One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Kamifurano上富良野町
Where Hokkaido lavender began, below a smoking volcano
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Kamifurano claims the birthplace of Hokkaido lavender and the highest onsen road in the prefecture, climbing the smoking Tokachidake range.
Kamifurano is the northern end of the Furano valley, where the farmland climbs toward the Tokachidake range and the volcano's steam is visible from town on clear days. Lavender was first grown commercially in Hokkaido here, and the town park on Hinode hill still turns purple every July. Above the fields, the Tokachidake Onsen road winds up to the highest hot springs in the prefecture and the trailhead for the volcano. Pork is the local pride, and the roller-coaster dips of the farm roads are as fun as they sound.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~137 km · 2.1 h summer / 2.5 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~141 km · 2.2 h summer / 2.6 h winter
- Best season in Kamikawa
- July for lavender, September for Japan's first autumn colors on Daisetsuzan, winter for serious snow country.
Kamifurano at a glance
Drive estimates: straight-line × 1.35, at 65 km/h (summer) / 55 km/h (winter). How we calculate
What to see in Kamifurano
Hinode Park lavender
日の出公園のラベンダー
The town park on a hill above the centre, planted with lavender that peaks in July, with a lookout over the valley to the Tokachi range. The lavender festival is held here.
Tokachidake Onsen
十勝岳温泉
The highest hot-spring area in Hokkaido, high on the volcano's flank looking out over the Furano valley. The trail to Mt. Tokachi's summit starts here, and autumn colors arrive early.
Jet Coaster Road
ジェットコースターの路
A straight farm road in the western hills that plunges and climbs through the fields for kilometers, with the Tokachidake range at the end of the view.
Fukiage open-air bath
吹上露天の湯
A natural open-air hot spring in the forest on the Tokachidake road, a wild pool with no facilities. Mixed bathing, so many visitors bring swimwear.
Getting to Kamifurano
Asahikawa Airport is about 45 minutes by car via Route 237. JR Furano Line trains from Asahikawa stop at Kamifurano station in the town centre. Tokachidake Onsen is about 30 minutes further up a mountain road. From Sapporo it is about 2.5 hours by car.
Kamikawa region: Asahikawa has its own airport and fast JR links from Sapporo (about 85 minutes). Furano and Biei are best by car or the summer sightseeing trains.
When to visit Kamifurano
July for lavender at Hinode Park and the festival. Mid to late September for early autumn colors around Tokachidake Onsen, among the first in Hokkaido. Winter is good for the high onsen in the snow, but the mountain road needs winter tires and care.
What to eat in Kamifurano
Kamifurano pork is the town's product, and grilled pork sagari, the skirt cut, is the local dish. Hops were once grown here for beer, and lavender goes into sweets, tea and soft-serve. Potatoes, beans and wheat cover the hills.
Kamifurano in context: the Kamikawa region
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Kamikawa holds the two images most people picture when they think of Hokkaido in summer: Furano's purple lavender fields and Biei's rolling patchwork hills. Asahikawa, the island's second city, anchors the region with its shoyu ramen and a zoo famous for up-close animal enclosures.
Towns near Kamifurano
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More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro