Introduction to today's journey
Today's journey takes me from Sapporo exploring the mountains of Furano, firstly to a zoo in the middle of the island before heading into the mountains to Farm Tomita and the Furano Resort. From there we continue through the mountains until reaching the city of Abashiri along the remote coast of the Sea of Okhotsk.
Today's Journey
 |
Departing the overcast Sapporo in the early morning to head across the island. |
 |
Heading out into the country towards Furano. Much of Hokkaido is mountainous and covered with native forest. The sheltered valleys are filled with small rice farms producing during the short growing season. |
 |
Stopping at the very colourful Farm Tomita with its spectacular fields of colourful flowers of all sorts of colours. |
 |
Heading up to the Furano Ski Resort. There is no snow on the mountains at this time of year. Within the resort are these log cabin shops set into the forest. |
 |
It is a beautiful setting here in the forest with cascading streams flowing down the mountainside. This would be amazing when covered in snow in winter. |
 |
Heading north to Asahikawa in the centre of the island we stop at Asahiyama Zoo. This is a Japanese snow monkey. |
 |
Polar bear in the zoo. It is very warm today, but it does cool to about -30 degrees in winter here with snow on the ground at least half of the year. |
 |
From Asahikawa we continue across the island in increasingly mountainous and remote terrain on this young volcanic island. |
 |
Passing one of several lakes as we cross the island. We pass the pine forest from where the frames of Yamaha pianos are made. |
 |
Eventually we reach Lake Abashiri as the sun sets. Shortly afterward we arrive at today's destination in Abashiri on the shores of the Sea of Okhotsk along the north eastern side of Hokkaido. |
|
