In July, Hokkaido’s central plateau transforms into one of the world’s most spectacular floral landscapes. The Furano and Biei area — a broad valley of rolling farmland between the Daisetsuzan and Yūbari mountain ranges — blooms with lavender, sunflowers, poppies, and zinnias in coordinated rows of colour that stretch across gentle hills under skies of unusual clarity.
Lavender Season
Hokkaido lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) peaks in early to mid-July. Furano became Japan’s lavender centre by accident: in the 1970s, when cheap synthetic fragrances destroyed the lavender oil market, most farms converted to other crops. Tomita Farm (富田ファーム) persisted, and when a photograph of its lavender fields appeared in Japan Rail’s calendar, it triggered a tourism wave that made the farm famous and revived the region’s lavender identity. Today Tomita Farm is Furano’s most visited attraction — free to enter, with fields of lavender, melon, and mixed flowers across gently sloping ground. Lavender soft cream, lavender soap, and dried lavender sachets are the signature souvenirs.
Farm Tomita & Flower Farms
Farm Tomita operates multiple adjacent fields with different blooming schedules, extending the colourful season from June (poppies) through October (dahlias). The Irodori-batake (colour field) arranges stripes of different flowers for maximum photographic impact — each stripe a different species and colour, the whole resembling a horizontal rainbow. Flower Land Kamifurano, a few kilometres north, offers a hillside perspective that gives a panoramic view of the valley. Lavender East (Furano’s newest site, 15 km from central Furano) has Hokkaido’s largest lavender field — 2.4 million plants — with tractor bus tours through the fields.
Biei’s Rolling Hills
The town of Biei, 30 km north of Furano, offers a different character: individual farmhouses set in gently undulating patchwork fields of wheat, potato, and corn, punctuated by distinctive old elm and oak trees. The famous “Patchwork Road” (Ken and Mary’s Tree, Mild Seven Hill, Seven Stars Tree) offers cycling routes through the mosaic landscape at an unhurried pace. The “Panorama Road” southeast of Biei offers sweeping views of the valley with the Tokachidake volcano group in the background.
Blue Pond (Aoiike)
Near Shirogane Onsen, 20 minutes from Biei town, the Blue Pond (青い池, Aoiike) is a constructed retention pond whose water turns a vivid turquoise blue under certain light conditions — the result of aluminium hydroxide in the water scattering blue light. Bare white tree trunks rise from the water, adding an otherworldly quality. The pond is at its most dramatic on calm days when the surface is perfectly reflective. It is illuminated at night from November through March. A short walk from the car park; free entry.
Furano & Skiing in Winter
Furano transforms entirely in winter: the same valley that hosts lavender in July becomes one of Japan’s premier ski resorts in January–February. Furano Ski Resort receives consistent dry powder snow from Siberian weather systems, with vertical drops of 1,070 metres and runs suited to all levels. The ski season overlaps with the famous “Hokkaido Powder Belt” that includes Niseko, Rusutsu, and Furano on a single itinerary.
Getting There & Practical Tips
From Sapporo: JR Furano Line from Asahikawa (change at Asahikawa, total ~2 hrs); or highway bus (Chuo Bus Lavender号, ~2.5 hrs). Rental car from Sapporo or Asahikawa gives the most flexibility for Biei’s dispersed countryside. The Norokko tourist train (summer only) runs from Furano to Nakafurano, with a stop at the Lavender Farm station near Farm Tomita. Peak lavender weekend (second week of July) is the most crowded period; weekday visits recommended. Accommodation in Furano and Biei books out months ahead in July — reserve early.