Sapporo is definitely my favorite city, but there is no sea and I sometimes miss being near the sea. (Do you feel the same?)
A friend of mine recently told me that Hamanasu there are already in bloom, so I visited the “Hamanasu no Oka Park” in Ishikari City, the nearest place with the sea from my house.
 

 
It’s within one hour drive from downtown Sapporo.
The place is where the Ishikari River, the longest (and the largest) river in Hokkaido with its source in the Daisetsu Mountain area in central Hokkaido, flows into the Sea of Japan after a 268 km of meandering journey to the southwest, and gently sloping sand dunes have been formed over many years.
 

 
Right at this time of the year, several wildflowers of vivid colors including Hamanas (Rugosa rose) and Hama endo (Beach pea) are addding more beauty to the fields, and the sky is artistically expressive with various forms of white clouds.
 

 
The calm sea and the mountainous terrain of Ishikari Bay area can be seen all the way around.
On this day, too, visitors from home and abroad were there and seemed to be relaxing and enjoying themselves walking on the boardwalk, happily taking photos.
 

 

 
The sunset over the Sea of Japan in our short summer is definitely one of the poetic moments of Hokkaido. If interested, please give ample time to experience this magic hour on your next trip.
 

 
K Minami
 
PS.
The Ishikari (and part Otaru) area described in this post forms the southern part of the Ororon Line, the drive route which runs along the west coast all the way to Wakkanai, the northernmost city of Hokkaido. From south to north, it is about 300 km long.
 

 
There are no highways and there are quite some curves, so it is estimated to take at least seven hours to complete the driving journey, even with some rest along the way. So much to explore!