Check out the JR Pass: https://click.jrpass.com/aff_c?offer_id=19&aff_id=1131
Complete road trip playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzfzbhn_W7Cs1JVs2Jmw6xO2Q2H6fSTDq
Biei & Furano video: https://youtu.be/3iZHZxEShqQ
Asahiyama Zoo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7555sZwkTeI&t=2s
Timestamps:
Intro: 0:00-0:25
Day 16 (Biei, Minami Furano, Otofuke): 0:25-3:01
Day 17 (Otofuke, Shihoro, Kamishihoro, Ashoro, Honbetsu, Kushiro, Shibecha) 3:01-7:18
Outro: 7:18-7:52
In days 16 and 17 of our road trip, we begin our day at the campground in Biei, getting a stamp from the nearby michi no eki. After, we drive down the road to the Shirahige Waterfall, and take in the nature. We pile back in the car to make a stop at the lesser known Fudo no Taki, and the kids and I play in the river.
In being given the option for another bike ride or to join my host family at the pool, I take the latter, and we tire ourselves out at the hotel’s pool, then eat a delicious lunch in the canteen.
After that, we begin our roadside stop tour by first heading about an hour south to Minami Furano (South Furano). There, we check out the michi no eki, remarking the influence the topography has on its products, as there were tons of bear bells and keychains with bears on them at this particular stop, a nod to the wildlife of the area. We pick up some snacks, drop by a conbini to pick up some dinner, then stay the night at a hotel parking lot in Otofuke.
The next day, the hotel allows us to shower, eat breakfast, and then we head across the street to yet another michi no eki with a fully equipped spa. We drive a bit and come to another roadside stop, its namesake derived from the town’s name (Otofuke). The journey continues as we stop in Shihoro at another stop, with a bunch of delicious looking local foods, and a cafe selling super yummy fig smoothies, among other things.
In a little bit, we come to Kamishihoro, and find a modern, open plan michi no eki, complete with a bakery, all kinds of unique fabrics, and white strawberries! From Kamishihoro, we head on over to Ashoro, and come across a michi no eki with a history as a train station, lots of products surrounding Chiharu Matsuyama, a folk singer native to the region, as well as a demonstration with monkeys and their trainers to entertain guests outside.
Our last michi no eki of the day is in Honbetsu, a small town known for its soybeans, and its dynamic mascot, Genki-kun to further promote the agricultural sector. We end our busy day at an observatory in Kushiro, meant to give visitors a chance to marvel at the sheer magnitude of Kushiro Shitsugen, Japan’s largest marshland. We head north of Kushiro to Shibecha, to bunk for the night at a priest’s shrine, and prepare to have the RV blessed for a safe trip in the morning.
Thank you to everyone who watched until the end, and I hope you enjoyed! If you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop them down below. If you enjoyed this video, and would like to see more of the journey, don’t forget to subscribe ~ Thank you again, and I’ll see you in the next one!
Michi no Eki Biei Shirogane Biruke: https://biei-info.jp/biruke/
Shirahige Waterfall: https://town.biei.hokkaido.jp/about/event/illuminate.html
Fudo no Taki Waterfall: https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g1120350-d8671145-Reviews-Fudo_no_Taki_Waterfal-Biei_cho_Kamikawa_gun_Hokkaido.html
Minami Furano Michi no Eki: https://hokkaido-michinoeki.jp/michinoeki/222/
Garden Tokachigawa Onsen: http://www.tokachigawa.jp/
Otofuke Roadside Stop: https://hokkaido-michinoeki.jp/michinoeki/825/
Pier 21 Shihiro: https://pia21shihoro.jp/
Michi No Eki Kamishihoro: https://en.visit-hokkaido.jp/destinations/michi-no-eki-kamishihoro-a-michi-no-eki-with-lots-of-food-made-from-local-tokachi-area-ingredients
Lake Ashoro: https://www.hokkaido-michinoeki.jp/michinoeki/426/
Ashoro Galaxy Hall: https://hokkaido-michinoeki.jp/michinoeki/2639/
Stella Honbetsu: https://www.hokkaido-michinoeki.jp/michinoeki/3021/
Kushiro Marsh Observatory: https://ja.kushiro-lakeakan.com/things_to_do/3639/
Music (in order):
“First Day of Fall” — Aves: https://artlist.io/song/80921/first-day-of-fall
“Fried Eggs” — Aves: https://artlist.io/song/80922/fried-eggs
“Marshmallows” — Aves: https://artlist.io/br/song/97385/marshmallows
“Bubble Bath” — Aves: https://artlist.io/song/97386/bubble-bath
“The Next One – Instrumental Version” — Keston Wright: https://artlist.io/song/15395/the-next-one