Obihiro City
As the district capital of Tokachi with a population of approximately 170,000, Obihiro is the base for tourism in the Tokachi area with its Tokachi-Obihiro Airport, JR Obihiro Station, and bus terminal.
Obihiro is known for its sweets and as the birthplace of buta-don (rice covered with pork and vegetables), as well as for being home to indoor speedskating facilities that have trained Olympic medalists.
Its downtown area centered around JR Obihiro Station is home to many shops serving delicious food, sweets, and craft beer prepared using the natural blessings of Tokachi. Visitors should also check out each shop’s very own take on buta-don. The city also boasts popular tourist spots like the former Kofuku and Aikoku Stations which are once again garnering attention after being selected as hotspots for lovers, as well as Midorigaoka Park, Yachiyo Farm, Manabe Garden, and Shichiku Garden. Ban’ei horse racing, a piece of Hokkaido heritage that carries on the pioneering history of Hokkaido into the modern day, is particularly worthy of notice. Visitors will be moved by the one-of-a-kind intense drama of ban’ei horse races that can only be seen in Obihiro.
