ACRES OF PURPLE LAVENDER
What is Farm Tomita?
Farm Tomita is located in the municipality of Naka-Furano, around 20 20-minute drive from Furano township. The Farm’s history dates from the early 1900s, with its cultivation of lavender commencing from the late 1950s. As recently as 2008, the farm was almost doubled in size to 29 hectares, the the addition of the new “Lavender East”, lavender cultivation area. Farm Tomita continued commercial production of lavender even as Hokkaido’s once vibrant lavender-producing industry began to shut down in the 60s and the 70s in the wake of competition from cheaper, synthetic oils and imports. This persistence by the founder is paying huge dividends these days, with around a million tourists annually arriving through its “admission-free” gates.
With its iconic, orderly fields of flowers, Farm Tomita is one of the most photographed spots in Hokkaido and a major draw in summer. While they make for spectacular photos, the gentle hills carpeted in lavender and other bloomes also fill the air with relaxing scents. While the farm has blooms from April to October, the iconic fields of lavender are best viewed from early to late July.
A Versatile Herb
There are four main varieties of lavender cultivated at Farm Tomita, each with different characteristics and blooming times. The earliest blooms, characterized by the deepest purple color, are generally seen from the end of June to mid-July.
Whilst lavender is the main flower type cultivated at Farm Tomita, over 80 different flower varieties are on display from spring through autumn in a total of 12 flower gardens. A “Winter Garden” has also been created to display blooming lavender over the winter. The year-round lavender-growing greenhouse also provides an opportunity to view lavender blooms in spring and early summer before the main blooming season.
Visitors during summer can also enjoy trying locally grown Furano melon at the neighboring “Tomita Melon House”, operated by members of the famous Farm Tomita family but unrelated to the operations at Farm Tomita itself. Freshly harvested Furano melons can be bought by the slice or half and eaten on-site, or gift-boxed whole melons can be purchased to take away or to send to friends.
Farm Tomita’s Winter Garden
Farm Tomita’s “Distillation House” is also open to visitors. This is Japan’s only lavender oil extraction factory, and distillation work is done from the beginning of July to mid-August. There is a scent testing room that is open to visitors, where the fragrances of different types of lavenders can be compared. There is also a display of the distillation apparatus.
See more / content via: https://www.farm-tomita.co.jp/en/
