Experience ‘hadaka no tsukiai' at Fukiage onsen - where locals mix with tourists in a natural onsen under the trees. Too shy for a soak? Just walk down and dip a toe in these magical waters. Soaking in Fukiage costs nothing and will enrich your skin with minerals and your mind with memories.
MountainsOnsenHokkaido
Lucy Morrell
November 11, 2016
Back in Australia, we have loving family, but unfortunately, none of them live nearby. In Japan, however, we have struck grandma gold with an honorary Obaachan who lives down the street.
All Japan
Lucy Morrell
July 27, 2016
The town of Furano has a rather unlikely local dish. It doesn’t use special ingredients found only in the wilds of Central Hokkaido. In fact, it doesn’t use many ingredients that are considered typically Japanese. It uses eggs and a sauce that will always have well-guarded secret ingredients. The local dish of Furano is called omucurry, short for omelette curry (Japanese language often uses portmanteaus especially for English words), and you can find it in dozens of restaurants.
Food & DrinkHokkaido
Lucy Morrell
June 29, 2016
You'd be surprised about the amount of dishes that sound like they were created in other countries, but were actually invented in Japan. There are many Japanese meals which contain mostly European ingredients and these are some of them.
Food & DrinkAll Japan
Lucy Morrell
June 1, 2016
Sensei Awesome, which is the nickname we have given my daughter’s teacher, invited the parents to come for a day of udon noodle making at school. Kids and their parents were given the opportunity to make hand-made udon noodles and they were fabulous!
NoodlesFurano
Lucy Morrell
May 20, 2016
In Japan it is usually not apparent which foods are gluten free, lactose free, vegan, vegetarian, halal, kosher, or otherwise suited to a restricted diet. I recently spoke with three visitors who each approached this challenge differently.
Food & DrinkAll Japan
Lucy Morrell
May 16, 2016
In Furano, bike riding is a fantastic way to explore and has a good value at 200 yen per hour. Because Furano has rich and delicious food at many attractions, bike riding is also a good way to sample local delights without adding to your waistline. In Japan, helmets are not compulsory for adults so if you prefer to wear one, bring it along.
ScenerySportsFurano
Lucy Morrell
May 9, 2016
Hokkaido offers beautiful bushwalks and treks, but hikers beware. There are two dangerous creatures lurking in those forests. One is gigantic and the other is tiny and both are best avoided.
IslandsMountainsSceneryHokkaido
Lucy Morrell
April 23, 2016
In our family, we adhere to seven categories of waste disposal on a daily basis. This may sound impressive but actually, there are twenty-plus categories where we live. In the kitchen, we have a nama gomi bucket for compost. All cooking and food scraps go here, including coffee grinds and the flotsam I strain out of my sink.
CultureAll Japan
Lucy Morrell
April 20, 2016
Lavender fields in Furano rival those of Provence in the South of France. The Japanese lavender growers in Central Hokkaido are just as creative in presenting new ways to enjoy it.
Food & DrinkNatureSceneryFurano
Lucy Morrell
April 14, 2016
People in the town of Furano, located in the very centre of Hokkaido, know that when your snow is this good, your locals are this friendly, and your food is this delicious, you are bound to be discovered by foreigners.
EventsNatureSightseeingHokkaido
Lucy Morrell
March 9, 2016
Whether snow is forecast, falling, or melting, there is work to be done managing it because around 10 metres will assuredly fall during winter in Central Hokkaido.
NatureHokkaido
Lucy Morrell
February 29, 2016
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Knowing the Secret of Japanese Fluffy Bread (Hokkaido Milk Bread)
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Sakurajima – Out and About on Japan’s Most Active Volcano
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