Deep Local Lifestyle Trip in Hiroo Town
The coastal town of Hiroo in southern Tokachi is blessed with the bounties of the Hidaka mountains as well as the Pacific Ocean. Its main industries include fisheries, dairy farming, forestry, and hunting. This 3D2N tour takes you around Hiroo Town to get an immersive experience of the lives of local farmers, fishermen, forest workers, and hunters. You also get to enjoy the delicious local cuisine that includes fresh seafood and game meat.
On the first day, you will experience the forestry industry of Hiroo Town by going on a guided snowshoe trek into a forest that is a source of lumber. Learn about the work of a forest worker while taking in the sights and sounds of the forest in winter. You will also pick up some scrap lumber in the lumber yard to use as materials for a woodcraft activity. You can try making your very own wooden plate which you can take home as a souvenir.
For dinner, you can indulge in a luxurious dinner that includes plenty of fresh local seafood.
The second day takes you into the local kombu fishing industry. Hirokazu Hoshi, a local kombu kelp fisherman, will show you the kombu harvesting and drying grounds, while telling you all about the local kombu industry. You can also experience some tasks involved in kombu kelp production. For lunch, you can enjoy onigiri rice balls seasoned with kombu and other seafood.
In the afternoon, you can take a peek into the local dairy industry. You will visit Kikuchi Farm, a dairy farm that operates their own cafe. Here you can try making butter that is seasoned with local Hiroo kombu. For dinner, you can savor a full-course dinner made with local ingredients, prepared by a famous local chef.
Finish the second day with a stay at the Seaside House, a multipurpose facility situated by the coast.
Begin the final day of the tour with an activity that lets you get in touch with the hunting industry. Under the guidance of local hunter Maya Nakamura, you can try making your very own ring from deer antlers. You will also learn how to prepare fish and cut up and debone deer meat.
The grand finale of the tour is a special barbecue lunch by the seaside. After preparing the seafood and venison and starting the barbecue fire on your own, you can enjoy a sumptuous feast filled with the local specialties of Hiroo Town.
This immersive 3D2N tour lets you meet the locals and take a deep dive into the industries and food of Hiroo Town.
Note: All images are for illustration purposes only. Your actual experience may vary.
Schedule
Day 1 | |
13:00 | Meetup at JR Obihiro Station, transfer to Hiroo Town |
14:30 |
Guided snowshoe trek to a lumber forest |
15:30 |
Wood lantern making using scrap lumber |
17:00 | Check-in at local hotel |
18:30 | Local seafood dinner |
Overnight stay at local hotel |
Day 2 | |
9:00 |
Kombu harvesting ground and drying facility tour, work experience |
11:00 |
Onigiri rice ball making with kombu and seafood, lunch |
13:00 | Shopping for barbecue food at a local grocery |
14:00 | Rest at Seaside House |
16:00 |
Kombu butter making at Kikuchi Farm |
17:30 |
Hiroo special dinner course prepared by a famous chef |
Overnight stay at Seaside House |
Day 3 | |
10:00 |
Deer antler craft making |
11:00 |
Deer meat and seafood cutting, barbecue preparation |
12:30 |
Hiroo special barbecue |
14:00 | Depart from Seaside House |
15:30 | Tour finish at JR Obihiro Station |