√ Full-service outdoor playground
√ Lower humidity means even drier powder snow
√ Authentic local culture and hospitality
Winter guests visit the city of Furano for skiing and snowboarding, both locally and nearby at backcountry spots and other resorts around the Hokkaido Powder Belt. Smaller and more intimate than Asahikawa, around 60 kilometres to the north, it is the perfect destination for those wishing to immerse themselves in the authentic charms of Hokkaido’s rural countryside, while enjoying a wide variety of activities and full facilities on a snow holiday.
The fresh powder, great food and welcoming country hospitality make Furano a quality snow holiday destination. Furano Ski Resort is where the action is, with an average of seven metres of fine, dry powder snow to be enjoyed over the season. Snow quality at the resort is among the best on Hokkaido, thanks to lower humidity and temperature levels than resorts near the coast. When the temperature drops drastically during a storm, the snow turns into champagne powder and remains fresh for long afterwards. On clear days, the humidity in the air crystallises to create sparkles of diamond dust in the bluebird sky.
Furano’s winter activities also include authentic Japanese cultural performances and workshops during the peak of the season from January to February. Music, theatre and dance performances are held in the Kitanomine Zone of Furano Ski Resort, and there is also a workshop program including calligraphy and tea ceremony.
For veteran skiers and snowboarders, Furano is an ideal base for venturing further into Daisetsuzan National Park with a local guide, and exploring some of Japan’s best backcountry. Asahidake, Kurodake and Tokachidake, are legendary areas of the park for deep powder, and rustic alpine hot spring inns. As well as skiing and snowboarding, guiding companies run kite skiing trips into the backcountry – a combination of ski touring, snow kiting and speed riding, which gives the ultimate experience of freedom in the winter landscape. Kite skiers can ride lines that usually look inaccessible; a cliff in the middle of a line, for example, can easily be glided down, to land at the bottom and continue riding. With the right wind conditions, climbing mountains with a kite is also faster than hiking – and sometimes even faster than resort lifts!
With its enchanting array of highlights all year round, mixing the wild and untamed with the warm and welcoming, Furano captures the essence of an unforgettable Japanese snow holiday in unique style.
How long is the journey from?
New Chitose Airport: 2 hrs 40 min (train)
Asahikawa Airport: 1 hr 10 min (bus)
Further Information
http://www.furanotourism.com/en
Alpine Visitor Center
The Furano Alpine Visitor Center is best known for their adventurous outdoor activities for groups and families in our rustic style lodging. It’s the perfect destination to unwind in any Japanese season, with a magnificent view of the Taisetsuzan Range and a smoking volcano.
They have indulged their guests for nearly two decades, offering them a rise above the world in a spectacular Hot Air Balloon, as well as their exhilarating night tours. They also provide a private transfer service to and from New Chitose and Asahikawa airports for convenient travel.
Alpine Visitor Center Backpackers Inn
14-6 Kitanomine-chou, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-22-1311
Email: alpine@m6.dion.ne.jp
Open: 9:00am-9:00pm
http://www.alpn.co.jp/furano/index.html
Furano Natulux Hotel
Furano Natulux Hotel is the perfect stay to relax and recuperate on your holiday. The hotel has designed their resort to balance nature with relaxation – it’s the getaway that every family and traveller needs – to unwind, take a step back and to ponder in the quiet, calm lifestyle this hotel has to offer.
Guests have access to the ‘Relax Spa’, a large, Japanese-style bath for all. This spa uses high quality water that is skin-friendly and rejuvenating after a long day of travelling and caters to male and female oriented spaces for comfortability. Inside the spa, guests can choose a serene bedrock bath, and women can spoil themselves with facials, and foot and body treatments.
The hotel guest rooms are beautifully designed with chic colours, with a warm, wooden appeal. The restaurant is the next best place to energise with fresh food locally sourced from Furano to ensure your stay is authentic.
The hotel is 1-minute from JR Furano Station with a 24-hour hospital only 5-minutes away. With free parking, and a beautiful space to re-energise, this peaceful hotel has everything you need.
Furano Natulux Hotel
1-35 Asahi-Cho, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-22-1777
Email: info@natulux.com
http://www.natulux.com/en/about/index.html
Chalet Burlap Furanui
Chalet Burlap Furanui is a friendly and charming hotel and a great choice for travelers looking for a ski holiday or a journey through nature on summer holidays!
The hotel is located at Kitanomine, the north base of Mt. Furano-Nishi. It’s just 5-minute walk away from the nearest Kitanomine ski zone. There is magnificent powder snow in the winter and stunning views of the Lavender and various flower farms in the summer.
The cosy rooms at Chalet Burlap Furanui feature a scenic mountain view and fitted with air conditioning, a fridge, a kettle, complimentary toiletries and other amenities.
Free Wi-Fi is also available throughout the premises.
The hotel has the ONLY Thoron Onsen in all of Furano which offers great relaxation after a full day of skiing or sight-seeing.Skis and snowboards storage facilities are also available. Chalet Burlap Furanui is 350 meters from the Kitanomine ski lift and 3.9 km from the Furano ski lift. It is 35 km or 45-minute drive from the very famous hot spring area – Tokachi Onsen. Chalet Burlap Furanui is a two hours drive from New Chitose Airport by highway and one hour drive from Asahikawa Airport.
Chalet Burlap Furanui
Kitanomine-cho 13-15, furanoshi, hokkaido 076-0034
Phone: +81-167-22-2480
E-mail: info@burlapfuranui.com
https://www.burlapfuranui.com
Hotel Highland Furano
Hotel Highland Furano is an incredible destination for all travellers and has an extensive range of services. The hotel caters to all, with Western and Japanese style rooms available, as well as accessibility rooms.
Guests can dine at the restaurant with an amazing view of the surrounding land. All food is prepared fresh and sourced from Furano’s local produce, and they provide a delicious variety of Western and Japanese meals.
An open air hot spring can be found in the middle of the forest near the hotel, and guests can relax and admire the beauty of the Tokachi-dake peaks.
Hotel Highland Furano
Shimanoshita, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-22-5700
Email: highland@furano.ne.jp
http://www.highland-furano.jp
Tsuru Apartments
Tsuru Apartments is an affordable, non-smoking hotel located 300 metres from Furano Ski Resort, equipped with every facility one needs: a spacious room with a kitchen, free wi-fi, free on-site parking, plus ski passes and ski lesson services, so you can brush up on your skills before hitting the slopes!
The hotel is located in a prime area for sightseeing – only 5 minutes away from the Furano Cheese Studio and the Furano Wine Factory. Guests are attended to by hospitable staff.
Tsuru Apartments
10-16 Kitanomine-Cho, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-23-1618
Email: tsuru.apartments@gmail.com
http://tsuru-apartments.whitesnow.jp
Toyota Rent-a-Car Furano Branch
Make your stay in Japan convenient and hassle-free for your family and friends with the Toyota Rent-A-Car at the Furano Branch. Renting a car makes travelling even more enjoyable as you can access almost any location, especially those distant from public transport.
Toyota Rent-A-Car cater to everyone, with vehicles suitable for any group. They provide a variety of small and large cars, SUVs, wagons, buses, trucks and even accessibility vehicles all at reasonable prices.
Bookings can be placed through your smartphone on their app, on their website, or you can give them a call on the English-speaking line below.
For Enquiries (English speaking line)
Toyota Rent-a-Car Furano Branch
2-15 Hinode-town, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-03-5954-8020 (Open 8am-8pm)
Open: Apr-Oct 8am-8pm / Nov-Mar 9am-6pm
(Closed Jan 1-Jan 4)
http://rent.toyota.co.jp
Kumagera
Feast your appetite on Furano’s local Japanese cuisine from Kumagera restaurant – the perfect eatery catering to every tourist. Founded in 1980, Kumagera is famous for portraying the town of Furano through the ages. The name ‘Kumagera’, is also known as a black woodpecker, which is Furano’s native bird. The restaurant is beautifully decorated with stones from Furano’s fields, and the rustic beams along the ceiling were taken from the town’s river. Their curtains have even been dyed from the skins of Furano’s classic onions.
Kumagera caters to all and you can enjoy traditional Japanese dishes including Sanzoku Nabe, steamed Furano potatoes, tempura, sukiyaki and Hokkaido salmon roe on a bed of rice, plus many more mouth-watering meals fused with the Furano way of life.
Delicious local sake is available in their basement bar where you can try Kumagera’s original rice wine, Komakusa (sho-chu). There are a variety of Furano wines you can try, as well as Furano grape juice.
Kumagera beautifully symbolises the meaning and origin of the town of Furano, and for those looking for appetising meals and the chance to delve deeper into the history of the Furano culture, this is the place to go.
Kumagera
3-22 Hinobe, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-39-2345
Open: 7 days / 11:30am-midnight
http://www.furano.ne.jp/kumagera
Tomikawa Seimensho
At both of Tomikawa Seimenjo’s locations, all dishes are made without the use of artificial flavours, sourcing local ingredients and applying years of knowledge to create some truly scrumptious and yet satisfying dishes.
They use only noodles made in-house with flour sourced locally in Furano and a miso blend of three types of non-preservative Hokkaido miso. Safe in the knowledge that what you eat will be filled with both fresh ingredients and traditional Japanese know-how, picking which dish to order might be your only concern.
The ever-popular and scrumptious soy ramen stands out as the customers’ favourite dish in terms of popularity; however, the chef’s top choice is the delicious, rich miso ramen.
Why not take a moment to head on over to TripAdvisor and check out the thoughts left by satisfied customers? The reviews certainly speak for themselves!
There are two locations, with one in Furano and another conveniently, Departure Gate No.12 (Open 7 days 8am-9pm), located in the domestic terminal of the New Chitose Airport.
Tomikawa Seimensho
12-22 Hinode-cho, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-0167-23-1965
Open: Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri / 11am-3pm & 5pm-8pm
Weekend & Public Holidays / 11am-8pm
http://www.furanotomikawa.com
Kodamaya Sobadokoro
If you’re looking for the best soba restaurant in Furano, Kodomaya Sobadokoro is the place to go. The restaurant is large, seating over one hundred people, and guests can choose between Western or Japanese style dining.
The soba is made from two kinds of specially selected buckwheat flour, and the menu is full of delicious items like Scallop Tempura Soba, and many tourists’ favourite: Super Shrimp. They even have a children’s menu.
The staff are friendly, and their service is attentive and helpful. The restaurant happily welcomes guests from all over the world to try their food.
Flagship Store
5-1 Saiwaicho, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-23-1234
Open: 11am-8:30pm / Closed Tue
Branch store
12-10 Saiwaicho, Furano, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-22-2876
Open: 11am-8:30pm / Closed Wed
Yuiga Doxon and Yama-no Doxon
Foodies visiting Furano will want to try out these two restaurants!
Yuiga Doxon is a restaurant created with Furano’s abundance of nature and delicious produces in mind. They specialise in Japanese curry and rice, in fact it’s so popular that many wait in line for their curry!
The sister restaruant in Kitanomine-Cho, Yama-no Doxon is a izakaya style eatery. It’s a boutique brewery so you know the beer is going to be fresh and delicious. The owner has also curated a tasty food menu featuring snacks made with the restaurant’s own recipes, to accompany his especially selected menu of drinks.
Yuiga Doxon
11-8 Hinode-machi, Furano City, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-23-4784
Open: 11:00am-9:00pm (L.O. 8.45pm)
Closed Mon
http://doxon.jp
Yama-no Doxon
20-29 Kitanomine-Cho, Furano City, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-22-5599
Open: 5:00pm-10:00pm (L.O. 9:30pm), Sat&Sun Lunch 11:30am-2:00pm (L.O. 2:00pm)
Closed Mon
http://doxon.jp/group.html
Goto Sumio Museum
For all appreciators of art, creativity, history and Japanese culture, Goto Sumio Museum is the finest exhibition one can visit in Japan. Famous artist Sumio Goto, is a leading influential Japanese illustrator and master of Nihonga, and the gallery showcases over 130 pieces of his talented works.
Born in 1930, Sumio Goto began his voluminous career as a creative worker at elementary schools in Saitama prefecture. Working under Japanese painters Kyunjin Yamamoto and Seihyou Tanaka, he was fascinated with the vision of landscapes, Sumio Goto travelled around Hokkaido, seeking visual influences and inspirations to use in his work. Over the course of his career, Sumio Goto received several recommendations and awards for his pieces, and is a globally renowned artist for his ground-breaking mastery of the Nihonga art style and an honorary member of the Japan Visual Arts Academy.
The museum’s restaurant, Furano Grill, shares the view of the external mountain range with every dining visitor. Guests are met with beautiful panoramic views of the Tokachidake peaks and the Furano Valley where lunch and sweets are made from the local produce of Furano and Biei – this is an exquisite dining experience that is a feast for all senses.
Goto Sumio Museum of Art, Furano
Kita 26 Higashi 4, Kamifurano, Sorachi-gun, Hokkaido
Phone: +81-167-45-6181
Email: hokkaido@gotosumiomuseum.com
Open: 9:00am-5:00pm (Nov-Mar 9:00am-4:00pm）
http://gotosumiomuseum.com
