Date City, in the Iburi region of southwestern Hokkaido, is nicknamed ‘the Shonan of Hokkaido’ for its remarkably mild climate. The city was founded by the Watari-Date clan from the Sendai Domain, and its Edo-period heritage lends it a gentler, more refined atmosphere than much of Hokkaido. The Kitakogane Shell Mound (a national historic site) preserves Jomon-era traces. One of Hokkaido’s few areas where plum trees thrive, Date stages a rare and delightful plum blossom season in spring. With Mt. Usu, Mt. Showa-shinzan, and Lake Toya visible on the horizon, the city enjoys one of the best panoramic positions in southern Hokkaido. Warm-climate farming produces excellent melons, strawberries, and vegetables \u2014 farm-direct sales and pick-your-own experiences are a popular draw.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Date City, in the Iburi region of southwestern Hokkaido, is nicknamed ‘the Shonan of Hokkaido’ for its remarkably mild climate. The city was founded by the Watari-Date clan from the Sendai Domain, and its Edo-period heritage lends it a gentler, more refined atmosphere than much of Hokkaido. The Kitakogane Shell Mound (a national historic site) preserves Jomon-era traces. One of Hokkaido’s few areas where plum trees thrive, Date stages a rare and delightful plum blossom season in spring. With Mt. Usu, Mt. Showa-shinzan, and Lake Toya visible on the horizon, the city enjoys one of the best panoramic positions in southern Hokkaido. Warm-climate farming produces excellent melons, strawberries, and vegetables […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1300],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-62422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-hokkaido"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\n