One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Nakafurano中富良野町
The purple heart of Japan's lavender country
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Nakafurano is the actual address of Farm Tomita — the purple heart of Japan's lavender country each July.
Nakafurano is the small town between Kamifurano and Furano whose hillsides hold the most photographed lavender fields in Japan. The famous private farm is here, not in Furano, and so is a town-run lavender park on Hokusei hill with a lift to the top. Outside July it is a quiet farming town of melons, rice and asparagus on flat land beside the Sorachi River. Come at dawn in lavender season, or come in June and September when the crowds have not arrived or have gone.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~124 km · 1.9 h summer / 2.3 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~128 km · 2 h summer / 2.3 h winter
- Best season in Kamikawa
- Choose dates around the flowers, autumn foliage or winter scenery you want to see. Check local conditions and seasonal transport before booking.
Nakafurano 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 Nakafurano
Hokusei-yama Town Lavender Park
北星山町営ラベンダー園
The town's own lavender slope on Hokusei hill, ridden by a chairlift that runs as a ski lift in winter. From the top the whole Furano valley and the Tokachidake range spread out.
The lavender fields at peak
見頃のラベンダー畑
In July the farms along the hills west of town bloom in bands of purple, pink and white. Early morning is calm and empty; by midday the roads are busy.
Lavender-Batake seasonal station
ラベンダー畑駅
A temporary JR station on the Furano Line that opens only in summer, dropping visitors within walking distance of the fields. The sightseeing train stops here.
Getting to Nakafurano
Asahikawa Airport is about 50 minutes by car on Route 237. JR Furano Line trains stop at Nakafurano station, and the seasonal Lavender-Batake station opens in summer. Furano is about 10 minutes south by road or rail. Sapporo is about 2.5 hours by car.
Kamikawa region: Asahikawa Airport and Asahikawa Station are useful entry points. Plan the onward journey separately: reaching a railway station is not the same as reaching a flower farm, the Blue Pond or a mountain ropeway. Check seasonal bus services and the last return departure.
When to visit Nakafurano
Mid to late July for peak lavender, with the town festival the same month. Late June for early varieties and fewer people. Autumn brings melon and rice harvests and clear mountain views; winter turns the lavender hill into a small ski slope.
What to eat in Nakafurano
Lavender goes into ice cream, tea, honey and sweets sold everywhere in summer. Melons ripen in July and August, rice and asparagus come from the valley floor, and the town's farm stands sell whatever is in season.
Nakafurano in context: the Kamikawa region
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Kamikawa is a large inland region of Hokkaido that includes Asahikawa, Furano, Biei and gateways to Daisetsuzan National Park. It is also the name of Kamikawa town, where Sounkyo Onsen is located. This page helps you choose between the region's sightseeing areas; use the town guide below if Sounkyo is your destination.
Towns near Nakafurano
Read next
More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro