Visited 22.10.2017 (Sun)
Cycling expedition! During my one month study trip in Higashikawa-cho 東川町, I spent my weekends usually outside of the town exploring nearby areas such as Furano, Biei and Asahikawa. On this particular weekend, I followed the school on a field trip to revisit Sapporo and Otaru, two of the most popular cities in Hokkaido, on Saturday. On Sunday, I decided to stay put in Higashikawa-cho to explore this little humble town more using a bicycle rented from the dormitory. On the well illustrated map of Higashikawa-cho, I had marked out a couple of cafes/restaurants which I wanted very much to visit but were located further away from the town center. Coupled with a good weather, today was an excellent opportunity for me to fulfill this wish.
Woodcraft artisan. Woodcraft is a specialty of Higashikawa-cho with approximately 30 percent of well known Asahikawa furniture sold all across Japan originated from here. In fact, their skilful craftsmanship is showcased subtly in the town itself. During my stay, I was amazed by the one-of-its-kind intricate wooden signboards with attractive illustrations hung outside of shops, restaurants, post office and even police box! Found out later that there is even a road named Craft Street クラフト街道, where a handful of wooden craft and pottery workshops/studios are established around here, and this particular road also led me to the destination I was aiming for the day - Kitanosumai Sekkeisha 北の住まい設計社, a local manufacturing company which produces wooden furniture.
Origin. The managing director of Kitanosumai Sekkeisha moved to Higashikawa with his wife in 1985 and found an abolished school which they decided to set up their factory in. Have seen his interviews and I admired his long term vision of creating sustainable furniture using wood originating solely from Hokkaido and promoting craftsmanship, a human touch that is gradually lost with automation. Upon reaching Kitanosumai Sekkeisha, I was fully drawn into its serene landscape of country style wooden houses tucked away in a tranquil forest setting. Made my way first to the gallery/showroom and fell in love with the alluring scent and natural touch of wood on every piece of its furniture. Set my eyes on this sleek, cherry wood coaster (木のコースター), an original good of Kitanosumai Sekkeisha but was contemplating for a while as it was quite pricey (￥950). Eventually I was won over by its fine quality and simplistic design, and decided to bring it back home! In addition to furniture, the gallery is also stocked up with an extensive range of zakka and lifestyle goods, sourced both domestically and internationally, to meet the needs of different individuals.
Lunch. After a fruitful shopping experience, I followed the directional signs to a path lined with birch trees on its sides, leading to the building where both the cafe and bakery are house in - my main objective of this visit to Kitanosumai Sekkeisha. The aromatic and delectable scent of freshly baked bread from the bakery hits me immediately when I pulled open the door of the building. Had to resist this temptation for the time being and shuffle my feet quickly to the cafe. Here, Italian cuisine such as pasta, gnocchi and pizza were found on its menu and as I would have expect, seasonal and locally grown ingredients were utilised extensively to create their dishes. On the day of my visit, there were two other pasta dishes offered outside of their regular menu:
- Chicken and mushroom with ragout tomato sauce pasta 鶏肉ときのこのラグートマトソースバスタ (￥1,400)
- Scallop and green bean with green cream sauce pasta ホタテとインゲのグリーンクリームソースパスタ (￥1,500)
Both pasta came with salad, soup and bread. Chose the latter and completed the meal with an iced original blend coffee (￥350). While waiting for my lunch to be served, my eyes got to feast on the wooden furnitures, which were also produced by Kitanosumai Sekkeisha, in this modern country style cafe. Started off with perfect crisp salad, flavourful minestrone soup and homemade bread. The main pasta dish did not disappoint at all - al dente spaghetti which were nicely coated with delicious green cream sauce and flavoured by fresh scallop and sweet green beans. The original blend coffee ended the meal on a perfect note; aromatic with the right balance of bitterness and sourness to arouse the tastebuds. All in all, I enjoyed my lunch thoroughly and the overall experience made the laborious ride here extremely worthwhile!
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| Scallop and green bean with green cream sauce pasta. |
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| Iced original blend coffee placed on the cherry wood coaster - same as the one which I brought back home! |
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Kitanosumai Sekkeisha 北の住まい設計社
北海道上川郡東川町東7号北7線
Opening hours: 1000 - 1800 hrs
Closed on Wednesdays.
Bakery: 1000 - 1800 hrs
Cafe: 1000 - 1730 hrs
- Last order for food: 1600 hrs
- Last order for dessert/drink: 1730 hrs
How to get there?
(1) By car.
Takes about 35 - 45 mins to drive from Asahikawa-shi 旭川市.
Takes about 15 mins to drive from Michi no eki Michikusakan 道の駅 道草館.
(2) By bus from Asahikawa Station Bus Terminal 旭川駅バスターミナル Platform 10, followed by rental bicycle from Michi no eki Michikusakan 道の駅 道草館.
Unfortunately there are no public buses arriving at its door step. After arriving at Michi no eki Michikusan 道の駅 道草館 by bus, proceed to rent a bicycle at Michikusan (500 yen/hour). From here, head towards the direction of Kitoushi Forest Park キトウシ森林公園. Upon reaching Toyama Jinja 富山神社, turn right and cycle along Craft Street クラフト街道 before eventually arriving at Kitanosumai Sekkeisha. The entire cycling journey takes approx 40 mins.
* From Asahikawa Station Bus Terminal Platform 10, board Asahikawa Denkikidou 旭川電気軌道 Bus 60, 62 and 67 heading for Higashikawa-cho 東川町 and alight at Michikusakan-mae 道草館前.
Fare = 570 yen
