Horokanai Town

• Hokkaido
• Area Info
• Sightseeing
• Accommodation
• Food
• Activities
• Nature
• Festivals & Events
• Spring
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• Autumn
• Winter

Horokanai Town, in the Uryu district of northern Hokkaido, proudly holds the title of Japan's largest soba (buckwheat) cultivation area. In late August to early September, the rolling farmland is carpeted with pure white soba blossoms in a display that feels like the original, unspoiled Hokkaido landscape. 'Horokanai Soba' is of such exceptional quality that several local soba restaurants have been listed in the Michelin Guide. The 'New Soba Festival' held each autumn attracted soba lovers from across Japan. Lake Shumarinai — Japan's largest oxbow lake — is revered as the home of the elusive legendary fish 'Itou' (Huchen taimen), and the lake is treasured for ice fishing in winter and lakeside camping in summer. Counted among Japan's 'Three Great Secret Lakes,' Shumarinai's mystical, untouched atmosphere makes it a pilgrimage for photographers and nature lovers. Soba, a secret lake, and pristine wilderness — Horokanai is northern Hokkaido's best-kept secret.