Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Bibaushi JR Station 美馬牛駅, Christmas Tree クリスマスツリーの木

Bibaushi JR Station 美馬牛駅 (F38), is an unmanned train station on JR Furano line 富良野線 and is located in the countryside of Biei-cho 美瑛町. What came to my mind when I first heard of its name was whether this train station was surrounded by lush pastures where horses and cows gaze around here freely (as the name was made up of the three kanji characters meaning beauty, horse and cow). Found out later that the name came from the phrase "pipa-us-i" which means a river with abundance of mussels in Ainu language (spoken by the indigenous people of Hokkaido).

From here, trains travel northwards for Biei 美瑛駅 and Asahikawa 旭川駅 and southwards for Kamifurano 上富良野駅, Nakafurano 中富良野駅 and Furano 富良野駅. During the summer season (from Jun to Aug), a special sightseeing themed train named Furano Biei Noroko go 富良野･美瑛ノロッコ号, commutes between Biei and Furano and stops at Bibaushi, Kamifurano, Lavender Batake ラベンダー畑 (the train station closest to Farm Tomita ファーム富田 and only operates when this particular train is in service) and Nakafurano, along the Furano line.

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What’s nearby?

(1) Guide no yamagoya ガイドの山小屋, a travel agency which offers rental bicycle service (between May to Oct) and is located 1 minute walk away from east exit.

For my trip, I rental an electric bicycle from here and followed a cycling map to explore the surrounding area. In the recommended route, I passed by Bibaushi Elementary School 美馬牛小学校, Shikisai no oka, Takushinkan 拓真館, Fureai Farm ふらあい牧場, Sanai no oka Observatory 三愛の丘展望台, Shinei no oka Observatory 新栄の丘展望台 and Christmas Tree クリスマスツリーの木 and the entire route took me about 4 hours.

Rented an electric bicycle from Guide no yamagoya to cover the sightseeing spots around Bibaushi JR Station. 

Admiring the countryside scenery while cycling.

Captured a shot of the lone Christmas tree during sunset.

(2) Christmas Tree クリスマスツリーの木, about 2 km away from the train station.
This tall and sturdy spruce tree stands right in the middle of the fields by itself and its name came about because of its resemblance to a Christmas tree. Do take note that this tree is actually located in a privately owned area, so please refrain from trespassing the fields to get close to the tree.

(3) Shikisai no oka 四季彩の丘, a flower park located about 2.5 km away. Takes about 25 - 30 minutes by foot.

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Furano Marche 富良野マルシェ, Petit Petit Burger ぷちぷちチバーガー

Revisited 15.10.2017 (Sun)
Previous post: https://hsuchia.blogspot.com/2013/02/hokkaido-summer-2012-furano-marche.html

Return. While reading my previous blog post documenting my first visit to Furano Marche in 2012, I stumbled upon this statement: Will definitely spend some time in its sweets cafe and dining area, if I happen to visit Furano again. Little did I know that five years later, I would make my way to Furano Marche again (in fact, twice during my one month stay in Hokkaido) to complete this unfinished task! Glad to see that this one-stop shop for Furano's specialties is still operating and business was way brisker than before. In additon to that, Furano Marche has further expanded its businesses; with a new block named Furano Marche 2, located just adjacent to it (separated by a road). Furano Marche 2, which comprised of an event hall, shops (florist, lifestyle goods, etc), cafes and restaurants, was constructed a few years back.

Chanced upon a Halloween pumpkin lantern making session held in the event hall of Furano Marche 2.

Aroma. Visited Argent, the souvenir shop in Furano Marche. Familiarity set in as I explored the area to search for locally produced souvenirs to bring back home to. Just when I was about to step out of Furano Marche after completing my shopping, my nose was attracted to this delicious smelling aroma coming from this burger stall named Petit Petit Burger ぷちぷちチバーガー located in Furadish, the food court section of Furano Marche. Was lured towards towards it and could not resist the temptation. There is a good variety of burgers offered by this Furano Burger specialist and I decided on Furano classic burger (ふらのクラシックバーガー) after much contemplation. Like the fact that the patty was only put onto the grill upon order; took about 10 minutes before my queue number was called for food collection.

Glad to be back!

Argent, the souvenir shop housed within Furano Marche.

Winner. Appearance wise, the burger already looked pretty enticing to begin with. Fresh lettuce, handmade meat patty and meat sauce were stuffed between lightly toasted buns made from Hokkaido wheat. On the first bite, I was already captivated by the umami flavour of the burger. The patty was cooked to the right doneness, with meat juices retained sufficiently. Complemented by the tomato based meat sauce which was specially created through a collaboration with a local pasta restaurant, the taste of this burger was way beyond fast food standard; and this is definitely one food which I will relate Furano to.





What a pleasant find in Furano yet again!

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Furano Marche 富良野マルシェ
北海道富良野市幸町13-1
Operating hours: 1000 - 1900 hrs
* Jul to Aug: 0900 - 1900 hrs
* Nov to Mar: 1000 - 1830 hrs
https://www.furano.ne.jp/marche/top.asp

Petit Petit Burger ぷちぷちチバーガー
https://www.facebook.com/petitpetitburger/?fref=ts

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Shikisai no oka 四季彩の丘

Revisited on 15.10.2017 (Sun)
Previous post: https://hsuchia.blogspot.com/2013/03/hokkaido-summer-2012-shikisai-no-oka.html

Accomplished! When I visited Shikisai no oka with my family in 2012 during summer, weather was not at its best as it was drizzling/showering for most part of the day and we could not explore this huge flower park extensively. A returning visit to Shikisai no oka was added to my to-do list since then and I could finally tick this item off during my study trip in Higashikawa-cho in Oct 2017. This time round I was blessed with favourable weather and I enjoyed myself thoroughly, surrounded by colourful seasonal flowers in a countryside landscape.

Equally stunning. Like most people, I would think that summer is the best time to visit Furano and Biei as it is the peak blooming season for its signature lavender fields and other flower parks. I actually beg to differ after this visit during the relatively cooling and less crowded autumn season. Visited Shikisai no oka on the second weekend of October and I was totally blown away by the equally stunning flower-carpeted fields here. Upon arriving here by my rental bicycle, I could immediately relate to the familiar pale yellow colored country style building which housed the restaurant (on the second floor), souvenir shop and snack stalls, and the two iconic mascots, made up of bales of straw, still standing faithfully at the same spot to welcome their visitors.

Do you remember me? Look at the field of yellow mustard flowers behind me!

Finally revisited this place after a five years hiatus.

Symbol of optimism. Rows of equal width, each occupied by a different colored plant, transformed the hilly landscape into a vibrant and magical looking rainbow carpet. Was hoping very much to revive the breathtaking moment of witnessing a brightly lit sunflower field - a memorable scene which I could still vividly remember till now. To my surprise, the sunflower field was still beaming cheerfully in the month of October. Based on the flower calendar published on its website, sunflower (known otherwise as himawari ひまわり in Japanese) can be sighted from late Jun to mid Jul, Aug and from mid Sep to mid Oct. Apart from that, visitors can also admire yellow flowers of mustard plants, which blossom exclusively during the autumn season between mid Sep to late Oct in Shikisai no oka.

Yet again, a memorable episode concluded at Shikisai no oka!

Not forgetting to grab a lavender flavoured soft serve cone before wrapping up today's visit!

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Shikisai no oka 四季彩の丘
〒071-0473 北海道上川郡美瑛町新星第三
Operating hours:
- Apr to May, Oct: 0900 - 1700 hrs
- Jun to Sep: 0830 - 1800 hrs
- Nov: 0900 - 1630 hrs
- Dec to Feb: 0900 - 1600 hrs
- Mar: 0900 - 1630 hrs
https://www.shikisainooka.jp/

How to get there?

(1) By foot. It takes about 25 minutes to walk from Bibaushi JR Station 美馬牛駅 to Shikisai no oka.

(2) By rental bicycle. Just a minute walk from Bibaushi JR Station, there is a local tour agency named Yamanoya 山の屋 offering rental bicycle services between May to Oct. For my trip, I utilised the rental bicycle and followed a cycling map to explore Panorama Road. In the recommended route, I passed by Bibaushi Elementary School 美馬牛小学校, Shikisai no oka, Takushinkan, Fureai Farm ふらあい牧場, Sanai no oka Observatory 三愛の丘展望台, Shinei no oka Observatory 新栄の丘展望台 and Christmas Tree クリスマスツリーの木 and the entire route took me about 4 hours.
To get to Yamanoya, do not exit the train station through the waiting area/main building. Exit from the platform which is opposite to the waiting area/main building. Upon reaching the road, turn right and Yamanoya will be within sight in 20 meters. 
Yamanoya: http://www.yamagoya.jp/index-bike%20season.htm



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Commemorative stamp:

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Farm Tomita ファーム富田

Visited 28.10.2017 (Sat)
Previous post: http://hsuchia.blogspot.com/2013/03/hokkaido-summer-2012-farm-tomita.html

Pride of Furano. Farm Tomita is analogous to Furano and whenever someone mentions about Farm Tomita, lavender comes into my mind automatically. The story of how lavender was successfully cultivated in Farm Tomita, thereby elevated it to become an icon of Furano today continues to be an inspiring one. When I visited Farm Tomita on my first trip to Hokkaido in 2012, it was during the peak summer season in July when the park was packed with tourists. Despite that, I did not get to tour the premises extensively due to poor weather conditions then. This time round, though I managed to avoid the crowd at Farm Tomita, I missed the best time to see the carpeted lavender fields. It is hard to get the best of both worlds at times.

The slope of Choei Lavender Park covered by blooming lavender flowers in July.

Was lucky enough to capture a clear view of Tokachidake mountain range on the day of my visit! 

A close up shot of the snow-capped mountain.

Familiarity. However, this recent visit to Farm Tomita has affirmed that this well received sightseeing spot is still worth visiting during its off-peak season. Walked from Nakafurano JR Station to Farm Tomita after a satisfying lunch at Chevre. Along the way, I passed by Choei Lavender Park, another popular lavender sighting location in Nakafurano which I have visited on my first trip to Hokkaido. During summer, the slope is fully covered with blooming lavender and visitors can make use of the chairlift to gain enough elevation to capture a spectacular view of surrounding Tokachidake mountain range decorated with lavender flowers in the foreground.

As expected, Farm Tomita was so much quieter during an off peak season without the usual sighting of buses ferrying groups of tourists here. All the shops within its premises, except for Hanabito House 花人の舎 and Dried Flower House ドライフラワーの舎, were already closed for the year. In Hanabito House, visitors can bring back home Farm Tomita's huge array of lavender related items, such as fragrances, cosmetic products, food and stationery. At the cafe located within the same building, I could not resist not getting a lavender flavoured soft serve cone to relish (the feeling is like something I had to tick off from my to-do list). Love the smooth texture and rich milky flavour, infused with the signature soothing scent of lavender. This is definitely a delectable dessert that should not be missed during a visit to Farm Tomita or even to Furano in general.

Greenhouse. Though there were no vibrant flowers sighted in the outdoor fields, a completely different outlook awaits in this small greenhouse situated in the center of Farm Tomita. Here, beautiful lavender flowers blooming out of their bushes can be enjoyed all year round. The indoor scenery certainly pales in comparison to the flower carpeted fields which will make everyone be wild about during summer. But think otherwise. Due to less facilities/attractions to explore in other parts of the park at this time of the year, visitors can spend more time admiring these enthralling stalks of flowers closely and carefully instead. This is something that is difficult to accomplish when the flower park is packed with tourists. I had the luxury to take numerous close up shots of these endearing flowers and the bees buzzing around the bushes, without much disturbances. Apart from lavender, I was also greeted by beautiful white and pink coloured Geraniums planted at the sides of the greenhouse during the time of my visit.

In conclusion, despite not being able to witness the rainbow fields again, I felt that I enjoyed myself more thoroughly at Farm Tomita this time round...

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Farm Tomita ファーム富田
071-0704 北海道空知郡中富良野町基線北15号
Free admission.
http://www.farm-tomita.co.jp/

How to get there?

(1) Approx 20 mins walk from Nakafurano JR Station 中富良野駅.

(2) Approx 7 mins walk from Lavender Farm JR Station ラベンダー畑駅, a temporary train station which is only opened when Furano-Biei Norokko Train 富良野・美瑛ノロッコ号 is in operation.

Hokkaido Revisit 2017 三回目の北海道の旅 - Biei Senka 美瑛選果

Revisited on 14.10.2017 (Sat)
Previous post: http://hsuchia.blogspot.sg/2013/02/hokkaido-summer-2012-asperges-biei-senka.html

Memorable experience. The previous time when I was in Biei, I felt that I did not explore this scenic town well enough. Despite that, Biei Senka 美瑛選果 was one place which I fondly remember from my first visit to Hokkaido. Here, we enjoyed a memorable and exquisite lunch experience at Asperges, an in-house restaurant which serves French cuisine and my family would still mention about it whenever we reminisced about Hokkaido. Apart from that, we brought back heaps of snacks from Senka Ichiba 選果市場, the section where local agricultural products from Biei are put up for sale here.

Alfresco area for patrons of Senka Kobo. 

Asperges.

10 years. After accomplishing my expedition of Patchwork Road, I cycled back to the main town and made my way to Biei Senka. Recognised the iconic, modern looking container house immediately when I turned into the parking area. Biei Senka is an antenna concept shop, aimed to showcase and promote a wide array of products harvested from the land of Biei. This shop set foot in this small town a decade ago and has become a place where both locals and tourists drop by and gather to enjoy delicious flavours that Biei has to offer. Apart from the flagship store, Biei Senka also operates two other antenna shops; one in New Chitose Airport (a good place to head down to for last minute shopping before departure) and the other one in Yurakucho, Tokyo (opened in 2015). The Michelin 1 star accredited French restaurant, Asperges, is the pride of Biei Senka and continues to impress diners with their creations, incorporating ingredients from Hokkaido.

Senka Ichiba.

At Senka Ichiba, I felt like a regular customer here; helped myself to the food samples and located my favorite snack corner effortlessly. Before I stepped into this market section of Biei Senka, I have already set sight on what I wanted to buy from here - the same snacks which I bought five years ago.

- Dice milk ダイスミルク (350 yen): Do not underestimate this small freeze dried milk cube! Popping this into the mouth will unleash the richness and sweetness of raw milk and raw cream concentrated in the milk cube. For milk lovers including myself, this is an irresistible and crazily addictive snack and the entire content will be exhausted in no time, without much effort needed. I wil highly recommend bringing this back home!

- Freeze dried corn とうきび (300 yen): Another equally additive and delectable snack. You will be amazed by the amount of natural sweetness contained in each tiny dried corn kernel and it felt like eating fresh corn out from a cob. This is another item not to be missed out in your shopping list.

- Freeze dried azuki beans あずき (350 yen): This is a new product introduced recently. Similar concept is employed like the two products mentioned above, azuki beans are first boiled with sugar and then freeze dried. These sweet red beans can be eaten directly from the pack or used as a condiment for ice-cream. Bought a couple of these back this time round and my parents like it a lot. 

After all the shopping at Senka Ichiba, it was time to grab a rich and creamy Biei's milk soft serve (310 yen) from Senka Kobo 選果工房, the section of Biei Senka where sweets such as roll cakes and pudding prepared by professional chefs can be purchased from here.

Yet another fruitful trip to Biei Senka!

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Biei Senka 美瑛選果
北海道上川郡美瑛町大町2丁目
Opening hours: Differs with season https://bieisenka.jp/store/
http://bieisenka.jp/

How to get there? 
(1) Approx 10 minutes walk from Biei JR Station.