2026 is the final season for the Furano-Biei Norokko sightseeing train — after this year, it will be retired for good. If riding it to Farm Tomita’s lavender fields is on your bucket list, this is your last chance.
Farm Tomita: From a Failing Crop to Furano’s Icon
Farm Tomita’s story starts in 1903, when Tokuma Tomita first cultivated the fields of the Nakafurano wilderness. Lavender farming took off here in 1952, and for a while the whole Furano region grew it commercially — until trade liberalization opened the door to cheap imported fragrance oils, and most farmers gave up the crop as unprofitable.
What saved it was, in a roundabout way, the railway. In 1976, a Japanese National Railways calendar featured a photo of Farm Tomita’s lavender fields, and travelers began arriving from across the country to see it in person. From there, the farm expanded into potpourri, sachets, and eventually its own distilled perfume, “Furano,” built from techniques developed to make the most of a crop that had lost its industrial market.
Getting There by Train — While You Still Can
The classic way to reach Farm Tomita is the seasonal Lavender Field Station (Lavender-batake Station), a temporary stop opened each year to match the running season of the “Furano-Biei Norokko” — an open-air, slow-running excursion train through the Furano basin. The Norokko calls there, as do a limited number of ordinary local trains. From the station, it’s about a 7-minute walk to the flower fields, a route long loved by railway fans and casual travelers alike (for example, Norokko No. 1 leaves Asahikawa at 10:00 and reaches Lavender Field Station at 11:15). For 2026, the station is open from June 6 through September 23.
The Norokko ran daily from June 13 to August 11, and continues on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays from August 15 through September 23 — its final operating day. All seats are reserved: you’ll need a ¥1,000 (yen) reserved-seat ticket on top of the regular fare (Asahikawa–Furano, for example, comes to ¥1,380 fare + ¥1,000 seat = ¥2,380 (yen), roughly $15; children half price).
JR Hokkaido has lined up several send-off events for the final year. On August 29 and 30, a special “Furano-Biei Mankitsu Norokko” version runs with 20-minute stops at Biei, Kami-Furano, and Naka-Furano stations for local experiences (note that Norokko No. 1 does not run on those two days, and No. 2 and some local trains shift their times). And on the last day, September 23, the train runs a special two-round-trip timetable between Asahikawa and Furano, with ceremonies and commemorative events planned at stops along the way.
Farm Tomita’s main garden, meanwhile, is open year-round regardless of the Norokko’s schedule, so the flowers themselves are always reachable by regular train and bus or car — it’s specifically this scenic, open-window train ride that’s disappearing.
Nearby: Glamping at Zalantan Ashibetsu
About a 40-minute drive from Furano, Zalantan Ashibetsu is a glamping resort built around stargazing and nature, and a convenient base if you’re combining a Farm Tomita visit with a night or two in the area. Earlier this summer, the resort ran a limited-time collaboration with Farm Tomita’s “Lavender East” satellite field, offering guests free tickets for the tractor-drawn “Lavender Bus” that trundles through the rows of purple in the early morning, before the daytime crowds arrive.
That particular promotion, along with Lavender East and the Lavender Bus itself, ran only for the 2026 season, from June 20 to July 20, and has already ended — both the satellite field and the bus close for the year once the lavender there finishes blooming. Farm Tomita’s main garden stays open, but if this specific bus experience interests you, plan for late June through mid-July next year, and watch Zalantan Ashibetsu’s own site for whether the collaboration returns.
（Images: Farm Tomita、PIXTA）
Tetsudo Channel (Railway Channel) Editorial Team
(tetsudo-ch.com — Japan Travel, Trains & Weekend Outings)