Locals call Furano heso no machi, the belly button town, because it sits at the very centre of Hokkaido. Far from the coast, it receives some of the lightest, driest snow on the island, and in summer its fields turn purple with lavender.
Winter
Furano Ski Resort spreads across two zones, Kitanomine and Furano, linked by gondolas, a ropeway and chairlifts, with long cruising runs and a gentle beginners' trail. Lessons and equipment hire are easy to arrange in the village, and the deep powder of Kamui ski area is under an hour away.
Off the slopes there is snowmobiling, dog sledding, cross-country skiing, ice fishing and hot air ballooning over the white fields. In the evening the Ningle Terrace craft village glows among the trees and the ice bar and snow domes come alive for the season.
Festivals
The Furano Winter Festival fills the town in February. In summer the famous Hokkai Heso Festival, the belly button festival, is one of the most joyful events in Japan.
Green season
From June the valley opens up for hiking in Daisetsuzan, cycling, rafting and the lavender fields of Nakafurano. Furano's wineries, cheese factory and patisseries are well worth a slow afternoon, and hot springs like Fukiage and Tokachidake are a short drive into the mountains.
