Escape the heat in Hokkaido: admire purple flowers and sea of clouds for a cool summer getaway

By MOOK Scenic Spots Family Travel Life Network Editorial Team
 

Every June, when Hokkaido is at its most vibrant and colorful, Biei Town and Furano transform into a vast ocean of blossoms. Purple lavender blooms proudly, while a variety of colorful flowers create rainbow-hued hills that are simply breathtaking. Beyond the flower fields, Hokkaido’s famous Sea of Clouds Café offers another stunning summer spectacle — majestic rolling clouds that surge around you, providing a thrilling sensation of floating among the clouds.

Located at the Sea of Clouds Platform at Hoshino Resorts Tomamu in Hokkaido, this attraction has been open since 2012. With a single ticket, visitors can take a cable car directly to the platform. Ascending to an altitude of 1,088 meters, guests can enjoy up-close views of the surging sea of clouds while sipping coffee and starting their day surrounded by paradise-like scenery. The best viewing time is around dawn at 6 or 7 AM, when a snow-white blanket of clouds gradually reveals the Tokachi and Daisetsuzan mountain ranges emerging from the mist. Please note that depending on weather conditions, the sea of clouds may not be visible or the platform may be closed. Visitors planning to go are advised to call the Unkai Dial (Sea of Clouds Hotline) or check the official Hoshino Resorts Tomamu website for the day’s operating status and cloud-sea visibility probability.

Beyond the sea of clouds, summer flower fields are also a must-see scenic wonder. Among the most popular flower-viewing spots are Biei Town and Furano. Located in the Kamikawa region of central Hokkaido, Biei Town is famed for its picturesque rolling hills and expansive fields of blooms, making it one of the top tourist destinations in Hokkaido. A rich tapestry of flowers creates a vibrant, quilt-like landscape, woven together by lavender, sunflowers, poppies, cosmos, and purple sage. Among the many attractions, Patchwork Road and Shikisai no Oka (Seasonal Colors Hill) are especially beloved for their stunning flower-filled views, along with the mesmerizing panoramas seen from the hilltops overlooking the horizon.

Another favorite among visitors is Furano, located right in the heart of Hokkaido. Known for its year-round beautiful scenery, it offers not only endless fields of lavender but also blooms that start as early as May, including lupines and tulips. Blue sage and yellow poppies follow in June, while romantic lavender begins to paint the region in a dreamy purple from late June, peaking in July. Sunflowers and cosmos shine brightly under the summer sun, and come September and October, fields of rapeseed flowers and dahlias add more colorful sights to enjoy.