At the heart of the Nayoro Basin, this agricultural city makes a good base for several excursions in the surrounding rural and mountains. In summer lovely sunflowers blooming in the serene fields. On the other hand, ice-bound winter brings powder snow and mysterious sun pillars.
PRACTICAL TIPS
Location 75km north of Asahikawa, 180km south of Wakkanai
Population 27,000
Highlights Nayoro Sunflower Fields, Nayoro Piyashiri Ski Area
Tourist Information & Bike Rentals Nayoro Tourist Information Center Yoro-na (駅前交流プラザよろーな観光案内所): Tel 01654-9-6711 / Right in front of JR Nayoro Station / 9am-5.30pm, to 5pm Sat & Sun / nayoro-kankou.com
01 SUNFLOWER FIELDS
Nayoro Sunflower Fields
なよろひまわり畑 / MOA Nayoro Farm and Nayoro Sunpillar Park / Late Jul-mid Aug
From late July to mid August in summer, fields of himawari (sunflowers) bloom around the city. Chiebun’s MOA Nayoro Farm (free) is the prettiest of the city’s sunflower fields. Nayoro Sunpillar Park also has small fields.
02 PARK & LOCAL HISTORY
Nayoro Park
名寄公園 / Nayoro Koen, 222 Midorigaoka / 24hrs / FREE / www.city.nayoro.lg.jp/section/museum
If you just have a few hours, makes a beeline for this leafy park about a 10-minute walk south of JR Nayoro Station. It contains Nayoro Kitaguni Museum (名寄市北国博物館: Nayoro Koen, 222 Midorigaoka / 9am-5pm / Closed Mon / ¥200) and the Kimaroki (キマロキ) steam locomotive snow plow train (closed in winter).
03 PARK & CAMPING
Hokkaido Sunpillar Park
北海道立サンピラーパーク / 147 Nisshin / 9am-6pm, to 5pm Apr, to 10pm Nov-Mar / Closed 29 Dec-1 Jan / FREE / www.nayoro.co.jp/sunpillarpark
This well-equipped 67-hectare hillside park offers plenty of opportunities for curling (10am-10pm Nov-Mar), playing and camping, as well as being the location of the Nayoro City Astronomical Observatory Kita Subaru (名寄市立天文台北すばる: 1pm-9.30pm, to 8pm Nov-Mar / Closed Mon / Adult ¥410, child free) and sunflower fields.
The entrance gate is about 1km southeast of JR Nisshin Station. Buses to Piyashiri Ski Area from JR Nayoro Station stopping at the Sunpillar Koryukan-mae (サンピラー交流館前).
04 SKIING & ONSEN
Nayoro Piyashiri Ski Area
なよろピヤシリスキー場 / 9am-8.30pm Dec-Mar / www.nayoro.co.jp/piyashiri
About 9km north of the city center, Piyashiri calls itself ‘Japan’s most light and dry snow ski area’. There are beginner and advanced runs. After a day of skiing, the Nayoro Onsen Sun Pillar (10am-10pm, from 5pm 3rd Mon) offers standard indoor baths.
There are five bus daily from JR Nayoro Station (30min). If you get on or off the local bus at the ski area, local bus fare is free.
NAYORO MAP
GETTING THERE
JR Soya Line local and rapid trains run roughly hourly to Nayoro (tickets 7.40am-5.05pm) from Asahikawa (1.5hrs). There are a few limited express trains from Sapporo (1-3 daily / 2.5hrs) and local trains to Wakkanai (2-3 daily / 3.5-4hrs).
Four to five highway buses Kosoku Nayoro-go (高速なよろ号) daily run between Sapporo Station and Nayoro Station (3.5hrs).
From JR Nayoro Station, JR Bus Shinmei Line (深名線) runs to Horokanai (1hr 47min) via Shumarinai continue to Fukagawa on the JR Hakodate Line. Meishi Bus runs to Okoppe (7 daily / 1.5hrs) on the Okhotsk Line.
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