Tokachi Millennium Forest & Manabe Conifer Garden (Hokkaido Garden Path)

Category: World-Class Landscape Gardens & Ecotourism | Location: Hokkaido

Sprawling across 400 hectares at the pristine foothills of the Hidaka Mountains in Shimizu Town, Tokachi Millennium Forest (Tokachi Sennen no Mori) was envisioned as an ambitious ecological initiative to offset carbon emissions and nurture Hokkaido's native forest biodiversity for a thousand years. Co-designed by celebrated British landscape designer Dan Pearson and Takano Landscape Planning, the forest achieved global fame in 2012 by clinching the Grand Award from the UK's Society of Garden Designers (SGD), hailed by judges as the most significant example of sustainable contemporary landscape design in the 21st century. The centerpiece of Millennium Forest is the mesmerizing 'Earth Garden,' where sculptural turf landforms mimic the rolling topography of the surrounding Hidaka peaks in seamless harmony. Adjacent lies the vibrant 'Meadow Garden,' an ecologically attuned tapestry where hundreds of hardy perennials and subarctic wildflowers bloom in perpetual succession from late spring through golden autumn. Visitors can experience these undulating grounds on thrilling guided off-road Segway excursions, explore monumental outdoor art installations, and sample artisan goat cheeses crafted from the estate's sustainable livestock dairy. In nearby Obihiro City, the horticultural journey continues at Manabe Garden (Manabe Teien), Japan's very first and largest dedicated conifer garden established in 1966. Spanning 8 picturesque hectares, it masterfully harmonizes three contrasting garden genres: a traditional Japanese stroll garden, a formal Western garden, and a European woodland landscape. Boasting thousands of rare pine, spruce, and fir cultivars sourced globally, Manabe Garden envelopes visitors in a storybook fairy-tale ambiance filled with babbling crystal brooks, koi ponds, and adorable native Hokkaido red squirrels (Ezo-risu) darting through ancient evergreens.