Horokanai, the town with Japan's largest soba production and planted area. Every year from mid-July to mid-August, white soba flowers bloom, creating a summer snowscape. Photo date: 2026.8.2

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「純白の丘」 is a viewpoint for enjoying spectacular soba flower scenery in Horokanai, Hokkaido, which boasts Japan's largest area of land planted with soba. Located in the 新成生（しんなりう） district along National Route 275, it is known as the town's original viewpoint, the first to be developed. The sight of gently curving white hills stretching before your eyes is described as resembling a "pure white veil." Sightseeing points Best time to visit: Usually from mid-July to mid-August, when white soba flowers bloom across the entire area. Features: A parking bay (for about 10 cars) and benches are provided beside the national highway, making it easy to stop during a drive and enjoy the scenery. Location: 〒074-0402 北海道雨竜郡幌加内町字新成生. About a 10-minute drive from central Horokanai toward Fukagawa. Basic information Fee: Free Facilities: Parking available, no toilets Opening hours: Open 24 hours around April〜November (until before snow accumulates) Several other viewpoints are scattered nearby, including 「白絨毯（じゅうたん）の畑」 and 「政和そばの花展望台」, allowing you to enjoy touring the soba flowers.

In the summer month of August, the hills stretching as far as the eye can see are covered with a carpet of white soba flowers. I recommend visiting this season to enjoy the sea of soba flowers and taste delicious cold soba noodles. Parking is convenient, and peaceful 幌內加町 is suitable for leisurely travel.

Visited in late August 2025 This is Horokanai, Japan's largest soba-producing area. Here, the ground has been built up into a small raised viewpoint for tourists, allowing you to look out over the vast soba fields. The weather was good and the soba flowers were in full bloom, so I was able to take good photos.

For me, this is a visit to 純白の丘 after exactly １ year. Unfortunately, the sky was cloudy. It is hard to tell from the pictures, but if you stand here and see it with your own eyes, it really does look pure white. Every one of these tiny flowers will become a soba seed. We tend to forget the most obvious things, don't we? "Year after year, the flowers look alike; year after year, the people are never the same." If you only keep thinking you would like to see it someday, you will probably end up never seeing it. Everyone, if your circumstances allow, let's etch as many landscapes as possible into our memories. I do not spend much money on things. Instead, I spend money on experiences. Luxury cars, luxury watches, and even cash itself cannot be taken to the afterlife. But perhaps memories alone can be taken along. The soba flowers were beautiful. I would like to come again next year.

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