Yamakawa Bokujyo 山川牧場 (Onuma, JAPAN) ★★★★☆

This Hokkaido trip has provided us an opportunity to visit different local farms and it proved to be a great educational experience for my little nugget. After visiting Lake Hill Farm near Lake Toya, we had the chance to have a brief visit at Yamakawa Bokujyo (山川牧場), a century-old producer of dairy products who's really famous around the Onuma (大沼) area.



They have a dairy shop which is just a stone's throw away from Onuma Park (大沼公園).



There's a small cafe inside their shop for dine-in customers.



It's time to experience some of Yamakawa Farm’s top-notch dairy products next door. I did my homework before the trip so I knew exactly which items to check off my list.



First up, Yamakawa Farm's highly regarded natural milk (山川牧場自然牛乳), which is most known for its mellow and rich flavor. There are no additives and preservatives in their milk, just pure natural flavors. They are hugely popular in Hokkaido which is why you will find them everywhere in Hakodate including most supermarkets and grocery shops.



Of course, they're no one-trick pony. This ice-cream shaped bench already gave out the fact that they have a killer soft-serve ice-cream as well.



Their best seller is the vanilla flavored soft-serve, known for its perfect balance between richness and sweetness. Additional strawberry, apple, peach, blueberry and rum raisin compotes are available for an extra 80 yen.



As a purist, I knew I had to try their silky smooth and super creamy vanilla soft-serve. This was so good!~



There's one last item that shouldn't be missed here at Yamakawa Bokujyo - their foamy but rich flavored milkshake. It comes with original, melon, strawberry and mango flavors.



I had a go with their original milk flavored shake. Not bad.



After enjoying their dairy products, my little one raced next door to check out their farm.



Look at all these fat dairy cows which have been raised right here in the friendly confines of their spacious barn.



No wonder their milk tasted so good! I guess this explained why Yamakawa Farm has won so many awards for the excellent quality and flavor of its milk, including the Hokkaido Milk Quality Improvement Grand Prix in 2006 and the Gold Prize in the Foodex Japan 2013 Local Milk Grand Prix.



Yamakawa Bokujyo is just a 4-minute drive from Onuma Park's parking area. You won't miss this sign driving down Highway 43.








Food Rating: 6/10
Price: ￥￥
Address: 628 Onumacho, Nanae, Kameda District, Hokkaido, 0411-1354 Japan
Tel: +81 138-67-2114
Website: www.yamakawabokujyo.com