Obihiro

Founded in 1883 by settlers from Honshu, and designated as a city in 1933, Obihiro is architecturally undistinguished except for a few kitsch pachinko (pin ball) palaces. To the visitor it appears a city of car dealers and cake shops.

Arranged on a regular north–south grid, most of the city lies in the south western quadrant. Two main features lie diagonal to the grid: the railway line with the main JR station and Midorigaoka Park, a green hill where some of the cities main attractions (the museum, zoo etc.) are located.

Most Japanese visitors from the south come to Obihiro to visit the dairy farms of the Tokachi Plain (thus cake shops and cookies sold as souvenirs), however foreign visitors already familiar with cows and wheat fields may be more interested in the high volcanic peaks of Daisetsuzan with its extraordinary alpine flora, or the wildlife in Shiretoko Peninsula. For these major attractions Obihiro is a gateway, conveniently bypassing Sapporo and western Hokkaido.

The center of Obihiro, located on the north side of JR Obihiro Station, is small and walkable, though most of the larger shopping areas are outside of this. The city as a whole is large and spread out, though easy to navigate. Similar to Sapporo, it is laid out on a grid, and intersections are signed in both Japanese and English (e.g., West 1 South 10). The north–south axis (which lies close to the city center) is called Ōdōri.

City buses exist, though services are less frequent than on the more densely populated island of Honshu.

• 🌍 Obihiro Racecourse (帯広競馬場), Nishi 13, Minami 9, ☏ +81 155 34-0825. Obihiro has a unique type of draught horse racing called Banei (ばんえい) . The horses drag steel 'sleighs', each weighing around 500 kilograms, along a 200-m sand track with two humps in the middle of the course. The sport originated in a test of strength for farm animals. Most of the horses are a crossbreed of French Percherons and Bretons and Belgian horses. The 'jockeys' lash the horses repeatedly with the reins - animal lovers be warned!. 
• 🌍 Midorigaoka Park (緑が丘公園), Midorigaoka2. Large park. With in the park, there are a variety of facilities zoo, and museums. Entrance free. 
  • 🌍 Hokkaido Obihiro Museum of Art (北海道立帯広美術館), Midorigaoka-koen, Midorigaoka 2, ☏ +81 155 22-6963, fax: +81 155 22-4233. 
  • 🌍 Obihiro Centennial Memorial Hall (帯広百年記念館), Midorigaoka-koen, Midorigaoka 2, ☏ +81 155 24-6963. City historical and natural history museum. 
  • 🌍 Obihiro Zoo (おびひろ動物園), Midorigaoka-koen, Midorigaoka 2, ☏ +81 155 24-2437, fax: +81 155 24-2439. Apr 28-Nov 4. 
  • Obihiro Wild Flower Garden (帯広市野草園), Midorigaoka-koen, Midorigaoka 2, ☏ +81 155 24-2434. May-Oct. 
• 🌍 Obihiro Shimin Bunka Hall (帯広市民文化ホール), Nishi 5, Minami 11 (5 minutes on foot from JR Obihiro Station.), ☏ +81 155 23-8111. This is a common venue for concerts and recitals. 
• 🌍 Manabe Garden (真鍋庭園). Said to be Japan's first conifer garden, many of the plants were imported from Europe and Canada. The garden is among the largest in Japan, featuring a Japanese garden, a Western garden, and a landscape garden.. (updated Mar 2024)
• 🌍 Shichiku Garden (紫竹ガーデン). A garden that was started in 1986 by the local woman, Akiyo Shichiku, as a way to deal with the death of her husband. She kept adding to the garden over the years and today has over 2500 different flower varieties. Akiyo used to walk around the garden among the visitors until she passed away in 2021 at age 94.. ¥1000. (updated Mar 2024)

Obihiro is located close to the Hidaka and Daisetsuzan mountains. There are an impressive range of facilities for outdoor activities: mountain trekking, horse riding, white-water rafting, kayaking, swimming, tennis, 'park golf' etc. during the summer, and skiing, snow boarding, snow shoeing and skating etc. during the winter.

• Ice Festival (氷まつり, kōri matsuri). Late Jan. Festival with ice sculptures. 
• Heigen Festival (平原まつり, heigen matsuri). Mid Aug. Bon Dance festival. 
• Chrysanthemum Festival (菊まつり, kiku matsuri). Early Nov. 

• 🌍 Hokkaido Chizu (北海道地図), 5th floor Sompo Japan Building, Higashi 1, Minami 10-21, ☏ +81 155-25-1006. M-F 09:00-18:00. This is the place to buy trekking maps of Hokkaido at scales of 1:25,000 and 1:50,000.. 

• Rancho El Paso (エルパソ), Nishi 16-13-20, Minami 6 (Near Midorigaoka Park.), ☏ +81 155 34-3418. Restaurant specializing in sausages, ham and bacon. 
• The Galway, Nishi 2, Minami 10-20-5, ☏ +81 155 20-5211. Irish pub with Guinness and Kilkenny. 

• Tokachi Tourist Information (Esta Shopping Mall, JR Obihiro Station.). Information mainly in Japanese, but they have a number of pamphlets and maps in English. 
• 🌍 Obihiro City Library (帯広市図書館), Nishi 2, Minami 14-3-1 (Next to JR Obihiro Station.), ☏ +81 155 22-4700. Obihiro's main library has English newspapers. Internet is available, too.. 
• International and Domestic Relations Department (帯広市 親善交流課), 3rd Floor, Obihiro City Hall, Nishi 5, Minami 7-1, ☏ +81 155 65-4133, international@city.obihiro.hokkaido.jp. Information in English for foreign residents. 
• Tokachi International Relations Center (森の交流館・十勝), Nishi 20, Minami 6, ☏ +81 155 34-0122. Library and resource center. Run by the International and Domestic Relations Department (listed above). 

Beyond Obihiro lie the high volcanic peaks of Japan's largest national park, Daisetsuzan, and the Kushiro Wetlands National Park. Further afield are Abashiri and Shiretoko National Park.