Furano Rokugo Travel | Things to Do

Famed for its rural landscapes and as the main setting of the long TV drama series Kita-no-Kuni-kara (北の国から: From the Northern Country), Rokugo is a lovely agricultural village and 16km southeast of Central Furano. Several attractions are closed in winter.

PRACTICAL TIPS

Location 16km southeast of Furano

Population 500

Highlights Furano Glass Factory, Goro’s Stone House, Anpanman Shop, Rokugo Viewpoint

Bike Rentals Recycled House (see below): mid Apr-late Oct / ¥1000

01 SHOPPING

Furano Glass Factory

富良野ガラス工房 / Tel 0167-39-9088 / 3 Rokugo-shigaishi / 9am-6pm, to 7pm Jul & Aug / www.furano-glass.jp

Rokugo-based large glass studio can be found beside the Recycled House near the main crossroads, with a wide range of top-quality glass crafts beging hand-blown in six showrooms. The most famous products are the heat-resistant shibare glasses (しばれガラス) that sells in the showroom 1. You can take a lesson in glass blowing or make glass accessories.

02 LOCAL HISTORY

Forest Museum

森林資料館 / Shinrin Shiryokan / Rokugo-shigaichi / 9am-4pm weekday, Apr-Nov / FREE / www.uf.a.u-tokyo.ac.jp/hokuen

Housed in an old work place of the University of Tokyo Hokkaido Forest built in 1927, this museum has a number of sample woods and rare mushrooms from its own forest. Behind the museum, there is a short trail through the forest of Hakucho-yama (白鳥山).

03 KITA-NO-KUNIKARA LOCATION SITE

Recycled Houses

拾ってきた家 – やがて街 / Rokugo-shigaichi / 9.30am-6pm mid Apr-late Nov, 10am-4pm late Nov-mid Apr / ¥500

About 300m east of Rokugo bus stop, these unique houses were setting for the Kita-no-Kuni-kara and the 2002 TV drama. The houses were built with scarp woods, scrapped bus and gondolas.
From here, you can hire a bike (mid Apr-late Oct / ¥1000) and explore Rokugo.

04 KITA-NO-KUNIKARA LOCATION SITE

Rokugo Forest

麓郷の森 / Rokugo-no-mori / 9.30am-5pm mid Apr-Sep, to 4pm Oct-23 Nov / ¥500

This lovely forest holds the manmade wooden houses, setting for the Kita-no-Kuni-kara and the 1982 original TV drama.

05 KITA-NO-KUNIKARA LOCATION SITE

Goro’s Stone House

五郎の石の家 / Goro-no-ishi-no-ie / 9.30am-6pm mid Apr-Sep, to 4pm Oct-23 Nov / ¥500

Goro’s ishi-no-ie (stone house) is the iconic symbol of the Kita-no-Kuni-kara and the 1989 TV drama. The house was built by stacking stones excavated from local fields.

06 SHOPPING

Anpanman Shop

アンパンマンショップ / 3 Higashi-Rokugo / 9am-5.30pm / Closed New Year’s holiday / www.furanojam.com/furano_us

Operated by Furano Jam Garden, this cheerful place on the eastern edge of Rokugo is full of popular anime series Anpanman goods, from picture books to toys. There is also a gallery of Anpanman on the 2nd floor.

07 KITA-NO-KUNIKARA LOCATION SITE

Rokugo Viewpoint