insights from frontier Japan

JALUX, a trading company of the Japan Airlines Group, has launched its own product brand ‘Tokachikara,’ in cooperation with companies in the Tokachi region. As part of the first phase, two types of confectionery made with Tokachi ingredients have been developed.

As the year-end approached last December, the Inotani landscaping company in the city of Obihiro was busy making ‘kadomatsu’ – the traditional New Year decoration said to bring good luck – with seven craftsmen and women working enthusiastically at the company’s workshops.　

On December 4, Tokachi Bus in the Tokachi region of Eastern Hokkaido invited media coverage for "Marche Bus", a transit bus with a product sales space set up in the back. Twice a week from December 5, the bus will service one route in the city and sell food and lifestyle goods from the department store FUJIMARU when stopped. According to the Hokkaido District Transport Bureau, this is the first service in Japan for a transit bus with product sales capability.

The "Rokon Jet Hokkaido" airplane ("Rokon" is the Japanese name for Vulpix), decorated with characters from the popular "Pokémon Pocket Monsters" game, made an appearance at Obihiro Airport on December 2. The plane is a new specially decorated aircraft that Air Do put into circulation only recently on December 1, and the airline decided to surprise Obihiro Sanjo High School students by secretly providing it as a charter plane for their school field trip.

The ‘Airport Limousine Carriage,’ a horse-drawn carriage ride from Tokachi Obihiro Airport, on which to enjoy the rural scenery of the Tokachi region of eastern Hokkaido, was operated on a trial basis for the first time on November 21. The participants enjoyed the carriage ride while experiencing the equine culture that played a role in Tokachi’s development.

Tokachi City Design, the managing company of several businesses located in Obihiro City including "Hotel Nupka", will develop new types of sightseeing tours using Tokachi horse culture. A model tour was held from November 6 to 8. It provided a hands-on experience of the history of the Tokachi area as it grew together with the horses that were used in land development and agriculture, and also featured visits to places such as the Obihiro Racecourse to see Banei sled horse racing. This was the first model tour ever to include these features. Tokachi City Design plans to identify points for improvement in the tour and work towards offering it as a commercial tour from the next fiscal year onward.

An exhibit called "Kyokai" (Border) showing work from Tokyo-based modern artist Yoshino Shotaro is being held at Manabe Garden in Obihiro. Using mirror film that is reflective like a mirror on the outside, Yoshino depicts a world in which real and imaginary images intermingle.

This year’s potato harvest is reaching its peak in Hokkaido’s potato-producing region in the city of Obihiro. Due to the hot temperatures and lack of rain in July, the potatoes are smaller than usual and the harvest is expected to be less prolific than usual. Harvesting will continue until early October.

Barbecue restaurant chain Heiwaen (Obihiro) started selling frozen meat from a vending machine on August 27. The first vending machine was installed in front of their Midorigaoka location (in Obihiro City). Five different types of flavored meat are available at the machine, including the "jingisukan" mutton that is popular inside the restaurant as well.