Run and eat in the Tokachi region. 2018 Food Valley Tokachi Marathon

Participation benefits for the "Food Valley Tokachi Marathon" are also gourmet-friendly!

The 2018 Food Valley Tokachi Marathon will be held on October 28, 2018 in Obihiro, Hokkaido. This year marks the 7th anniversary of the event, which attracts many participants from outside the prefecture every year, with a total of about 5,000 runners taking part.

There are three courses to enjoy at the Tokachi Food Valley Marathon. The Tokachi Obihiro Forest Course covers 21.0975km (half distance) within the 145-minute time limit, starting at Fujimaru Department Store in Obihiro city, passing through the main street known as Shirakaba Dori, before turning around and heading for the finish line at Obihiro Forest, a sports complex on the outskirts of the city. Obihiro Forest is planted with conifers and birch trees, allowing runners to enjoy the race while taking in the forest bathing. As this is an official course of the Japan Association of Athletics Federations, it is the course with the most participants every year.

The "Ban'ei Tokachi Course" passes by the side of Obihiro Racecourse, turns around midway and heads towards the finish line. There are no tall buildings nearby, so the views are excellent. You can take part in the course as if you were jogging. The "Fun Run Course" is a course that turns around as soon as it leaves the city. Elementary school students are also welcome to participate, so parents and children can enjoy the run together. The experience of working together to reach the finish line is sure to be a wonderful memory for the family.

You can also participate in this event in costume. Since it is Halloween, many runners will be participating in costumes to liven up the event. Running in a unique outfit may double the fun of the event.

Another big attraction of this event is the attitude of the local people who are trying to make the event a success with the whole town. With the kind support of the volunteer staff and the warm cheers of the local people, you will surely feel motivated.

There are also lots of other great perks. Participants will receive a commemorative towel and freshly picked vegetables from Tokachi, and after the race they will be treated to a bowl of pork soup made with plenty of ingredients from Tokachi. They will also receive a 500 yen voucher to use at the "Tokachi Food and Drink Booth" and merchandise booths set up at the finish line, where you can enjoy local Tokachi specialties.

Entries for the 2018 Food Valley Tokachi Marathon can be made by bank transfer or through the website. The deadline is Tuesday, September 18th, so apply early!

Here are the must-visit restaurants in Tokachi! Introducing gourmet food made with local ingredients

Soul food originating from Obihiro. A famous pork bowl restaurant loved by locals, "Butadon Ton-da"

After driving through the city of Obihiro, let's go on a short trip to enjoy Tokachi cuisine. One dish you should definitely try is pork bowl. This soul food originated in Obihiro, where pork is grilled in a sauce unique to each restaurant and served on top of rice. Pork seems to have been a familiar ingredient for the common people throughout the history of development, as seen in the poem "The beginning of reclamation was a pot of pork and rice" by Yoda Benzo, who is also known as the father of Tokachi development.

The restaurant we will introduce this time is "Ton-den", located about 15 minutes by car from JR Obihiro Station. The pork bowls here come with a choice of three types of pork: loin, belly, and fillet. The recommended dish is the "Bara Buta-don" (Rose Pork Bowl), a beautiful bowl presented in a vibrant way that resembles a rose flower. They use pork from Tokachi, and all of it is hand-cut, so they only serve the most delicious parts.

"Unlike imported or frozen meat, we can provide fresh meat at the most delicious time, so you can enjoy the original taste of the meat and the sweetness of the fat," says the store manager, Mr. Onodera. Even in Obihiro, it is rare to find a pork bowl restaurant that cuts the meat by hand, and they pay attention to every detail when cooking.

The secret sauce, which has been passed down for over 40 years by the previous owner, has a sweet flavor that is easy to eat for people of all ages, from children to adults. Onodera-san says, "Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to taste. Even if our taste doesn't suit your taste, you're sure to find your favorite pork bowl if you search around the city." While respecting Tokachi's pork bowls, he continues to protect the proud taste that is unique to Ton-da.

Luxurious pizza that is garnering attention from around the world. Pizzeria "Tuka" offers a delicious, reasonably priced dish filled with the finest cheese.

Next up is a pizza shop that uses the finest cheeses in abundance. It is about a 45-minute drive from Obihiro Station and a 15-minute drive from Tokachi Obihiro Airport. Sarabetsu Cheese Factory is located in Sarabetsu Village, a village with a population of about 3,000 people adjacent to the southern part of Obihiro City. On the premises is the log cabin-style Pizzeria Tuka. The pizzas served here are made with the finest cheese handmade by Sarabetsu Cheese Factory craftsmen Toshiaki Noya and his son Joji, and are carefully baked one by one by owner Yohei Tsukamoto in an authentic stone oven inside the shop.

The recommended pizza is "Sarabetsu Cheese." It is served in the first and executive classes of JAL international flights and was served to world leaders at the Hokkaido Toyako Summit in 2008. It uses plenty of Gouda cheese "Rakuka," which is recognized as one of the best cheeses in the world, as well as mozzarella cheese, blue cheese "Kimagure Blue," and washed cheese "Sarabetsu Wash." The cheese is made only from high-quality milk, salt, and lactic acid bacteria from Sarabetsu Village. It is fermented and aged with home-grown lactic acid bacteria. Another great point is that it can be enjoyed at a reasonable price of 1,300 yen per pizza. Another must-try menu item is the Neapolitan pizza "Margherita," made with tomato sauce, mozzarella, and basil.

This luxurious pizza is made using only ingredients from Hokkaido, including wheat and vegetables. On weekends, the restaurant can quickly fill up with customers. As the restaurant closes for the day once the ingredients run out, we recommend that you check with the restaurant in advance if you are traveling from far away.

Enjoy crispy sweets at the famous Rokkatei main store "Rokkatei Obihiro main store"

Rokkatei Obihiro Main Branch

Rokkatei has many fans all over Japan for its famous sweets, such as the classic Hokkaido souvenir "Marusei Butter Sandwich." But did you know that they also have limited edition sweets that are only available at certain stores in Hokkaido?

One of them is the "Sakusaku Pie." As the name suggests, it is a crispy cornet-shaped pie filled with plenty of freshly squeezed custard cream. To enjoy it at its best, it must be eaten within three hours of being made. It is a rare sweet that can only be enjoyed at some directly managed stores in Obihiro City and at the Sapporo flagship store.

The other is "Yukikon Cheese." It is an exquisite combination of cocoa biscuits and sweet and sour, rich baked cheese. The crispy texture of the biscuits deteriorates over time, so they are made only after an order is placed. The best time to eat them is about two hours after they are made, so we recommend eating them in. This is sold at all directly managed stores in Hokkaido, with the exception of some areas.

Tokachimura: Obihiro's biggest spot where you can experience everything Tokachi has to offer

For those who say, "I only came to participate in the marathon, so I don't have much time to do sightseeing...", we recommend "Tokachimura", a seven-minute drive from Obihiro Station. Located inside Obihiro Racecourse, where the world's only "Ban'ei Horse Race" is held, Tokachimura is a major spot in Obihiro where Tokachi gourmet food, vegetables delivered directly from the producers, and processed foods are all gathered in one place.

Tokachimura is a complex tourist exchange hub that promotes the attractions of Tokachi, a treasure trove of food. It is made up of three zones: the Farmers Market, where fresh vegetables and processed foods are lined up; Sweets & Select, which promotes the appeal of sweets; and the Kitchen, where you can enjoy casual French cuisine, pork bowls, Genghis Khan and other dishes.

There is also a select goods store called "Localista" that sells original goods and accessories made by creators active in Tokachi. There is also a museum on the premises where you can learn about the history of "banba." Even if you don't have much time for sightseeing, you can efficiently experience the charm of Tokachi by coming here.

By the way, Ban'ei horse racing is a national sport run by Obihiro City in which "ban'ei" horses, which were used as farm horses during the Hokkaido development era, compete in strength and speed while pulling sleds. It is open all year round and even has night races, so you can enter the tournament and then watch the races. Why not enjoy this Tokachi specialty while guessing which horse will run the fastest?

The recommended gourmet spots in Tokachi introduced here are just a few of them. For example, there are nearly 80 restaurants in Tokachi alone where you can enjoy pork bowl, and each restaurant has their own unique preferences for the pork, sauce, and grilling method they use. One of the joys of visiting Tokachi many times and finding your own favorite is to do so. Tokachi is full of food attractions, and there are different things to enjoy with each season, such as seasonal ingredients. Why not use the 2018 Food Valley Tokachi Marathon as an opportunity to experience the richness of Tokachi's food?

*Some content was updated on August 15, 2019.