| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥500 - ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | Depends on store but generally from 11:00 - 21:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | http://www.fujimori-kk.co.jp/indian/ |
| Notes | Curry restaurant chain, 10 locations in Obihiro, with 2 locations in Kushiro |
| Location / Getting There | 10 locations in central Obihiro. See map below for access |
In the Obihiro area, there is a famous chain of curry restaurants, known as ‘Indian Curry’. There are ten of these restaurants and can be recognized by their cartoon logo. As with its namesake, the curry here is inspired by the flavors from India. The Indian Curry chain has a long history going back to 1968, with the opening of the first store. The original president of the company was an avid movie goer and had a passion for Hollywood movies in particular. All of the curry restaurants have movie posters of famous iconic actors. The posters vary depending on the age when each store opened.
The delicious curry here is cheap and served with steaming bed of rice. There are three kinds of base flavors of curry sauce. These being a beef based curry sauce, an onion based curry sauce, and a potato and onion sauce. As for the servings themselves, there are about half a dozen different dishes on the menu. For example, a seafood curry, vegetable curry, cutlet, chicken, or a beef curry. Toppings can be added for a more delicious taste. This curry chain is well known throughout Hokkaido and in Obihiro you may have to line up to get into one of the Indian Curry restaurants. It is an Obihiro based chain but there are two Indian Curry locations in the nearby city of Kushiro. See the map below. Enjoy!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥2000 all you can drink plan ¥300 - ¥1000 per dish |
| Opening Hours | 17:00 - 01:00 17:00 - 03:00 Fridays & Saturdays |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-213-0010 |
| Notes | Night bar & dining, 2 hour sit down limit, seating 20, smoking, good for small groups up to 4 or couples, all you can drink plan, no parking |
| Location / Getting There | The bar is located in central Susukino, Sapporo. It is a 3 minute walk from Susukino subway station, located in a small alley at south 5 west 4. 〒064-0805 Hokkaido, Sapporo, Chuo Ward, Minami 5 Jonishi, 4 Chome, Susukino-ju Building 1F |
Sapporo, and its nightlife district of Susukino is full of bars, clubs and restaurants either on the main road or tucked away down small alleyways or streets. Barsamico is one of these bars that can be found in a small alleyway. It is a very popular bar and for good reason! They have an all you can drink plan and the drink menu includes spirits, beers, and wines. In fact, a lot of the decor is wine themed with barrels and motifs around the bar. You can enjoy some good wine here with equally good food. This bar is recommended for couples or small groups.
This small bar has good drinks menu and a food menu. The kitchen here, although very small, produces a huge range of delicious dishes. A lot of the food here is perfect for a bar sitting and compliments the drink. They have olives, cheeses, prosciutto, pâté, plus salads, grilled beef, pastas, and desserts. It is amazing the small kitchen can produce so much. The main dish here though, is the grilled meat skewers, or yakitori. Sample the dozen or so meats here. Barsamico is the perfect spot for a cozy date, or a for a good night with some friends.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | Shinto shrine, parking, car needed |
| Location / Getting There | The shrine is located just to the south of Obihiro city. It is a 21 minute drive from central Obihiro along route 236. It is between Obihiro and Kōfuku Station Higashi 1 Sen-84 Taishocho, Obihiro, Hokkaido 089-1242 |
In the Obihiro district there is an expanse of farmlands and wilderness. Between the city of Obihiro and Hiroo, you can find Kofukuji. This temple, also known as the ‘happiness temple’ is a Shinto temple that is just off the main highway highway off route 236. It is quite a large temple and due to its remoteness it is in a quiet area. The Buddhist temple has a large wooden gate which allows access into the courtyard. For those driving you can park your vehicle along the road out the front.
The shrine is not too far from Kōfuku Station which is hugely popular sightseeing spot. For those traveling in the area and are interested in shrines and temples, Kofukuji is an easy temple to stop off at and have a look. Inside the courtyard of the temple, there is a large bell that is rung by the priests here. The bell is known as a bonshō or as tsurigane (hanging bell) and is prominent in Buddhist temples. Apart from the bonshō in the courtyard, there is are some small japanese style headstones to observe.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 per drink + ¥300 seating charge ¥600 per dish |
| Opening Hours | 18:00 - 02:00 |
| Closed | Sundays |
| Contact | 011-200-0115 |
| Notes | Whiskey bar, high end, seating 18, smoking |
| Location / Getting There | The bar is located in central Susukino, Sapporo. It is a 1 minute walk south from Susukino station, along Ekimae Dori. Susukino Station, 4-1 Minami 4 Jonishi Chuo-ku Sapporo City Hokkaido 064-0804 |
This higher end, stylish bar is located downtown in Susukino (the entertainment district) of Sapporo. It is along the main street (eki mae dori) that cuts down through the middle of the nightlife scene. 2o.1 or ‘twenty point one’is primarily focused on whiskey. Their main choice of drink are highballs. Highball is a mix of whiskey with soda on the rocks. This popular drink is on a surge in Hokkaido and you can find many bars dedicated to it. 2o.1 excels in highballs and has a large menu with different types of whiskeys plus extra variants on the highball drink.
For the purists who like their whiskey served straight, there is that option too. The staff are professional and friendly ( a chaser is always supplied without being asked), and you can enjoy a huge range of whiskeys here, both domestic and overseas. Whiskeys make up about 90% of the menu. They also have a have a handful of cocktails, non alcoholic drinks, wines, and sake. To go with your whiskey, try some of the small dishes and tapas on the food menu. They have smoked slamon with capers, cheeses, meats, and olives. There is a sit down charge of ¥300 but the bar is worth it. With large windows facing the busy street, you can watch the nightlife while enjoying your drink of choice.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | 07:00 - 18:00 10:00 - 17:00 coffee shop |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | Sightseeing spot, car needed or bus travel available, restrooms, souvenir store, cafe |
| Location / Getting There | The park is a 30 minute drive south from central Obihiro, take route 236. For those using public transport, from the bus terminal in front of JR Obihiro Station, take the Tokachi Bus bound for "Hiroo" and get off at the "Happiness" bus stop (about 45 minutes). It's 5 minute walk from here. From the Tokachi airport, it only a 5 minute drive or taxi ride. Obihiro, Hokkaido 089-1246 |
Kōfuku Station is a closed railway station from the now defunct Hiroo line. The station originally opened on 1st November 1956, but the line, which went from Obihiro to Hiroo, was discontinued in 1987 bringing an end to the station. Even though the station closed down, it still remains a popular sightseeing spot for tourists. Why? Well, it comes down to the name of the station. The name Kofuku (幸福）translates to “happiness” and the station became famous after it was featured on a Japanese NHK TV travel programme which aired in 1973. The station name is formed from the combination of the original name of the area, Kōshin. Plus many farmers settled here in 1902 coming from Fukui prefecture after flooding. Kō + Fuku = Kōfuku.
Kōfuku Station is part of Kōfuku Kōtsu Park. In this area, there is a nice little coffee shop, plus a small souvenir store (the Kōfuku train ticket is a very popular item), and photography area. There are two old trains here that have been turned into small museums. This area is especially popular for couples as the site was chosen as a ‘Sanctuary for Lovers’ in 2008. There is a special bell here that can be rung for good luck, plus the main attraction is the small hut here. You can write a message on a pink ticket and stick it to the wall. The hut is covered with thousands of these messages. Kōfuku Station is a popular spot to visit, if you can get out that way.
| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Contact | - |
| Notes | Shinto shrine, parking, car needed |
| Location / Getting There | The shrine is located on the south east coast of Hokkaido in the small town of Toyoni, in the district of Hiroo. The shrine is on route 336. It is just on the outskirts of Hiroo on the way to Obihiro. 〒089-2455 Hokkaido, Hiroo District, Hiroo, Toyoni Hondori 47 |
The beginnings of Toyoni Shrine dates back to August 1891. It all started as a simple and small garden shrine that was created by a settler, Kanjiro Inoue, who had made his way to the district of Hiroo. As a guardian deity of the area, he held a ritual of protection during the seasons of spring and autumn. For entertainment, folk songs were sung and children’s sumo events were held. All of this stopped suddenly, and later in 1945 after much discussion and organization for funds, a full shrine was built and completed. Due to decay and deterioration the shrine was reconstructed in 1985, and has maintained its appearance as you see it today.
The shrine is just off route 336, and it can easily be seen from this road, especially if you are driving from Hiroo to Obihiro. Obihiro being an hour drive away from the coast. It is just before the small town of Toyoni. There isn’t any parking but there is a drive way and grassland where you can stop. The grounds are quite nice in the summer months, and there are gardens and wild flowers growing around the area. This is a small shrine with 125 households as parishioners. The shrine is 11.5 tsubo.
