What do you do in Furano in winter?
There are many ways to enjoy Furano, from enjoying the delicious food to the thrilling snow activities.
However, if you go to Furano in winter, astronomical observation is often forgotten.
Nothing can compare to the beauty of the twinkling stars in the crisp winter air.

Sparkling stargazing in Furano in winter! What are the conditions for seeing beautiful stars?

Everyone knows that the winter sky is a beautiful place to see stars, right?
But why do the stars look so beautiful in winter?

First of all, there is the reason that the daylight hours are shorter in winter.

In fact, even after the sun sets, it does not immediately become completely dark due to a phenomenon called “afterglow”.
In winter, the afterglow phenomenon is shorter due to the shorter daylight hours, and the time of total darkness is earlier, so the stars’ brightness reaches the human eye more easily, which is the reason why they look so beautiful.

Cold and dry weather are also related to the brightness of stars.
When there is less moisture in the atmosphere, there are fewer clouds, and when the temperature is lower in the sky, the moisture in the air that blocks the light of the stars becomes water droplets.
This means that there is less to refract the light of the stars in the sky, so their brightness can reach the surface of the earth straight away, making them look more beautiful.　
Especially in the Furano area, where winters are severely cold, there are fewer obstructions to starlight in the sky, so we can observe many beautiful stars.

What kind of stars can be seen in the winter sky of Furano?

If you want to spend a romantic evening in Furano in winter, then astronomical observation is the perfect choice for you.
If you are going to go to the trouble of looking, you should at least know what kind of stars and constellations you can see.

In Furano, and indeed all of Japan, there are seven of the brightest first magnitude stars in the sky during the winter.
These first-magnitude stars are about 100 times brighter than the sixth-magnitude stars, which are just barely bright enough to be seen by the naked eye.
Among these stars, the “Great Winter Triangle” made up of Petergius of Orion, Procyon of Canis Major, and Sirius of Canis Major shines in the southern sky and is very famous.
If you can find this great triangle, you can find Capella of Auriga, Castor and Pollux of Gemini, and Aldebaran of Taurus all together in the vicinity.

If you look up at the stars on a trip to Furano as a couple and can rattle off the names of the stars, you might just make your partner fall in love with you again!
We suggest you check the locations of the seven first-magnitude stars and the shapes of the constellations beforehand!

Where is the best place to see the winter stars near Furano?

Many people traveling to Furano in winter may not have much planned for the evening other than to enjoy a delicious meal.
However, since you will be able to see the stars so beautifully, we recommend that you go out for astronomical observation!

Compared to places like Sapporo, Furano is surrounded by nature, so you can get away from the lights of the city, which can interfere with the brightness of the stars, and it is easy to access the best spots for star gazing.
What kind of stargazing spots are there in Furano? Here are just a few!

Contrast between starry skies and larch forests! Mild Seven Hills

First of all, we would like to introduce Biei, a town not far from Furano.
Biei is called one of the best spots for astronomical observation in Hokkaido, and is recognized as a “starry sky town”.
One of the most popular spots is “Mild Seven Hill,” made famous by the “Mild Seven” (current ”Mebius”) cigarette commercial.
Although the image of this spot is more like daytime, it is popular not only for astronomical observation but also as a spot for stargazing.

Not only is the starry sky beautiful, but this one is also easily accessible from the city center.
While the low sky will inevitably be affected by the brightness of the city, you can bet that you’ll still see some beautiful starry skies!
In summer, you can drive there, but in winter, you need to walk up the hill for about five minutes, even from the snow, so watch youFrozen night touright tour

Furano “Frozen” Night Tour in Furano Ski Resort!

Next, we will introduce Furano Ski Resort.
Furano Ski Resort is a very popular spot in Furano where many tourists enjoy skiing and snowboarding.
Every year, Furano Ski Resort holds the “Furano Starry Sky Exploration Tour Winter” from 6:00pm to 7:15pm, and many people have enjoyed viewing the shining stars of Furano in winter from an altitude of 900m.

In 2019, however, the tour has been further upgraded to “Furano “Frozen” Night Tour” to experience the harshness of Furano’s winter!　
You can enjoy interesting experiences such as freezing wet towels and making frozen jeans, which are usually difficult to experience, and if the weather is good, you may be able to see the beautiful starry night sky.
If you want to enjoy not only the starry sky but also other unique winter experiences, this is the event for you! If you are planning to visit Furano Ski Resort, this is the event for you.

Enjoy the full stars of Lake Kanayama while enjoying wakasagi fishing!

And for the third spot, I would like to introduce “Lake Kanayama” from a slightly different perspective.
Lake Kanayama is surrounded by nature and is famous as a popular tourist spot even in summer.
Another attraction of Lake Kanayama is that you can experience wakasagi (smelt) fishing, a popular activity in Furano in winter.

Many people think of wakasagi fishing as a daytime activity, but here you can also experience it at night!　
Fishing for wakasagi in a warm tent, eating tempura of wakasagi, and looking out of the tent at the twinkling stars… such a wonderful experience is hard to find, isn’t it?
This is a highly recommended spot to enjoy Furano in winter, where you can fully appreciate the sky full of stars while enjoying the activities.

A starry night sky while strolling through the virgin forest!

Last but not least is Tokachi-dake in Daisetsuzan National Park.
Although Ginsendai is known as a mecca for star gazing, this place is open from late June to early October, so you cannot see the starry sky during the winter.
However, if you go to the Fukiage Onsen area in the middle of Mt. Tokachi, which is also a national park, you can enjoy a night tour with snowshoes and enjoy the starry sky!
In the crisp air, all you can hear is the sound of your breath and your footsteps on the snow, and when you look up at the sky, you will see many twinkling stars… very romantic, isn’t it!

Moreover, since you will be walking around near hot spring facilities that are popular among the locals, you can immediately warm your cold body in the hot spring after a long walk.
This is the spot for those who are greedy and want to enjoy the cold winter of Furano, the stars in the sky, and the hot springs that will make you feel happy all at once.

Extra: Reaching for the Stars…! Let’s look at the starry sky from the campsite!

Quoted：星に手のとどく丘キャンプ場

Although not open during the winter season, if you want to see the stars in Furano, I would like to introduce you to “the Hoshi ni Te no Todoku Oka Campsite”.
Many people visit this campsite every year because it offers one of the best views of the stars in Japan.
In fact, this is a campsite with no lights at all, because it was built for star gazing in Furano.
The campsite, cut off from artificial light, is truly a natural planetarium!　
You can see not only the Milky Way, but also stardust and even satellites.
Camping enthusiasts should definitely visit at least once!　
The campsite is open from the end of April to the beginning of October, so please be careful when you visit.

Enjoy an astronomical observation in Furano!

Now you may want to go astronomical observation in Furano in winter!
Furano has a strong image of being cold, but it is precisely because of this cold weather that some of the most spectacular sights can be seen.
In addition to delicious gourmet food, we also recommend that you spend some luxurious time enjoying the starry sky this winter!

We wish your trip to Furano will be a wonderful one, and we would be happy if you could use this article as a reference for your wonderful travel plans!

For Hokkaido activity experiences visit Basho Trip