What to Do at Daisetsu Mori Garden
Garden, Sanctuary, and Playground
Daisetsu Mori Garden is full of greenery, and has an adventure playground for kids big and small and a restaurant serving gourmet cuisine. While the garden has paved paths, there are places to wander through the forest and bushes, explore, and have picnics.
Most of the activities geared for children are in an area called Asobi no Mori, meaning “Play Forest.” One is a 40-meter-long wooden xylophone that is “played” by rolling wooden balls down it.
The crafts workshop here focuses on making small toys or artwork using wood and other materials found around the garden. One session, however, involves distilling a bottle of aromatic “forest water” to take home. The first step is to go into the woods to find pine branches, leaves and other materials to supply the scent.
Families can reserve the Forest Living area, which features an outdoor kitchen, bar, and deck. There is also a wood-fired stone oven.
Many visitors to the garden make it a point to sample the Italian cuisine at Fratello di Mikuni, prepared to the specifications of world-renowned owner and chef Mikuni Kiyomi. Chef Mikuni focuses on ingredients sourced locally and from elsewhere in Hokkaido. Diners have a 180-degree view of the Daisetsuzan mountain range.
Another draw is the chef’s own take on amazake. This sweet, white nonalcoholic drink made from sake lees is highly nutritious, including protein, vitamins, amino acids, and dietary fiber.
Daisetsu Mori Garden is open daily during daylight hours between the end of April and mid-October.