What flower stands out on a sunny summer day but a sunflower. In Hokkaido, a sunflower field is considered the largest planted area in Japan. The 23.1 hectares Himawari no Sato is located in Hokuryu town, southwest of Asahikawa City. When we went there one summer, I was amazed how large and beautiful the sunflower field is.

The residents of Hokuryu started cultivating sunflowers in 1979. With its fertile land and favorable weather, about 1.5 million of 30 types of sunflowers grow in Himawari no Sato annually, The first sunflower festival was held in 1987.

Sunflowers are considered ‘happy flowers’ and yes, seeing the large sunflower field in Hokuryu definitely made me happy.

“A sunflower field is like a sky with a thousand suns.”

– Corina Abdulahm-Negura