All right, all right, I hear ye. I’ve noticed a surge in readership for my Hokkaido posts as of late, which means… holiday season is around the corner!

It looks like Japan is one of the hottest destinations for the summer, so here’s a major throwback to the highlight of my Hokkaido trip last year, when I visited the breathtaking flower fields at Farm Tomita, Furano.

Getting there was easy enough; we opted for the Chuo Bus Tour (link below) which took us around various places of interest besides Farm Tomita. The drawback is the limited amount of time you get to spend at each place, but I was suppose that’s a toss-up between a luxury of time and convenience. (I would seriously recommend driving over if you can, because you might wanna spend more than an hour frolicking amongst the gardens, just saying!)

When we arrived, I was simply awestruck by the sheer magnitude of flowers blooming, even though it was very early in the season.

Farm Tomita is home to six flower fields, two of which consist solely of lavender (Sakiwai Field and the Traditional Lavender Garden).

Even in late June (which is before the peak season), the lavender buds were already showing signs of more beautiful things to come. The scent was so soothing that I almost forgot about the one hour time limit we had there and stood intoxicated, paying little heed to the summer heat and the relentless chatter of eager tourists around me. 🙂

The farm is testament to some clever business innovation, too. After cheap lavender imports caused demand for Hokkaido’s lavender to decrease in the 1960s, the farm switched from agricultural products to branding itself as a local attraction.

Judging by the crowds, I’d say they pretty much succeeded! 😀

If you visit Farm Tomita this summer, you must must MUST try their Lavender Ice Cream. So potent is the lavender scent, it’s almost like you’re eating a cup of rich, velvety perfumed soft serve. Oh Japan, your soft serve game is strong. 

There are many other attractions and activities at Farm Tomita, which we unfortunately didn’t get to see due to time constraints or it not being in season yet.

If you want to experience the best of the lavender season, I’d recommend visiting around mid July to early August, when majority of the lavender is in full bloom. Just be prepared to face the crowds and the weather – but it’ll all be worth the trip! 😉

Website: Farm Tomita / Chuo Bus Tour 
Address: Kisen Kita 15-go, Nakafurano-cho, Sorachi-gun, Hokkaido 071-0704
Map: http://www.farm-tomita.co.jp/en/farm/
DIrections: http://www.farm-tomita.co.jp/en/access/
Contact: +81-167-39-3939
Reservation for Chuo Bus Tour: http://teikan.chuo-bus.co.jp/en/form/ 

(accurate as of May 2015)

chueonit.