Fields of Flowers…if you build it, they will come - Six wheels through Japan - CycleBlaze

Fields of Flowers…if you build it, they will come - Six wheels through Japan - CycleBlaze

From Six wheels through Japan

By Barry Bartlett

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June 17, 2023

Fields of Flowers…if you build it, they will come

Furona

When we were researching Hokkaido, we saw photos of Furano and the farms with beautiful fields of flowers in this area. We couldn’t believe that the photos were real and hadn’t been enhanced. Today we will have a leisurely day of exploring these farms and hopefully camp at the end of the day.

Such a common sight in Japan: a person diligently working with the simplest of tools on a task and usually wearing a hard hat and white rubber boots. This team were weed-eating and cleaning up the roadside growth while this fellow swept the area with this hand built broom.

Farming is an important part of Hokkaido’s economy as well as a strong family tradition. We notice that Japan is very supportive of their farmers with stores featuring their products as well as the Michi-no-Ekis.

Lavender grows well here and the fields will be beautiful soon with a purple hue.

We know that this area is very popular with Japanese people, but we are surprised at the number of tour buses we are seeing. People come from all over Japan, as well as Asian visitors to see and appreciate the beauty of this area.

A Buddhist Temple in farm country. We see Temples and Shrines frequently as we ride.

Lovely to explore and a place of contemplation and sanctuary.

We had pulled over to look at the view and this young man was already parked there. He was watching us with disbelief and finally curiosity got him out of his van to find out who we were and what we were riding.

Farm Tomita is a well known landmark in this rural area and attracts countless numbers of visitors.They have nurtured a huge expanse of their land with plantings of flowers, herbs, lavender and attractions associated with that. It certainly exceeded our expectations.

We were surrounded by a large group of Taiwanese tourists who had no shyness about coming over and talking to us, taking photos and in one case hopping on one of our trikes. They were good fun. It startled us a bit as we have grown accustomed to the more reserved yet very welcoming nature of the Japanese people. The experience reminded me of a comment made by a reader of our journal, “when the tourist becomes the tourist attraction”

The famous Furona Melon. These are shipped all over the world and also sold locally.

$55 for a melon.

Local pizza made at the farm…delicious and it included Furona farm bacon.

Soft ice cream with melon topping…all locally sourced from the farm.

Entry to the farm is free. They have incorporated food services and a few gift shops, but there is no pressure to spend money. Farms like Tomita are hugely successful through the growing season. There is so much to explore…one could just come for lunch and enjoy the flowers.

Our visit is a bit early in the season to see the fields at their peak, but it is still worth the visit.

“please be quiet the fish are sleeping”

In one of the buildings, there was a photo exhibit of the farm.

Below are some of the photos we enjoyed.

Art in various forms is also part of Farm Tomita. We enjoyed these displays.

Soft ice cream…Lavender and lavender/melon. Thanks to Hokkaido’s dairy industry, their milk and ice cream are the best we’ve had.

Love this image of the women heading into a field. Everyone we see working the fields in Japan dress like this (but not in purple attire!) to protect them from the sun.

You probably guessed that we are in area of lavender fields.

Poppies

Lupins grow wild all over Hokkaido. Their beauty shines alongside the lavender.

Love the shades of colour on this lupin

Chives

A field of chives…the fragrance is lovely…chives, lavender etc.

This turf roofed building is a bathroom. They have taken much care that buildings on the farm blend in with the natural environment.

Some of these fields are quite naturalized and less formal.

Loved this whimsical orchestra

The animals are enjoying the music played by the woman on her flute.

Nagasaki crabapple tree

I realize that there may be one too many photos of lupine, but I do love them.

Paths through the fields encourage an interactive visit.

There is a building with dried flowers and arrangements. Most are for sale, but it feels like an art exhibit

Whimsical display.

If I lived nearby, there was a decorative wreath that I would have loved to have taken home.

We loved riding along the rice fields. It has been fascinating for us to watch farmers plant the rice through to its harvesting.

We are riding on a back road from the farm…it is good to be away from the traffic of tour buses, trucks and traffic, but the surface is not so good.

A Japanese scarecrow.

We have truly had a day at the farm. There is a campground nearby, so we will call it a day.

But first, a stop at a Lawson’s for some provisions and a treat to celebrate an incredible day.

Mary Ellen had this French pastry, a cannelle. As we have said before, how do these Conveni’s (Convenience Stores) do it. They offer affordable priced prepared meals for take out, desserts like this for 10oz or 200 yen, groceries and basic supplies with great services. Travellers and locals rely on these places.

The Circular image on the round red part of the building signifies that there is an Onsen inside. We love seeing these as we know it welcomes public use, and it is next to our campground.

Home sweet home for the night. Auto Camps are great for us.. they have bathrooms, electricity for charging, and laundry. To our surprise, they are very spacious, nicely treed and quiet. This one is next to a city park and it is enormous with mostly green spaces.

Today's ride: 20 km (12 miles)
Total: 1,835 km (1,140 miles)

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Steve Miller/GrampiesWow, the Farm was super, and your coverage of it was excellent!
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