Four Itchy Feet

August 7, 2025. Furano, Japan.

We departed our hotel in Sapporo early in the morning and picked up our rental car to begin our road trip in Hokkaido. Our first stop was Furano, “The Navel Town of Hokkaido.” It has this nickname because of its perfectly central position on the island.

Furano is a year-round tourist destination. In the summer, it’s most famous for its stunning, expansive lavender fields. The sight of rolling hills blanketed in vibrant purple and other colorful flowers like poppies, lilies, and sunflowers is a major draw for visitors. In the winter, Furano transforms into a world-class winter sports destination. The Furano Ski Resort, known for its high-quality powder snow, attracts skiers and snowboarders from around the globe.

We arrived too early for our hotel check-in, so we stopped for lunch at Furano Marche, a local shopping and dining area in the middle of town. After lunch, we decided to visit the Shin Furano Prince Hotel and Resort since there are a number of activities in the area. We settled on a unique Japanese experience: Park Golf.

Park golf was invented in 1983 in Makubetsu, a town just two hours southeast of Furano. The creator, Atsushi Maehara, wanted to develop a sport that could be played in a park-like, relaxed setting. The name itself comes from the simple idea that it’s “golf played in a park.” Since its inception, the sport has become incredibly popular in Japan, with over 1,300 courses.

The simplicity of the game made it so much fun. You only carry one club, and the ball is larger and softer. The course is much shorter, and the hole itself is much larger. It’s a mix of golf and croquet. The only explanation I can offer is that it encompasses all the fun of golf without the stress, effort, and cost. Imagine only needing one club and one ball and being able to fit 10 park golf courses in the footprint of one traditional golf course. We will forever be ambassadors of this wonderful Japanese invention as we travel the world.

After our game, we checked into the Fenix Furano Hotel and headed out to dinner at El Asador Restaurant. The menus here have shifted from sushi to meat and noodles. Stay tuned as we continue our road trip through the island of Hokkaido.