Hokuryu Sunflower Village

From late July through mid-August, the hills of Himawari-no-Sato in Hokuryu erupt with over 1.5 million sunflowers across 23 hectares, creating one of Japan's most photographed summer landscapes. The scale is staggering, fields of brilliant yellow stretching to the horizon against Hokkaido's blue sky. A sunflower maze and observation deck add to the experience, and the annual Sunflower Festival brings food stalls selling sunflower-seed ice cream and other local treats. Mornings offer the best light for photography before the afternoon crowds arrive. The nearby public bath (the facility's primary year-round function) makes for a pleasant post-walk soak.