When you hear the name Hokkaido, what do you think of? Milk? Cheese? Ice cream? Vegetables? Skiing? Mountains? Snow? Do you think of the summer flowers? If you want to go somewhere where there are fields upon fields of blooms in summer, look no farther than Farm Tomita in Nakafurano.
Farm Tomita: A Working Flower Farm
Farm Tomita is one of the most famous farms in the agricultural breadbasket that is Hokkaido. It has built its reputation over the past century (yes, since 1903 – nearly 125 years!) through its flower fields. While it is most known for its lavender, it produces many different kinds including tulips, lily of the valley and many others.
Farm Tomita is a farm in the true sense. While their fields are open to the public and visitors are highly encouraged – if not, why are there so many parking lots, cafés and shops – these plants do serve a purpose. Many of them are made into perfumes, scented candles, soaps and other products meant for the bath and body.
Farm Tomita is located on the side of a hill just to the north of the village of Nakafurano. As it is in a valley, you also get some amazing views of the Daisetsuzan mountains.
Introducing the fields
While the farm is known primarily for its lavender flowers (and why the high season is the month of July), the farm has many different fields.
Hanabito Field
The Hanabito Field sits nearest to the majority of the cafés and shops at Farm Tomita. The field has a distinctive striped pattern to its as the plants are placed to create this effect. Included in the Hanabito Field are spring-blooming flowers such as bulbs and violas through to autmn-blooming ones such as marigolds. This is probably the garden that blooms the longest – from mid April to early October.
Sakiwai Field
To the east of the Hanabito field is the Sakiwai field, which contains various types of lavender: Okamurasaki, Yotei, Hanamoiwa and Noshi hayazaki. Each type is a different purple, creating a layered effect.
This field blooms from late June to early August, with the best viewing time being early to mid-July.
Irodori Field
The Irodori field is probably the most famous at the farm. When you see pictures of a striped field, this is the one. There are various colours that grow here: purple (lavender), white (baby’s breath), red (poppies), pink (garden catchflies), and orange (California poppies).
What makes this field special – and hence famous – is that all of the flowers bloom at more or less the same time: July. If you want to see them in full bloom, the best time to visit is mid- to late July.
Traditional Lavender Field
The traditional lavender field is the one of the oldest in Japan and the one that made Farm Tomita famous. Japan National Railways (the precursor to Japan Railway, JR) included it in a photo calender and life has been anything but quiet at the farm since.
This is also the steepest of the fields. As such, you can see very far into the Furano Valley and the wind keeps the plants in motion. A truly evocative sight.
Spring Field
The spring field is the first one to bloom. Iceland poppies, oriental poppies, chives and other perennials can survive the harsh winter weather that persists into spring, usually beginning to flower while the nearby mountains are still covered in deep snow.
They bloom usually from mid-May to late June. The best time to see the field is from early to mid-June.
Autumn Field
Just above the spring field is the autumn field, which has the late bloomers such as spider flowers and Japanese roses along with other flowers that bloom until the frost kills them off in (usually) early October.
Despite its name, the autumn field begins to bloom in early June. The best time to see it though is from early July to late September.
Forest Field
Lavender and poppies set against a deep-green conifer backdrop give the field its name. The constrast against the forest green makes the colours of the flowers seem almost larger than life.
The dried lavender flowers from Farm Tomita are exclusively from this field.
The flowers bloom in July with the best time to view them being in the second half of the month.
Lavender Forest Field
As the name suggests, the Lavender Forest Field is surrounded by forests. Like the Traditional Lavender Field, this one features Okamurasaki and Noshi Hayazaki lavender, each taking up one half of the field (Okuramurasaki on the right-hand side and Noshi Hayazaki on the left).
Like the other lavender fields, it blooms from late June to early August and is best seen in mid-July.
Hilltop Field
The Hilltop Field is one of the newer fields, dating to 2017. It features poppies (and other, related flowers) in colours of red, white and pink. Poppies have a similar blooming period to lavender (July) and mid-July is the best time to view them.
White Birch Forest
Between the Hilltop and Forest Fields sits a small forest of native white birch trees. They are called white birch because of their distinctive trunks, the bark of which is white.
Lavandin Field
The final field at Tomita Farm is the Lavandin Field, which has a single cultivar: Lavandin. Lavandin is a late-blooming variety of lavender and is best seen in late July to early August.
How to get there
Farm Tomita can be reached in several ways.
- By car: Farm Tomita is just off of Route 237 and takes approximately 2 hours from central Sapporo.
- By train:
- From Sapporo via Asahikawa: Take the Lilac-Kamui express train from Sapporo Station to Asahikawa Station, then transfer to the Furano line. If you get the normal version of the Furano line train, you will need to get off at the Nakafurano station and then walk (or take a taxi) to the farm. If you get the sightseeing version (which is a special kind of train – it also has a special pattern), it will stop at the “Lavender Farm Station”, which is the station for Farm Tomita and is practically at the entrance of the farm.
- From Sapporo via Furano: There is a sightseeing train from Sapporo called the Lavender express that runs on very specific dates. You can get this train to Furano and then switch to the Furano line. See above for more information about the local train.
- By bus: there are several tour compnaies that operate buses from Sapporo going to this area. If you do not mind following their schedules, you can join one of those. Here are some tour options:
Entrance and information
Entrance to the farm is completely free but unless you go with the mindset that you are not going to spend any money, I can guarantee that you will walk away with a lighter wallet or purse than when you arrived.
In addition to the various perfumes, creams, beauty products, and other floral items available, the cafés and restaurants will surely draw you. On those hot July days, why not try a lavender-flavoured ice cream? Have you ever had such a vibrant purple-coloured food before? The colour may be vibrant but the taste is light, floral and smooth.
Thanks for reading! Want to do some more exploring? Have a look at the travel map:
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