EXPLOREa rural town
Southern Hokkaido“A Journey into the Life & Culture”

Kuromatsunai

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

This town isnʼ t known for the typical sightseeing spots, historical locations, famous scenery, mountainclimbing or ski resorts. However, this area offers a very special perspective with insight to the way of
local livelihood, quite a unique style of travel for you to explore! Experience what it feels like to live in asmall rural town in Hokkaido. This is our concept and recommended style of travel we call, “A Journey
into the Life & Culture!”

The Natural Environment of Kuromatsunai

Kuromatsunai Town is a peaceful place home to Japanese Beech

trees, and an area of land perfectly situated for an easy crossing

A Warm Welcome!
Kuromatsunai
Town joined themost beautiful
villages in Japan
since 2010.
Therefore, it is an
important point
for traﬃc fromancient times.
Since then, thearea becomesthe post-town
where often
been referred for its warm sense of hospitality At the time, it was a two-day
endeavor for the ﬁsherman to cut across Hokkaido from the Paciﬁc Ocean tothe Sea of Japan to ﬁsh for herring. You can imagine how the ﬁsherman felt
walking on the mountain road after being at sea and ﬁnally arrive at a lodge inKuromatsunai where they could rest well, share stories, bond and rejuvenate
for the next day. During the start of the Heisei Period (1989~), the capital andthe local countryside people worked together to create a town in the image of“caring for the environment,” and naturally declared the local Japanese
Beech Trees as their symbol. Since then, travelers on the mountain road have
gradually changed from ﬁsherman to people who simply want to enjoy thebeautiful countryside atmosphere! In 2011, Mr. and Mrs. Tomita, a potato
farming family decided they wanted to create an opportunity for city people tocome and experience country life in Kuromatsunai. They started an agricultural
lodging house called, “Farm Inn Tomita.” They provide homemade breakfast
and dinner made with vegetables from their local farm, wild edible plants andfresh water ﬁsh from the local river. After spending time with the lively locals
youʼ ll feel like this is home away from home! When asked, Mr. Tomita said,“More than just a typical sightseeing spot, weʼ ve created an environment
where travelers can truly experience and appreciate rural life while being fully
embraced by the surrounding nature. We look forward to sharing this special
experience with new faces!”

through the southern part of Hokkaido with access to both thePaciﬁcOcean and Sea of Japan, a distance stretching only 20
kilometers wide. The length of Kuromatsunai is about 43

kilometers existing as an entirely natural landscape, without asingle dam interfering with any of its rivers. The well-known Shubuto Rivergracefully ﬂows through the land
into the bay of the Sea of Japan. This river basin is known for its biodiversity and abundance of high quality
ﬁsh including Landlocked Salmon and Ayu (sweetﬁsh).

Overcoming a Deforestation Emergency Twice

Utasai Beech Forest was designated as a nature memorial andsince then has undergone two deforestation emergencies. The
forest was cleared for lumber for the ﬁrst time in 1944 during

World War Two to provide materials for the military. The second
time was in 1954, to make up for the budget deﬁcit, providinglumber for rebuilding during post war times. However, thetownspeople together with ecologists ﬁlled lawsuits and wereable to overcome each deforestation project. The local people are proud of the history and cultural importance of Utasai Beech Forest and are dedicated to preserve it for years to come.

Wildlife of Kuromatsunai

One of the symbols of Kuromatsunai is the giant woodpecker,

actually the largest woodpecker species in Japan, which inhabits
the Japanese beech tree forests. The other symbol is the Ayu(sweetﬁsh) known for only inhabiting the clearest fresh waterstreams. The Shubuto River in Kuromatsunai, which ﬂows fromthe Paciﬁc Ocean side across to the Sea of Japan provides theperfect living conditions for these beautiful ﬁsh. In 2016, the Ayu

ﬁsh inhabiting the Shubuto River won a kind of Grand Prix recognition for being the biggest and healthiest
ﬁsh in the competition.

Agriculture in Kuromatsunai!

Kuromatsunai is said to be a town excelling in welfare and dairy

farming. When it comes to agricultural produce, Kuromatsunai isalso a producer and manufacturer of potato seeds, wheat,

buckwheat and adzuki beans! The hilly areas in the town ofKuromatsunai are said to resemble the “Cotswold” in GreatBritain, a beautiful hilly landscape with green pastures andagricultural ﬁelds. Travelers can enjoy freshly baked bread madewith locally grown wheat, delicious dairy products such as

cheese and ice cream made from creamy Hokkaido milk, and spectacular carefully crafted Japanese sweets
made from adzuki beans. Enjoy!

Spring春

Dogtooth Violet
Indicate Spring Has Come to Kuromatsunai!

Summer夏

Coast in the Direction of the Breeze
Through a Serene Rural Town!

Autumn
秋

Be Wrapped with Diversed Naturewinter
冬Experience the Warm Local Lifestylein Snow Country!

The breeze around here is a bit different from back home inCalifornia. It’ s July, the skies are blue and the air has a crisp coolfeel to it. Also, the smell of grass is refreshing when coasting
through the vivid green pastures. I recommend leaving your cell
phone and GoPro in your bag so you can experience this special timeto the fullest. The pizza I had yesterday was amazing! Today I
stopped at Wagatsuma Bistro for a special set lunch. I guess you
could say I rewarded myself for riding around for half a day!

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

In my usual life, I’ m surrounded by the hustle and bustle of the big city, which consists of rush hour,
office duties, computers, smartphones, all while trying to stay focused on meeting the needs of myclients. Don’ t get me wrong, I appreciate and enjoy my lifestyle but it’ s always nice to have a breakand spend time in nature. Fishing for landlocked salmon while surrounded by spectacular scenery naturally brings on an overwhelming feeling of inspiration and refreshment. Right, Mr. Sasaki?

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

When I lived in Yokohama I used to have a hard time talking with people. I thought that if went to China or
America where I could speak in a different language, I would overcome my shyness. However, that wasn’ t thecase and I soon realized nothing had changed. It wasn’ t until I experienced the beech tree forests here in Kuromatsunai, when I realized I had a lot I wanted to share and communicate! I want to share this precious atmosphere with people from big cities! I want to share it with people from abroad! Lastly, I want to give children theopportunity to come in contact with and learn about the beech tree forests.

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

I didn’ t know that making handmade tofu had such a strong aroma. Experiencing theprocess, without any additives used, has opened my eyes to how healthy tofu actuallyis! I also realized that the affection of the person making it is a key ingredient! Eventhough we first met, I felt as though the lady welcomed me as one of her grandchildren. Plan to eat after lunch as well, as you’ ll be visiting a local potato farming
family’ s house for a traditional mochi pounding activity! I have a new appreciation

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

for this rural community. What a nice lifestyle being able to make great tasting tofu
with your very own soy beans that you grew!

When speaking of agriculture in Hokkaido, one can’ t forget to mention the vast agricultural
farmlands spreading across the Tokachi region. I’ ve always thought about starting my own
dairy farming business on a big farm but I have to say I love this community. I truly appreciate and enjoy the family running the farm and couldn’ t ask for anything more. The green
seasons are quite busy and pretty full-on morning, afternoon and night. However, the whiteseason offers a fair amount of free time and opportunity to explore snow country life, suchas snowmobile tours with friends! Near the peak of Mt. Kuromatsunai is a picturesqueviewpoint where you can catch a glimpse of both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan.
It’ s life-changing!

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

Although our plantation is small, we grow quite a variety of crops. Mini
tomatoes, Japanese mustard spinach, Swiss chard, kale, red-leaf lettuce,broccoli, cabbage, watermelon, carrots, onions, bell peppers and eggplant. Oh!
We also grow yellow mini tomatoes and they’ re really sweet like fruit! In
Autumn, we grow and harvest delicious root crops such as potatoes, pumpkins,gobo and Japanese radish. Come back again during the beginning of Octoberwhen you’ ll find heaps of mushroom in the backwoods!

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

Today I spent half the day harvesting broccoli at the Imada Farm where Ms. Tomoyoworks. I’ m Irish so I’ m quite familiar with the potato process, but this is the firsttime I’ ve ever experienced harvesting broccoli like we did today. With a firm holdon the stem, you chop the broccoli right above the stem in a fast motion. It’ s avery delicate vegetable, so you must move gracefully. For lunch, you can enjoy adelicious soup made of boiled broccoli and cabbage, as well as freshly baked sweet
potatoes! It’ s amazing how fast Ms.Tomoyo can put everything together! Hey, Ms.
Tomoyo, would it be alright if I took the tractor out for a drive later?

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

It’ s always fun to travel with a purpose! It’ s not just simply
about arriving at your desired destination, but more so about theA Journey into the Life & Culture!

process. The people you met along the way and the unexpected
experiences you shared, is what creates a wholesome trip.It’ s been over 30 years since I married my husband who ran a dairy farm business in this small
town of Hokkaido. When I first moved here from Kyushu, I was wondering if I was going to be ok
in northern Japan, which as you know, is known for its harsh winters. That feeling didn’ t lastlong, as I soon received a very warm welcome from the local people! We started “Farm Inn”
after we converted our dairy farm into a potato farm and now live our lives every day thinking
it’ s one of the best decisions we’ ve ever made. Being one of the people in the Kuromatsunai
community who welcomes our guests with a smile has become my new reason for living!

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

When I lived in Sapporo, I didn’ t really leave my house much. I decided to make a big change in my life andmove to the countryside, which is where I was able to create a new lifestyle with comfort and joy. I wassurprised at how everyone simply excepted me for who I was. The warm atmosphere felt contagious andpositively affected my attitude as well! “Kanpai!” (Cheers!) You can’ t find a Japanese style bar with anatmosphere like this in the big cities. Sorry, brown bear. It looks like it’ s going to be a boisterous night!

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

When I started my trip at Heathrow Airport, I happen to coincidentally meet aJapanese person who told me, “If you’ re going to Japan during the winter season,
make sure you visit Niseko!” I took his advice, went on a short trip to Niseko andhad a good time. However, I realized I was looking for something more. As a bag
craftsman, I was looking for inspiration and a peek into the daily lives of localpeople. I wanted a deeper insight into the traditions and culture of Hokkaido. Witha little bit of luck, I was able to meet with craftsmen living in Kuromatsunai andlearn about their techniques and the philosophy behind what they do. It was morethan I could ever ask for!

A Journey into the Life & Culture!

Activities

Stream Fishing with locals

Nature Walking

Vegetable picking

Forest work with local woodman

Trekking to the unexplored train station

Potterring with local guides

Nothern limit beech forest guide tour

Footpath walking

Tree climbing

Shako-Yaki local BBQ

Japanese Taiko drum

Japanese cultural experience

Go on an Adventure to Experience the Lifestyle and Genuine Atmosphere of the Local Area!”

Stay
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45

6

789

1.UTASAI SHIZENNOIE Lodge
2.Ryokan KOMA
3.Ryokan OIKAWA
4.TANPOPO HOUSE
5.Farm inn TOMITA
6.Rider House TAKEDA
7.Soibetsu Forest Lodge
8.Lʼ PIC
Utasai Auto Camping Ground

9.Kuromasunai Bunanomori
Nature School

Enjoy Meeting Local People During Fun Lodging Experiences!

Local Town Shops1592610371148

1.toit vert handmade foods

2.Japanese Tofu Maker MIURA

3.KIMURA confectionery

4.Ange de Fromage

5.Farm SEKINE

6.AIZAWA Butchrʼ s shop

7.TANAKA Fishmonger

8.KUROBA Liquor shop

9.GOIO Liquor shop

10.DIY shop IKEDA

11.SUGAWARA Fishing tackle shop

Enjoy all the Unique Shops in Town!

Local Town Shops

159261037114812

1.toit vert ll Roadside Station

2.Japanese Restaurant Wagatsuma

3.Restaurant KIRIKA

4.Ramen SYORYU

5.Snacks Cafe KUROHIGE

6.Yakitori SHIN-chan

7.Izakaya DAICHI

8.Karaoke Bar momo

9.Home Cafe maimai

10.Cafe beech

11.Mother Nature

12.SUZUYA

Try the Local Favorite Gourmet Food!

SH

IMA

SYOKUDOUEN

SUTTUMAKI

NAI

IWA

RANKOSHI

Municipal PastureAnge de Fromage

Kuromatsunai Buna no Mori Nature School
Beech Cafe
Kuromatsunai beech natural Campus

Toit Vert

Soibetsu Forest Lodge

Kuromatsunai handmade

Monument

Little Tree

Soibetsu
Beech Forest

SuzuyaFarmSekine

Ouchi Cafemaimai

Kuromatsunai ICKuromatsunai Onsen
Kuromatsunai Tourist AssociationMonument

Farm inn TOMITA

Footpath

黒松内駅Wagatsuma

Kuromatsunai
Station♨Swimming Pool

Shiroikawa Primary School

courseTofu maker MIURA

Mother Nature

Toit Vert Ⅱ
Roadside Station

Rider House Takeda

Baseball Ground

Mt.Kuromatsunai(739.8m)

Neppu Station

Ramen SYOURYU

Utasai
Beech Forest

KUROMATSUNAIMAPUTASAI SIZENNOIE
Lodge

TOYO

URA

TANPOPO House

Buna Center
L'PIC

Utasai
Wetlands

Utasai Auto Camping Ground

OSHAMANBE

Police box

Police Box
LibraryCommunity Center
Kuromatsunai
Primary School

Kuromatsunai Station

Supermarket
Kyoei StoreElectronics and watch store IGARASHI

Towm Oﬃce

Liquor shop GOIO

Gym

Hospital
Town Oﬃce

AIZAWA Butcher's shop

Fire Department

KUROMATSUNAITOWN MAP

Izakaya DAICHI
Ryokan KOMA

Ramen SHORYU
Convenience Store

Kuromatsunai Taxi

Kuromatsunai
StationKaraoke Bar momoRyokan OIKAWA

Yakitori SHIN-chan

Post Oﬃce

Tanaka Fishmonger

kimura confectionery

Pharmacy Sakashita
Liquor shop KUROBA
Electronics store BEST Denki
Cafe KUROHIGE

Shopping street MAP

DIY shop IKEDA

Fishing-tackle store SUGAWARA
HospitalKuromatsunai

SHOP

INFORMATIONSUGAWARA Fishing tackls shop

Tanpopo House

Ange de Fromage

KUROBA Liquor shop

Yakitori SHIN-chan

Japanese Tofu maker MIURA

GOIO Liquor shop

Snacks Cafe KUROHIGEKIMURA Confectionery

AIZAWA Butcherʼ s shop

Karaoke Bar momoSuzuya

DIY shop IKEDA

Izakaya DAICHI

Kyoei Store

Tanaka Fishmonger

Wagatsuma

Ramen SYOURYU

Mother Nature

Restaurant KIRIKA

Cafe beech

Ryokan KOMASYOKUDOEN Roadside RestaurantHome Cafe maimai

202 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

237 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

307-7 Toyohoro Kuromatsunai-cho

114 Akaikawa Kuromatsunai-cho

210 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

263-1 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho 238-7 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho224-3 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho 224 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

197 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

211 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

254 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

13-4 Nakasato Kuromatsunai-cho

Ryokan OIKAWA

226 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

http://kuromatsunai.jp
Kuromatsunai Tourist Association, Japan

Instagram ｋuromatsunai̲tourism

TEL&FAX: 0136-72-3597
M o b i l e : 090-9524-5641
E - m a i l : bunasatotourism@gmail.com

Farm inn TOMITA

160 Soibetsu Kuromatsunai-cho
Bunanomori Nature School

76 Minamisakkai Kuromatsunai-cho
Soibetsu Lodge

83-3 Soibetsu Kuromatsunai-cho
Rider House TAKEDA

31 Nakasato Kuromatsunai-cho

172 Kitasakkai Kuromatsunai-cho

208 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

62-4 Asahino Kuromatsunai-cho

272 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

328 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

565-5 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho 584 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

253 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

5 Akaikawa Kuromatsunai-cho

34-1 Kuromatsunai-cho

889 Soibetsu Kuromatsunai-cho

Town Facility
UTASAI SIZENNOIE
Kuromatsunai Onsen
LodgeSpa
584 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho 545 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho
toit vert
Handmade foods
152-4 Mena Kuromatsunai-cho

BUNA Center
Museum521-1 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho

Toit Vert Ⅱ
Roadside Station
8-10 Shiroikawa Kuromatsunai-cho

L'PIC
Utasai Auto Camping Ground521-1 Kuromatsunai Kuromatsunai-cho