This area is known for it's fields of flowers, and it didn't disappoint. Added to that is the fact that it's located next to the huge Daisetsuzan National Park. We found so much to do in thid area we had to really narrow down what we wanted to see.
To get to this area we started out in Hakodate, and we needed to get to our airbnb in Asahikawa (our base for this area. It's a long drive, so of course we planned out a few fun, meaningful stops. Our friends were also doing a road trip in Hokkaido, but on their way out, and we wanted to meet up with them. We decided on meeting at Jigokundani (Hell valley). There was even a devil to greet us after we got off the freeway. Hell valley is full of sulfur vents and hot springs. The valley itself was steamy and colorful, but even more spectacular to me was the large hotspring lake we hiked up to. It was huge. Then on our way back we soaked our feet in a foot bath. The footbath was wonderful and was the perfect temperature.
Back on the road we decided to make one stop in Sapporo on our way to Asahikawa. We went to the Saporro temple. It was lovely and had a wonderful spirit there. Glad we stopped by. In Asahikawa we found a fun yakitori place and ordered all sorts of fun food on a stick.
The next day we decided to get outside and moving since we had done a lot of driving the day before. Our first stop was Asahidake Ropeway. The views were lovely with an hour loop around the basin. We decided not to hike to the top of the peak since it was clouded in. But we did get a brief glance at the top of the peak when the clouds parted. This hike was truely amazing. One of my favorite things on the whole trip. I have missed being at the top of a mountain that is not covered with trees, but open to vast views. So glad this one fit my need.
After we stopped by Shikisai no Oka, with it's fields of rainbow flowers in Biei. We were not expecting the kids to be too excited about it, but after we did a tractor tour and fed the llamas they asked to walk over to the farther hill of flowers and it was so fun to enjoy it with everyone.
Before heading back to Asahikawa we stopped at the Blue Pond nearby and the Sirahige waterfall. Both locations had the bluest water. I'm assuming that the color was from minerals from hot springs. The pond was great to see the color, but to me the waterfall was really more breathtaking.
We headed back to Asahidake to eat yummy ramen and get a good night's sleep. Our kids really loved our Airbnb, because it had toys and all kinds snacks ready for us, so they were glad to stay a couple of nights there. The next morning we had to say goodbye as we were moving on.
Our first stop on our way out was Sounkyo Gorge. It was a misty day, but not raining so we were hopefull. It's a beautiful drive looking at the cliffs around the gorge. We first hopped on the Kurodake Ropeway. We saw the view up to the first station and we were able to see the mountain slope down and then drop off into cliffs. We also saw a deer. Then up above, we decided to keep going, but ended up being completely swallowed by fog. We did a little hike with hopes to see a waterfall, but it was a view from across a valley and we at first thought a tree was the waterfall because the visibility was so bad. We did find a mushroom that looked like a pancake too.
After we went to see Ryusei and Ginga Waterfalls. They were absolutely stunning twin waterfalls down the cliffs. We didn't stay too long because we were getting rained on. So we moved on to Oobaka, a narrow box canyon. We enjoyed the view while we picniked in the car (it was pouring down rain by this point). And we had a lovely discussion about God's creations.
After those stops we drove over to Teshikaga and got an early dinner. We went into a small family restaurant that had pasta/pizza and some Japanese dishes as well. It was the first time we felt a huge language barier. They didn't really speak too much English (understandable) and their menu was handwritten which made it really hard to use google translate. But we did our best and narrowed it down at least to the different sections on the menu. The food was a hit and everyone was happy when we arrived at our new home for the next 4 nights. And what a lovely cabin it was. It had it's own private onsen, plenty of space and a big yard for the kids to play in.
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