Farm Restaurant RIVISTA in Sunagawa

By Kazu                                          
     It's very fine and lovely day. At the end of the year 2011, I remember I found very nice Italian restaurant in Sunagawa, Sorachi sub-prefectural area. It is located on the hillside of Sunagawa City and east side of Hokkaido Central Expressway. It is run by a stock farm opposite of this premises.    

 

  Surrounded by the natural environment, the loghouse was built up by the owner of this restaurant and the stock farm. So many guests including tourists from all over Japan enjoy the cuisine and their short stay in this restaurant, sometimes watching birds, foxes and deers from this "hideout" in a literal sense.

Everybody's favorites are Pasta and pizza topped with mozzarella made of fresh milk from the stock farm。

The restaurant is available for lunch meeting or wedding party etc.
Watchig wonderful scenery from the window of this restaurant, would you spent your precious time with your lover, friends or family ? The restaurant is on the hill. The meals are superb.

 
   Shall we have dinner when you visit Hokkaido, Kathleen, Alan, Kurt, Tanya and Arvo ?   

Should I invite you all, Spalatin, Kunmi, Hamad ?    I would like to meet you all again under the sunshine of Africa and Arabian Peninsula. I am in the snow  now in Hokkaido Island, Japan.  The very best of the happiness for you all !  We have to get together  again.As a member of SSSS;)    I will take you to this restaurant and hot spring bath newly opened in this area, Norm.                                                     

 Next year or at your earliest convenience.                                                   

One penny for one square meter !

 
by Alan
Chippubetsu Town in Sorachi sub-prefectural area of Hokkaido is offerring its realestate at a penny for one squaremeter but just for new comer to licve not for the current resident.
The bell tower is the landmark of the town and ring the bell at the top of the tower once an hour.

Next to the tower is the hot spring spa "Chippu Youyu" run by the municipality.The facilty has enough space to sit back and breathe deeply.
Italian-like cold Japanese pasta is very popular in the restaurant of this building. Other than that green pasta and green buckwheat noodle are the products the municipality places the accent to sell. The restaurant is not so big but the quality of the cuisine is superb. Please drop by when you on your way between Asahikawa and Sapporo.
I wish you and your family the very best of happiness in 2012!
Chao!

Heaven in the white snow, Numata, Hokkaido!

By Kazu 
Approximately 2 hour car-drive from Sapporo City
to Numata Town is worthwhile. From Asahikawa, it takes less than 1 hour to this heaven HOROSHIN ONSEN (hot spring spa) , Numata.
High quality rice crop is produced in Numata and adjacent city and town such as Fukagawa City, Takikawa City, Chippubetsu Town, Hokuryu Town, Uryu Town and Moseushi in SORACHI sub-prefectural area.


  

 Different from the central mountainous area in Hokkaido, middle-size mountains with gentle ascents are around these blessed area.
Nowadays, the farmers in these areas are vexed by wild deers ranging and increasing over Hokkaido Island.
Hokkaido Government and each municipalities are struggling with this matter but even the state-of-the-art technology cant fend off this creature.
Let's forget this matter for a while.

 You can find HOROSHIN ONSEN near the camping site of Numata Town. Many visitors want enjoy the therapeutic bath and superb cuisine in this facility.
  In summer, many many light-emitting insects are flying around the river and the museum adjacent to this hotel.
  Of course,  in winter, it is impossible to find the insects flying around this hotel, but the quality of the meals and the hot spring bath will satisfy you all. 

 
From the outside bath, a small river can be seen as well as light-emitting insects in summer. In winter?
It's very calm and just the sound of water flow will soothe the pain of your body and mind.

 
Enough space for adults and families in the room.
If you jog around the hotel, sleeping bears may wake up and greet you with open arms;)
Putting aside the fairy-tale, joggig around this hotel is so comfortable even in winter.



Some cottages are near the hotel.



The road to the dam site from the hotel.



 

 

Would you try cocooning in the hotel in winter?
     I will visit and stay on January 28(Sat.), 2012 with my wife. I wish I could invite the Arabian Dinasty to this area because we could share the same kinds of mentality like in the desert.

   What do you think about it my friend Hamad?

Heavy Snow Now !

by Kazu
This is the sidewalk in Iwamizawa City.
Righthand side is the pavement for vehicles but even buses and trucks can't be seen from the sidewalk because of heavy snow.
How can we stock the snow for summer airconditioning ?
In Bibai City and Numata Town, various kinds of experiment has been done for effective and efficient cooling down to stock crops and data.
We should make it real to make the most of the power of snow.
Have a great happy new year!

Events in January, 2012

。

   

by Kazu

January 1 (Sun.) : Kagaribi-Mai (Bonfire Dance) at     KAKUTA Shirine in Kuriyama Town, Sorachi sub-prefectural area.
   It expresses 2 oriental lions(獅子) and their master hobgoblin called "Shoujou(猩猩)" drinking and managing them. They will show their dance in the premises of the shrine covered with snow, praying for the bumper crops and fending off evils with the sound of the ringing bell that is believed to prevent worldly desires to preoccupy our mind.

January 13(Fri.)-15(Sun.): Giant Slalom ski in Mt.Kamoi ski run, Utashinai Town.

January 14(Sat.) at 11:00-17:00: Sunagawa City winter festival.

January 15(Sun.): Snowball fight chanpion's cup in Yuni Garden,
 Yuni Town.
  
January 28(Sat.) -29(Sun.): Sapporo Open Snowball fight
 in Yuni Garden, Yuni Town.

January29(Sun.) at 10:00 - 14:00 : Zippy Winter festival in Nanporo Town.
                        : Shintotsukawa Snow Festival in Sintotsukawa Town.

Heavy Snow in Iwamizawa but???

 by Kazu
This is my favorite photo that I took in Iwamizawa City in Sorachi sub-prefectural area. The citizens in Iwamizawa City and adjacent area are annoyed by heavy snow everyday in winter but can appreciate such scenery of birch woods and rice field in summer. This is the typical scenery of our mind that can ease the pain of our lives in Japan.
Frogs and insects were singing and winds were touching our hair, body and mind softly.

We also have a nice winery and vineyard in Iwamizawa. HOSUI winery in the outskirts of the city

provides delicious icecream and tastful wine in summer and autumn.  Many tourists visit the winery and enjoy the buena vista of vineyard in the season of the sun.

 We have to remember that this heavy snow in winter will bring the fertile soil and land that can nurture the crops and fruit.


Blue Berry and Straw Berry Icecream 

  


Ice cream vendor in the premises of HOSUI winery



Shall we enjoy the snow much more in this season?  Tomorrow, I will introduce interesting events to be held in Sorachi sub-prefectural area in coming January. See you!

One coin lunch in Yubari.



Yubari Station building that contains tiny cafe in it.



 by Kazu

Have you ever heard of the name "Yubari City"?

It had flourished for years with coalmine industry and Japanese rapid economic development. But, as you may know, coalmine industry nosedived in 1980' because cheap coal from other countries got available even in Japan. 

Coalmine companies flied away from those area leaving many coalmine facility.

To revitalize this area, a certain mayor took the direction to tourism and inviting many tourists. 

The municipality swallowed a hectic amount of subsidies from central government getting their debt increased.As a result, the municipality bankrupted and is now struggling to get out of the bad situation under the young leader elected in last June. 

At the station of Japan Railway System in Yubari, pretty a cafe is giving delicious lunch at reasonable and competitive price, 500 Japanese yen( aapr.6 dollar). You can have pizza, spaghetti, Japanese pizza OKONOMIYAKI, salad and other form of carbohydrate in veyr cozy atomosphere watching the movie film of once-flourished Yubari City.

This is fried doughnuts made by Usagi-ya (Usagi means rabbit in Japanese.) in Yubari City.It is easily broken like a pie-crust that Mary Poppinscalls.  Please try it !

Immediate gratification



Pork steak dish Japanese flavor

  By William
Near the Canadian World, an attractive park run by Ashibetsu City, the Starlight Hotel is providing wonderful cuisine and place of comfort with high quality hot spring bath "onsen" in Japanese.

The level of cuisine is so high according to the questionnaires conducted by travel agency and my tongue.

The hotel is located in the forest and 15 minutes away from Ashibetsu city, Sorachi sub-prefectural area.


"Gatatan" dish

 "Gatatan" dishes are popular and so healty. "Gatatan" means that it contains a various kinds of ingredients. The name is derived from China.Some Japanese Manturian brought this recipe from China. The creamy soup with starch is very hot and  usually served on the noodle soup or fried rice.
  In Ashibetsu City is one of the coalmine area in Hokkaido as well as Yubari City, Akabira City, Mikasa City, Utashinai City and Kamisunagawa Town in Sorachi subprefectural area. "Gatatan" dishes are loved by mainly coalmine worker and engineer.

Coalmine industry nosedived in 1970's, but hectic amout of coal is still under the ground that my be gasified and made for power generating system in the near future.
Please give the support to revitalize the former coalmine area in Sorachi sub-prefectural area. The state-of-the-art technology is breathing in the area even now. I hope incremental changes will occur and the area will be the center of environmentally-friendly energy and flourish.
God, bless the area!






 

Winter illumination at Iwamizawa station!

by Richard 

What a lovely illumination!

Trees are decorated with LED light bulbs in front of Iwamizawa railway station in Sorachi sub-prefectural area. Citizens donated for the light bulbs.It's very cold outside but if you are with your friend or better half,

happy hour will begin. Very famous and popular Yakitori skewer and firepot restaurant "Mifune" is near here.Iwamizawa City and Bibai City are the cities of Yakitori skewer!

Here we go!  

Lunch in Bibai Arte Piazza

by Ran
Arte Piazza is located in the east hillside of Bibai City, Hokkaido.
There are many sculptures produced by Kan Yasuda, worldwide famous artist born in Bibai City, Sorachi sub-prefectural area of Hokkaido,

 The entrance of cafe in Arte Piazza Bibai is like a birdwalk of the building designed by a famous architect 

Everybody can find the cosy space in the cafe, seeing poping fire in the
fireplace.
To grease the proverbial wheels and to enjoy yourself with your better half and kids, it would be a good place to visit.
From the window, wonderful scenery will make you forget the time passing.With enough space and delicious but not heavy lunch, you will have happy time. 

Cheezecake and Choco Chiffon cake are so nice.

Outside is also fantastic even in winter but in summer it's the big blast.

Come and see us in Bibai!

Sapporo Premium

 by Kazu

Mt.Moiwa facilities are renewed and will open on Dec.23(Fri.). Please enjoy the scenery from　top of the mountain and wonderfful buildings.

from Gondola



Renewal  Open of Mt.Moiwa  aerial cableway in Sapporo



 Souvenir shop has not been fulfilled with items but will  be. You will find very attractive souvenirs soon.

 Various kinds of creatures are living in this area.

 

This building is like a church. 

 Ring the bell on top of the Mt.moiwa!

 What a beautiful city!

 What would you wisper having lunch or dinner?

With your friends  or your better half ?

This may be the best place to sit on your knee.

 Food for take out. Yami,yami, yami!

 The renewed building on top of Mt.Moiwa has been added so many functions and will be the new stage for tourists as well as the citizens.

 The clouds and snow started to cover the city.

 Let's get the party started!

 The building like a church is on the side of the mountain.

 The cloud brought 1 meter snow fall on Dec.16 in Iwamizawa City 40 km northeast of Sapporo City.

 So beautyiful scenery will catch your heart . Make the most of this treasure for us all!

Let it snow, let it snow ! But Sapporo city is the only one to have heavy snow among the cities that has over 1 million population on the world.

Where is this?  It is like in Canada.

Blizzard has gone?

The kitchen booth .

The restaurant is so nice and has buena vista! It will be the new dating spot in Sapporo City.

See you again!