This summer has been so hot that it's almost a hassle to even go outside. To escape the sweltering heat in Tokyo, I went to Hoshino Resorts in Tomamu, Hokkaido. While Hokkaido is reportedly experiencing heat comparable to the rest of Japan, I was relieved to find the weather around Tomamu was pleasant.
Risonare Tomamu
I stayed at RISONARE Tomamu, whose concept is "A graceful stay where you can feel the land of Hokkaido."
True to its concept, the resort hotel is located on a hill surrounded by a vast coniferous forest. All suite rooms are over 100m2 in size and equipped with a jet bath with a view and a private sauna, allowing you to spend a relaxing and fulfilling time.
In fact, when I was younger, I worked in public relations for the American Disney Resorts, promoting Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, Walt Disney World in Florida, and the Disney Cruise Line, which will soon be launching in Japan, to the Japanese media.
Driving from Tomamu Station to RISONARE Tomamu reminded me of the vast Walt Disney World in Florida.
When I first visited Walt Disney World, I was overwhelmed by its vastness. It was a sense of space that Japanese people cannot comprehend. Western guests stayed there for long periods of time, spending one day playing in the theme park and another relaxing by the hotel pool.
Although the scale of this RISONARE Tomamu is different, I thought that it was built with a similar concept as a resort where you can stay overnight.
Farm Hoshino project leader Miyatake Hiroomi
A distinctive feature of stay-based resorts is that the facilities prepare a variety of activities for their guests. The first place we visited when we arrived at RISONARE was the farm area. We thought this was simply an area where cows were raised, but it turns out it's actually Farm Hoshino, a recycling-based agricultural project that is engaged in agricultural production activities and aims to create beautiful scenery and delicious food from the resulting produce.
Up until the 1980s, before the development of Tomamu Resort, this area was home to around 700 cows and agriculture. They are working to restore the area to its original beauty and produce delicious food.
We spoke to Miyatake Hiroomi, who is leading the project. Miyatake joined Hoshino Resorts as a new graduate and was originally a staff member at the Hoshino Resorts office in Tokyo, where he was in charge of IT marketing and projects for CEO Hoshino. He has truly dedicated his life to Hoshino Resorts!
Hoshino Resorts has been involved in the management of Tomamu since 2004. However, a typhoon in 2016 forced the resort to reopen.
At that time, they decided to turn the farm into a project that had been in the works for some time, and Miyatake was assigned as the project leader. It was a bold decision to go from being an office worker to managing a farm, but it seems he had no hesitation in making the decision.
As part of the Moo Moo School experience, Miyatake compared the milk of three different breeds of cows - Holstein, Jersey, and Brown Swiss - and had the participants think in the form of a quiz about what causes the differences in taste. I couldn't answer any of the questions, but my 3-year-old daughter, who was with me, answered them one after another, and I really got a sense of the difference in sensibilities (laughs).
After participating in activities that teach you about the personalities and habits of cows, quizzes, and tastings, you can try driving cows through the pasture. The farm area also features a 30-meter-long "Giant Grass Bed" modeled after a cow's sleeping area, and a "Sheep Napping Hammock" where you can take a nap while counting real sheep. We recommend touring the area in a cart. You can enjoy your stay at the resort while learning about the farm animals.
Farm Designs Tomamu is a cafe located in a farm area where cows and sheep graze.
Lunch served at the restaurant
Enjoy lunch at the cafe in the farm area on the resort's vast grounds. Farm Hoshino began producing Tomamu milk in August 2018. It then began producing natural cheese in July 8, and has been serving mascarpone cheese at the resort's main dining restaurant, OTTO SETTE TOMAMU, since September of the same year.
Furthermore, in December 2024, Nininupuri will be renovated into a forest restaurant, and a live studio where cheese produced at Farm Hoshino is finished and a soft serve ice cream station will be added. Not only will you be able to see cheese being made right before your eyes, but the store will also serve cheese and soft serve ice cream made with Tomamu milk.
It was started with the idea that "we want people to enjoy the products produced in this area while spending time relaxing in this area."
Tomamu Unkai Terrace Cloud Walk. Part of Cloud 9. It juts out into the air and is shaped like a cloud. It has a suspension bridge-like structure and sways slightly when you walk on it, so you can feel like you're walking lightly on clouds while admiring the scenery.
The highlight of the activities at Tomamu is the sea of clouds.
A sea of clouds is a phenomenon in which clouds appear to spread out like an ocean when viewed from a high place such as a mountain or an airplane. It is particularly seen in basins and mountainous areas when radiative cooling causes fog or stratus clouds to form over a wide area.
It is called "sea of clouds" because the clouds look like an ocean. Unfortunately, we weren't able to see it this time, but it was a good opportunity to learn more about sea of clouds.
Cloud 9 is a plan that proposes nine ways to spend your time at the Unkai Terrace. Cloud 9 is an observation point that was established with the idea that visitors could stroll around the entire mountain and enjoy the view from various angles.
The name of the project is said to come from the English phrase "I am on cloud nine," which means "the utmost happiness."
As of July 2025, seven unique observation spots have been completed under this plan, with plans to continue adding more in the future.
Sea of Clouds Terrace
20th Anniversary Sweets @ Kumo Cafe
If you take the gondola up to the point where you can see the sea of clouds, you will come across the "Unkai Terrace" and "Cloud Cafe," which offer a magnificent view. The cafe is selling a variety of cloud-shaped sweets to commemorate its 20th anniversary. It's also a great spot for taking photos.
RISONARE Tomamu's main dining restaurant "OTTO SETTE TOMAMU"
Sea urchin and venison antipasto
Sato-san served gracefully and professionally.
For our final day's dinner, we went to the main dining area, "OTTO SETTE TOMAMU," which serves a full course meal centered around Italian regional cuisine, using ingredients unique to Hokkaido.
For a limited time from June 2025st to August 6st, 1, we will be offering a dinner course themed around "Sea Urchin x Summer Venison," which makes generous use of Hokkaido's seasonal summer ingredients.
Chef Shohei Suzuki will become head chef of OTTO SETTE TOMAMU in April 2023. Based on the theme of "Calendario Gastronomico," or the "gastronomic calendar," he hopes to provide guests with dishes that utilize the most delicious local ingredients of the season.
This time, we focused on the flavors that are unique to summer, even though Hokkaido is blessed with a wide variety of seasonal ingredients. By combining the rich flavor of sea urchin with the lean, juicy red meat of summer venison, we express the bounty of the sea and the land from a new perspective.
Additionally, you can enjoy wine pairings, including Hokkaido wines and natural wines.
In addition to the above, Hoshino Resorts Tomamu offers a variety of other activities and events. Now in its 20th anniversary, its hospitality and programs are becoming even more comprehensive.
Why not escape the scorching heat, experience the great outdoors of Hokkaido, and refresh your mind and body?
◆What is RISONARE?
RISONARE is a resort hotel brand operated by Hoshino Resorts in seven locations both in Japan and overseas (Hokkaido, Tochigi Prefecture, Yamanashi Prefecture, Shizuoka Prefecture, Osaka Prefecture, Okinawa Prefecture, and Guam). It is scheduled to open in Shimonoseki, Yamaguchi Prefecture, in 7. Based on the concept of "PLAY HARD," where guests can get completely absorbed and have fun, the hotel offers a spatial design that makes the most of the characteristics of the land, a wide range of activities, and experiences unique to each region and season.
RISONARE offers visitors a memorable journey through stays that go beyond their imagination.
Mio Shimamura
Since 2017, as the representative and editor-in-chief of Premium Japan,
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