However, there's such a wealth of beautiful scenery around here anyway, it doesn't matter too much. Over the last 2 days I visited the Biei and Furano areas and walked around both, and they were so different from the rest of Japan, I wondered if I'd somehow ended up in rural France.
This area in central Hokkaido (and it is central - the town I visited today, Furano, is located around the exact geographical centrepoint of Hokkaido) is mainly agricultural. From what I can gather, crops here are mainly potatoes (not suprisingly given it's close proximity to Russia), onions (the area around Furano is almost entirely made up of fields of onions, as you'll see) and grapes (Furano contains both a winery and a grape juice factory). It also seems big on pastural farming and today I dropped into a cheese, butter and ice-cream factory up in the hills. Aside from farming, there is very little here.
Until you get to the mountains. The mountains in central Hokkaido (many of them in the Daisetsuzan National Park) make for some amazing sights when set against the rolling agricultural landscape in front, and photos describe it better than words can, so I'll leave it up to them...
And some other assorted images:
One of the active volcanoes in Daisetsuzan National Park (the name evades me right now but I will find out)
A monument at the 'Birthplace of Furano Onions', apparently
'Cheese of World', courtesy of the Furano Cheese Factory/Museum
Proof that grapes and wine production are a big deal here
A momument in Furano marking the exact geographical centre of the island of Hokkaido.
Anyway, that about does it for today. More soon, whenever I get the chance.
James
