More and more mountains in Hokkaido are recording their first snowfall, and winter is fast approaching. Why not take your kids along during this time of year and spend the day being active and playing? If you're looking for experiences that are unique to this time of year and region, such as delicious food, sweets, and cooking experiences using autumn flavors, we recommend a trip to Kitahiroshima City. Domingo is collaborating with towns in Hokkaido for a month-long project, and this time for the fourth installment we'll be focusing on Kitahiroshima City! Over the course of four weeks, we will be bringing you information on how to enjoy the town and its special local products. In this article, we will introduce an overview of Kitahiroshima city and recommend some recommended spots where you can enjoy gourmet food, experiences, nature, and more.

What kind of city is Kitahiroshima?

Kitahiroshima City, Hokkaido, is a city that is easily accessible from outside Hokkaido, as it is just 16 minutes from Sapporo Station and 20 minutes from New Chitose Airport by JR Rapid Airport. The population is 57,850 (as of September 30, 2021) and the area is 119.05 km2. The city's name, "Hiroshima," comes from the fact that it was developed in 1884 (Meiji 17) by 103 people from 25 households from Hiroshima Prefecture. The town is attracting attention from both inside and outside the prefecture as the Hokkaido Ballpark F Village area, which will include the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters' new baseball stadium, is scheduled to open in March 2023. We will introduce more about Hokkaido Ballpark F Village in a future article, so stay tuned!

◼︎Let's have fun in Kitahiroshima City!

When you think of Kitahiroshima City, many people may think of Mitsui Outlet Park Sapporo Kitahiroshima or the highly anticipated Hokkaido Ballpark F Village, but there are many other spots in the city that are great for families. Today we will introduce a plan to enjoy all the recommended spots in one day!

9:00 - Arrive in Kitahiroshima! Feel the morning air!

1 Trim Course

This is a perfect course for a stroll, bordering seven small parks, including Takeba Park, Midoriba Park, and Minami Park. Along the course, the rowan trees turn beautiful red in autumn, and the view from Takeba Park, the halfway point, is spectacular.

10:30 - After the walk, take a drive and enjoy the scenery! Pick up some souvenirs along the way!

2 Arai Bee Farm

Honey harvested from flowers in Hokkaido during their short flowering season, with a rich variety of colors and aromas. We use traditional beekeeping techniques and natural nectar sources.

11:30 - Enjoy delicious food

Kitahiroshima City has many restaurants where you can enjoy delicious gourmet food! The restaurants we can introduce this time are just a small part of them, so we hope you can find a restaurant that the whole family can enjoy.

3 Hokuren Kururu Forest Rural Restaurant

Simple, warm home cooking is the model. A restaurant where you can enjoy simple home cooking in a buffet style. We offer dishes that make the most of the flavors of fresh Hokkaido ingredients, such as salads, tempura, stews, and salads that can be recreated at home.

4 Venison Restaurant Apuka no Mori

At the deer meat restaurant Apuka no Mori, we process Yezo deer meat one by one in our own HACCP-certified factory, carefully aging it so that we can serve it to our customers in the most delicious state. Yezo deer meat that has been properly processed has less of the distinctive odor, so even those who have not eaten much wild game can enjoy it with ease. We also sell the meat. We can also handle small portions, so please feel free to ask us.

14:00-16:00 - An experience unique to Kitahiroshima!

5 Hokuren Kururu no Mori Farming and cooking experience

Bring Hokkaido agriculture closer to you! In the farming and cooking experience, you can experience the whole process of growing familiar foods in the fields and rice paddies, and then bringing them to your dinner table. Every experience, from observing crops to eating freshly picked produce and cooking them, is full of fun and excitement that you can only understand by experiencing agriculture.

17:00 - Take a break

6 Altrace

Gelato born in Hokkaido that brings out the best in the ingredients. Altrace's gelato is made by a gelato maestro.

18:00-20:30 - Relax in the hot springs and enjoy a meal

7 Takeyama Kogen Hot Springs

A popular pure natural hot spring that attracts many visitors from the surrounding area. This is the most authentic open-air rock bath in Hokkaido, and you can experience the atmosphere of a hidden hot spring in a rustic rock bath. Surrounded by the richness of nature, Takeyama Kogen Onsen offers a panoramic view of the beauty of the Tarumae and Eniwa mountain ranges... and surrounded by trees that change with the seasons, you can look up at the starry sky and relax in the "open-air rock bath". This is one of the attractions unique to the Takeyama plateau. As a pure natural hot spring, it is suitable for a variety of ailments and can relax both the body and mind.

summary

Kitahiroshima City is easily accessible from New Chitose Airport, the gateway to Hokkaido. There were plenty of spots that the whole family would enjoy, including walking courses with lots of parks and facilities where you could experience farm work and cooking and processing! There are many more attractive spots in Kitahiroshima City, so be sure to check out the Kitahiro Agricultural School tourist information website for more information. Kitahiroshima City is very easy to get to from both Sapporo Station and New Chitose Airport, so if you live nearby, why not go and have some fun, taking proper precautions against infectious diseases? For those who are not yet able to travel to Kitahiroshima City, be sure to check it out as a destination when travel is possible again.