Experience Hokkaido’s Farm Fresh Charm

 

However, just 15 minutes from the airport, what greets your eyes is a vast expanse of pastureland and grazing dairy cows. Passing through the grazing grounds of cows and miniature horses, we arrived at a spacious horse farm in the woods—the Northern Horse Park (NORTHERN HORSE PARK).

Tall trees line the forest, and the dark wooden entrance building looks luxurious, stately, yet warm and welcoming. When the sound of hoofbeats clattered, we realized a super tall horse was pulling a carriage, darting through the shadows of the woods behind us.

 

The trees in the pasture are tall, and the deep brown entrance building looks grand yet cozy. When the rhythmic clopping of hooves reached our ears, we noticed a towering horse pulling a carriage, moving swiftly through the shadows of the forest.

The breed, called Kuraishide, has strong legs and thick manes, making it one of the tallest among the farm’s prized stallions. The park’s large horses also include the "Dōsanji," originally draft horses used in farming, as well as various sleek and elegant racing horses and adorable miniature ponies.

 

Throughout the year, the park offers horse-related activities such as carriage rides and guided horseback riding experiences. The carriage ride around the woods lasts about 10 to 15 minutes, and in winter, you can switch to a sleigh ride full of wintry atmosphere. Although the horseback riding experience is only about 5 minutes long, it’s a rare chance to ride a horse and hear stories about their lives from the staff.

The most impressive part is the stable area. Each stall door displays the horse’s name, age, personality, and breed, filled with the scent of hay and horses. The horses either peek out curiously at visitors or are busy grazing and resting, allowing for quiet, close-up observation. If you’re lucky enough to see feeding or hoof trimming, you’ll deeply feel the gentle bond between horses and humans.

 

From the park’s highest point, Fujimi-no-Oka, you can see the vast grazing fields owned by the Northern Horse Park’s parent company. Endless green meadows stretch out with horses of all sizes grazing slowly, and in the distance lies a patch of dark woods. From the observation deck, aside from the lonely sounds of insects in late autumn, the scenery is so quiet and expansive. The imagined northern pastoral atmosphere is slowly unfolding right before your eyes.

We came here intent on seeing the alpacas, but got lost by the vast lakeside. It turns out that for the EKORIN Village, alpacas, sheep, goats, and llamas are all part of the theme, along with gardens and farms, together forming the complete picture of this “village.”

 

After entering EKORIN Village under a wooden archway, you first pass by a group of cows that resemble Scottish Highland cattle, with long hair and large horns, before reaching the entrance to the Galaxy Garden where you can see the alpacas. Following the path toward where the animals are, you first walk past a large flock of sheep with thick wool, busy grazing, then uncertainly cross a beautiful blue lake with clear reflections. Soon after, you’ll see two alpacas with complex expressions, fenced in on the grass.