Yakumo Town is located in the northern part of the Oshima Peninsula. It is the only town in Japan that faces both the Pacific Ocean and the Sea of ​​Japan.

The town is blessed with bounty from the two seas, including scallops and abalone, which are local specialties. It is also the birthplace of dairy farming in Hokkaido, giving it a pastoral atmosphere.

One viewpoint where you can enjoy the spectacular scenery of Yakumo is "Panorama Road." From the top of the slope lined with birch trees, you can see beautiful fields and the ocean view of Funka Bay.

Located along that panoramic road, "Funka Bay Panorama Park" is a popular leisure spot for families. There are also plenty of restaurants nearby.

Therefore, I will introduce the tourist spots around Panorama Road, along with my family's actual visits to them.

<Table of Contents>
1. Accessible from both highways and local roads! "Funka Bay Panorama Park"
2. Enjoy the spectacular view from the hill in Panorama Park.
3. The Panorama Hall (Visitor Center) - a place to have fun even on rainy days.
4. Lunch on the terrace at Harvester Yakumo
5. "Pasture Adventure Square" - a grassy area where children can play to their heart's content.
6. When you've worked up a sweat, a cold dessert like "Elfin" is just what you need.
7. Let's learn about the history of Yakumo at the "Yakumo Town Local History Museum".
8. The more you look at it, the more attached you become to the "Wooden Bear Museum"
Summary

Yakumo Town is located about 70 km from Hakodate and about 200 km from Sapporo. Many people visiting the town may use the expressway by rental car. Funka Bay Panorama Park is directly connected to the Yakumo PA on the Hokkaido Expressway, so you can easily stop by during your drive. Of course, you can also get there from the general road. Take National Route 5 and then the Panorama Road to the parking lot.

Stepping out of the car and looking out at the sea, you're greeted by a truly panoramic view. You can enjoy the quintessential Hokkaido scenery: blue skies and the sea, green fields, and rows of birch trees. The park, situated on a gentle hill that extends from the Panorama Park parking lot, offers a variety of outdoor facilities, including an auto campsite and a park golf course.

The "Panorama Hall (Visitor Center)" is built next to the Yakumo PA (parking area). Upon entering, the first thing that catches the eye is the indoor playground, "Kids Arena." This spacious play area is filled with play equipment such as athletic equipment and a ball pit, allowing children to move around and play to their heart's content.

At the back of the Panorama Hall, there's a cafe space with a panoramic view of Funka Bay! You can also see the Kids Arena from the dining area, so it seems like a great way for moms to relax at the cafe while dads play with their kids.

After running around in the kids' arena, we were absolutely starving. Time for lunch. Leaving Panorama Park, we walked down the slope lined with birch trees for about three minutes. A large sign covered in ivy appeared before us.

"Harvester Yakumo" is a Western-style restaurant that opened in this location in 63. It's easily recognizable by its imposing building, which is designed to resemble a clubhouse.

The restaurant, with its traditional interior, serves dishes such as fried chicken made with domestically raised herb-fed chicken, and pizzas and pastas made with seafood from Funka Bay. Salads made with fresh vegetables sourced from contracted farmers are also highly recommended.

On this beautiful day, we decided to eat on the terrace while enjoying the view. Just the special feeling of eating outside got the kids super excited. They finished their meal in no time.

Self-taken photos 
After filling their stomachs, it's time to go outside and play some more. If you continue down the Panorama Road, you'll come across the "Pasture Adventure Square." This vast expanse of green grass is filled with playground equipment such as bouncy domes and swings, and the children are absolutely thrilled.
My favorite attraction was the silo slide. After sliding down the giant slide, I went through a tunnel and climbed a net to get back to the plaza. I felt like a little explorer.

Tired from playing, on our way back to the Panorama Park parking lot, we spotted an ice cream shop called "Elfin." It looked like it was almost dessert time.

Yakumo is the birthplace of dairy farming in Hokkaido. This ice cream shop is directly managed by Motoyama Farm, which has been operating in Yakumo for over 100 years. In a log cabin-like shop, you can enjoy rich and creamy ice cream and soft serve made with plenty of milk. A nice touch is that they also offer mini sizes for children.

Thanks to the ice cream, the children were completely refreshed. So, we headed to the Yakumo Town Local History Museum in the town of Yakumo.

Yakumo is home to many Jomon period archaeological sites, and during the Edo period, the Japanese began to settle there to trade with the Ainu people, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. It is also the site of Japan's northernmost checkpoint.

The museum displays artifacts such as Jomon period bone and antler tools designated as important national cultural properties, valuable materials tracing the history of Yakumo's development, and tools used in scallop farming and dairy farming, which are representative industries of Yakumo, making it a very worthwhile place to visit.

The "Wooden Bear Carving Museum" is located next to the Yakumo Town Local History Museum. In fact, Yakumo is the birthplace of wooden bear carvings, which are famous as souvenirs from Hokkaido. These wooden bear carvings were modeled after wooden bear carvings sold as souvenirs in Switzerland. It is said that they started as a winter side business for dairy farmers and farmers, but now they have become firmly established as a representative souvenir of Hokkaido.

The museum features exhibits of wood-carved bears by a leading woodcarver from Yakumo Town, as well as a Swiss wood-carved bear that served as a model for the Yakumo bears. Even though they are all wood-carved bears, the details and expressions vary greatly depending on the craftsman.

The children, who were initially frightened by the imposing wooden bear carving, gradually began to find the bear cute as they looked at it.

We've introduced some of the tourist spots around Yakumo Town's Panorama Road, including "Funka Bay Panorama Park," "Harvester Yakumo," and "Elfin," as well as places where you can learn about Yakumo's history, such as the "Yakumo Town Local History Museum" and the "Wood Carving Bear Museum." All of these facilities offer opportunities to play and learn using all your senses while enjoying the spectacular views of Yakumo. Why not take a drive around Yakumo Town with your family and enjoy some quality family time?

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