In this tour, you will visit the Shiawase Cheese Factory and Arigatou Farm, a free-range dairy farm located in Ashoro Town. You can take a walk across the vast pastures, experience the herding of the cows, watching the cattle milking process, and try your hand at making mozzarella cheese. It’s a great way to experience daily life in a dairy farm.

Shiawase Cheese Factory is a small factory situated in the grounds of Arigatou Farm. Operated by Sachio Honma, he uses the raw milk of Arigatou Farm to produce various kinds of cheese using traditional methods he learned in Europe. You can learn about their cheesemaking process and even buy their cheese products.

Afterwards, you can enjoy a cheese sandwich and some iced coffee or milk while admiring the view at the terrace. The baguette sandwich is filled with the factory’s famous Sachi cheese, which was awarded in the Japan Cheese Awards 2020 and the World Cheese Awards 2022.

You will then move to Arigatou Farm, a free-range dairy farm which raises their cows on open pastures for most of the year (a rarity for dairy farms in Hokkaido). You will first visit the family house where you can try your hand at making mozzarella cheese from cheese curds. You can eat it as is or seasoned with olive oil and black pepper. You can also enjoy the farm’s fresh milk.

After the cheesemaking experience, the farm staff will take you on a walk across the vast pastures to enjoy the scenic views from the top of a hill. You can then join the herding of the cows for their afternoon milking and watch the farm’s milking process in the milking parlor.

Note: All images are for illustration purposes only. Your actual experience may vary.

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