Horses, farms and Ainu culture: A 4-day glimpse into life in Tokachi

This tour takes place in Tokachi, an area of southeastern Hokkaido surrounded by national parks. Led by a guide who knows all about the area, you’ll take easy cycling and walking trips through Tokachi’s abundant nature, get a glimpse of life in Tokachi and experience the history and culture woven by Tokachi’s people in the 140 years since the development era.

Experience Tokachi’s horse culture

While horses have long been a mainstay in Western farming, they were historically rarely used in Japan, as its main agricultural product was rice, which is grown in fields flooded with water. It wasn’t until the late 19th century that plowing took root, with Hokkaido’s developers learning the technique from Westerners. Fast forward to today and Hokkaido farmers can’t imagine working without horses. The Tokachi-Obihiro region is Japan’s top farming areas, and a festival started by the developers to show off their prize horses continues today in the form of the world’s only race where horses pull their jockeys on sleds (banei). This tour brings you face to face with an equine history unlike anywhere else.

Experience Ainu culture

British missionary John Batchelor studied Ainu culture and was one of the first people to share it with Western society. He also began teaching Ainu children in Hokkaido, and one of his former students, Ms. Ume Usuda, followed in his footsteps as a teacher at Tokachi-Obihiro Futaba Kindergarten. Here you’ll learn about relations between Hokkaido’s indigenous Ainu people and the West and enjoy traditional dances and other facets of Ainu culture that have been passed down through generations of Ainu people.