Tokachi & Obihiro Campervan Guide | Flower Fields, Gourmet Food, and Driving Across Vast Plains

The Appeal of Traveling the Tokachi & Obihiro Area by Campervan

The Tokachi and Obihiro area is one of the places in Hokkaido where you can experience “truly authentic rural scenery.” The sweeping agricultural land, ranches, and flower fields stretching to the horizon offer an overwhelming sense of scale reminiscent of the European countryside. Far removed from the crowds typical of tourist destinations, you can drive while breathing the same air as the people who live here — that is the greatest appeal of traveling through Tokachi by campervan.

It is also one of Japan’s premier treasure troves of produce. Wheat, potatoes, beans, dairy products, and Japanese beef. Every time you stop at a Roadside Station or farm-direct shop, you will be amazed at how such high-quality ingredients can be purchased at these prices. Because you can cook inside your campervan, you can enjoy meals made with local ingredients every evening.

Also, because Tokachi has little of the feel of a tourist destination, the “essence of Hokkaido” remains intact. For those seeking a quiet and expansive Hokkaido that differs from the Lake Shikotsu and Chuo area, this region is particularly recommended.

Recommended Sightseeing Spots in the Tokachi & Obihiro Area

Tokachi has a garden tour route called the “Garden Road,” which attracts many travelers especially during the flower season (June to September). With a campervan, moving between gardens is smooth and you can visit several in a single day.

• Manabe Garden (Obihiro City): Known as the starting point of the Garden Road, this garden features conifers and presents different expressions through the four seasons. It is composed of three zones — a Japanese garden, a Western garden, and a landscape garden — and is well regarded for its scale and high level of completion.
• Rokkatei no Mori (Nakasatsunai Village): A garden embodying the world of Rokkatei confectionery. Galleries displaying original artworks of the brand’s wrapping paper are scattered throughout grounds filled with handkerchief trees and wildflowers.
• Shichiku Garden (Obihiro City): A private flower garden with approximately 2,000 varieties in bloom. The garden, still tended by owner Akiyo Shichiku even past the age of 90, possesses a beauty brimming with vitality.
• Kofuku Station & Aikoku Station (Former National Railway): A lucky-charm spot that became famous with the catchphrase “From the Land of Love to Happiness.” The former station buildings are preserved, and commemorative tickets and ema votive plaques are popular.
• Obihiro Racecourse (Banei Racing): The world’s only race involving draft horses (ban horses). The unique racing style, where horses pull iron sleds over inclines, simply cannot be seen anywhere else. The food stalls inside the venue are also excellent.

Enjoying Tokachi Gourmet and Local Produce

Obihiro is a city of food. Long-established butadon (pork rice bowl) restaurants line the streets, and Indian curry is a soul food that locals eat several times a week. The food culture rooted in the local community rather than oriented toward tourists heightens the authentic feeling of travel.

• Butadon (Pork Rice Bowl): The signature dish of Obihiro. A bowl of charcoal-grilled pork loin coated in sweet and savory sauce is an unforgettable taste once you try it. “Panchou” is a long-established restaurant that always draws a queue.
• Indian Curry: The soul food of Obihiro. With multiple locations in the city, this curry chain is something locals eat on a daily basis and has become widely known among tourists as well.
• Rokkatei & Ryugetsu: The home base of Hokkaido’s famous confectionery brands is in Obihiro. Flagship stores also carry limited-edition sweets, making for an enjoyable shopping experience.
• Roadside Station “Nakasatsunai”: Well stocked with locally grown vegetables for direct purchase. You can buy freshly harvested asparagus, corn, potatoes, and more.
• Yotsuba Milk & Nakasho Dairy: Tokachi-produced milk, butter, and cheese available at factory-direct prices. With a portable refrigerator in your campervan, buying in bulk is entirely possible.

Campgrounds & Overnight Car Camping Spots in Tokachi

Roadside Stations and RV parks are dotted throughout the Tokachi area, so you will never be at a loss for overnight car camping bases. A particularly distinctive feature of Tokachi is how well it combines with hot springs.

• Shikaribetsu Lake Campground (Shikaoicho): A campground on the shores of Lake Shikaribetsu, a highland lake at approximately 800 meters above sea level. Nights spent in peaceful silence here are special, even cool in summer. The lake is home to the world’s only population of Miyabe charr (Dolly Varden trout).
• Tokachi Ecology Park (Obihiro City): A campground with RV park facilities located within Obihiro City. Electric hook-up sites are available, accommodating long-term stays. Convenient access to the city center.
• Roadside Stations “Urahoro,” “Cosmall Taiki,” and “Churui”: All are popular Roadside Stations among overnight car campers. Churui is known as the site where Naumann elephant fossils were excavated, with an adjacent museum.
• Tokachigawa Onsen: A hot spring resort where you can enjoy moor hot spring water (spring water of plant origin). The Roadside Station “Garden Spa Tokachigawa Onsen” offers day-trip bathing, making it a perfect match for overnight car camping.

Access to the Tokachi Area

There are several ways to access Tokachi and Obihiro. When driving from New Chitose Airport after renting a campervan, using the Doto Expressway gets you to Obihiro in approximately two hours. With the expressway well developed, the drive to Tokachi is comfortable even over long distances.

• From New Chitose Airport to Obihiro: Approximately two hours via the Doto Expressway (Chitose-Eniwa JCT to Tokachi-Shimizu IC). The expressway is fully open, allowing for a comfortable drive.
• Obihiro Airport: Direct flights are available from Tokyo (Haneda). When renting a campervan at the airport, the airport transfer service is the convenient option.
• Gateway to Kushiro and Abashiri: Approximately 1.5 hours from Tokachi to Kushiro, and approximately 3 hours to Abashiri. It is also ideal as a transit hub when traveling broadly through eastern Hokkaido. For the Kushiro direction, please also see the Kushiro Campervan Travel Guide.

Model Itinerary for a Tokachi Campervan Trip

Tokachi allows for flexible planning depending on your goals and schedule. A short trip can center on downtown Obihiro and Banei Racing, while a longer trip can use the area as a base for exploring all of eastern Hokkaido.

1-Night 2-Day Plan: A Concentrated Taste of Obihiro’s Food and Culture

• Day 1: Rent campervan at New Chitose Airport → Head to Obihiro via Doto Expressway (approx. 2 hrs) → Butadon lunch (Panchou) → Watch Banei Racing → Rokkatei flagship store → Overnight car camping at Tokachigawa Onsen
• Day 2: Kofuku Station & Aikoku Station → Manabe Garden → Indian curry lunch → Buy vegetables at Roadside Station “Nakasatsunai” → Head to New Chitose Airport (approx. 2 hrs)

3-Night 4-Day Plan: Exploring Eastern Hokkaido Broadly

• Day 1: New Chitose Airport → Obihiro (butadon & Banei Racing) → Overnight at Tokachigawa Onsen
• Day 2: Garden Road (Rokkatei no Mori, Shichiku Garden, Manabe Garden) → Overnight at Shikaribetsu Lake Campground
• Day 3: Lake Shikaribetsu → Kushiro Marshland (canoe experience) → Overnight at Akan Lake Onsen
• Day 4: Lake Akan → Ashoro (hometown of Chiharu Matsuyama) → Return to New Chitose Airport via Doto Expressway

Summary

Tokachi and Obihiro may lack flashy tourist facilities, but they are a hidden gem for campervan travel where food, spectacular scenery, and hot springs come together in perfect harmony. Simply driving across the vast farmland gives you the genuine feeling that “I’ve really come to Hokkaido.”

Even during peak tourist seasons, Tokachi is free from congestion, letting you build your trip at your own pace. Load up on local produce and cook inside the van, tour the gardens and soak in the hot springs, experience the extraordinary world of Banei Racing. For those who want to feel Hokkaido’s “lived-in beauty,” this is an area we sincerely hope you will visit.