive. If you live nearby, why not go for a drive, taking proper precautions against infectious diseases? Even if you can't make the journey to Pippu Town yet, be sure to check it out as a destination when travel is possible again.