Kitahiroshima City/Kitahiroshima City Shimamatsu 1-1 Others
Hokkai Gakuen University
Faculty of Engineering Department of Architecture Yu Koya 3rd Year,
Faculty of Law Ayano Takegahara 3rd Year,
Faculty of Law Hiroki Ishino 2nd year,
Faculty of Business Administration Koito Yokota 1st Year,
*Interviewed in November, 2021
Kitahiroshima City is not only a ball park! The charm of “redhead” that I want you to know.
~ Overview ~
Kitahiroshima City is building a ball park centered on Esconfield HOKKAIDO, a new stadium of the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, toward March 2023. Did you know that it is actually the birthplace of rice cultivation in cold regions? Kitahiroshima City is the place where cultivation of “redhead”, the roots of Hokkaido rice represented by “Yumepirika” and “Nanatsuboshi”, began. In order to get to know kitahiroshima city, which is currently attracting attention, we will introduce sightseeing spots and shops in Kitahiroshima City that you would like to visit before and after watching baseball with this keyword of “redhead”. 
– History of Redhead and Hokkaido Rice –
“Redhead” is the ancestor of Hokkaido rice of “Yumepirika” and “Nanatsuboshi”, and it is now a very valuable variety. In 1879, Hisazo Nakayama settled in what is now Shimamatsu, Kitahiroshima City, and began making rice using cold-resistant “redheads”. At that time, it was said that it was impossible to make rice in the land north of Southern Hokkaido, but since 1874, we succeeded in harvesting stable rice. The history of Hokkaido rice started here.
Know redheads
Kitahiroshima City, the birthplace of Hokkaido rice, has a facility where you can learn the history of “redheads”. First of all, I will introduce a facility where you can “know redheads”.
– Former Shimamatsu Station Communication Hall –
The first thing I would like to introduce is the former Shimamatsu Station Diminishing Station. The Station Toll Center is a facility for accommodation and transportation with station buildings and human horses in places where transportation is inconvenient. After the Shimamatsu Station Communication Office was established in 1884 in the present Eniwa City Shimamatsuzawa, from 1882, nakayama Hisazo house became a station communication place by appointment from Sapporo Prefecture from 1802, and it was abolished in 1875. There are few stations in various parts of the road, but the building remains little now, and the former Shimamatsu Station Tolls Office was designated as a nationally designated historic site in 1984. 
In addition, this place has a variety of history, such as the place where Dr. Clark, who served as the head teacher of Sapporo Agricultural College, left the name “Boys be ambitious”, and it was also a place where Emperor Meiji was called an enzaisho when he had lunch during a tour of Hokkaido in 1802. 
In addition, you can enjoy not only history but also scenery at the former Shimamatsu Station Communication Hall. When I asked the staff, the charm of the former Shimamatsu Station Diminishing Place seems to be “seasonal feeling”. It is closed in winter, but the scenery of the station communication place changes depending on the season, such as lotus flowers blooming in summer and enjoying the autumn leaves in autumn. Among them, it is recommended in spring, and the cherry blossoms blooming in front of the building are very beautiful. The station communication hall is open in spring in late April. It is late as the cherry blossom season in Honshu, but it is just the cherry blossom season in Hokkaido. At this time of year, professional baseball is about a month after the start of the season, so please visit the former Shimamatsu Station Communication Hall where you can enjoy the history and scenery along with watching professional baseball at the new stadium. < Basic Information > Location: 1 Shimamatsu, Kitahiroshima City Tel: 011-377-5412 (Open) Fax number: 011-373-0189 (Kitahiroshima City Eco Museum Center Chishin Station) Period: April 28 to November 3 (annual) Fee: Elementary and junior high school students 100 yen (group 70 yen), adults 200 yen (group 150 yen) * Group discount is applied for 20 people or more. Access: About 15 minutes by car from the Kitahiroshima Interchange on the Doo Expressway. URL:National historic site Kyu-Shimamatsu Station Tolls Office (http://www.city.kitahiroshima.hokkaido.jp/kyoiku/detail/00007660.html)
Taste redheads
Although Kitahiroshima City has a history of redheads, until now, there have been no processed products or souvenirs using the city’s “specialties”. Therefore, the Kitahiroshima Chamber of Commerce and Industry continues to revive and cultivate red-haired rice and promote it as a specialty of Kitahiroshima City in order to convey the achievements of revitalization of the region and rice cultivation. Currently, there are few opportunities to eat red-haired rice itself, and it is enough to be eaten at a limited time, but you can taste it with processed products. In addition, you can touch red-haired rice through the hokkaido rice of the descendant. Here are some places where you can “taste redheads”.
~ Azuma ~
One of the places where you can taste redheads is the local sweets shop “Azuma”. In addition to the product “Maipi roll” using red gable rice and five types of baked sweets such as Madeleine and cookies, Azuma also sells sufrekutella and amazake tart using sake lees made from red gable rice. 
“Mai Peela Roll” is a rice flour roll cake made from 100% redhead rice without using wheat in the dough at all. The taste of the dough itself is not particularly addictive, it melts with a holohoro, and it is characterized by a slightly rough texture. The contrast between the smooth cream and the texture of the fabric with a presence is very delicious and can be eaten.
As soon as you enter the store in Asahi-cho, Kitahiroshima City, you will smell the sweet and good scent of maple. Anjushin manufactures and sells a variety of baked sweets such as freshly baked pies, cream puffs and cakes, to cookies made with maple sugar after the city tree kae in Kitahiroshima City, baked sweets such as financiers, busse called “Elfin”, and anko pies such as “Kitahiro Junsei Roll” and “Anbishasu”. Mr. Higashi, the owner, said, “I want people who came to the ball park to know that kitahiroshima city has a shop rooted in the local area like ours.” < Basic Information > Address: 1-4-7 Asahi-cho, Kitahiroshima City Tel: 011-372-0123 Business hours: 9:00-19:00 Closed: Open all year round (New Year’s Day only holiday) Parking lot: Yes (3 cars) Access: 18 minutes walk from Kitahiroshima Station on THE JR Chitose Line URL: Azuma Kitahiroshima store (https://www.e-azuma.biz/)
~Kururu-no-Mori~
Next, I would like to introduce the agricultural and livestock products direct sales office in the “Hokuren Food and Agriculture Fureai Farm Kururu-no-Mori” facility in Omagari, Kitahiroshima City. The Agricultural and Livestock Products Direct Sales Office is a direct sales office aimed at delivering the thoughts of local production for local consumption of JA and producers in Hokkaido. You can buy Hokkaido rice, which is a descendant of “red gable rice” such as nanatsuboshi and yumepirika, in the state of brown rice. And as a “Kitahiroshima rice set”, you can eat red-haired rice for a limited time from late November to December. In addition, various Hokkaido products such as vegetables and fruits from Hokkaido, processed agricultural products, side dishes, sake using sake suitable for sake brewing from Hokkaido are sold. How about Hokkaido products such as Hokkaido rice as a souvenir? 
In addition, Kururu-no-Mori is a place where you can enjoy meals at rural restaurants, agricultural work, cooking processing, etc., and enjoy it with your family. < Basic Information > Address: 377-1 Omagari, Kitahiroshima City Tel: 011-377-8700 Business hours: Agricultural and livestock products direct sales office 10:00-17:00 Rural restaurant buffet lunch / 11:00-15:30 Regular holiday: Posted on the website Access: From JR Kitahiroshima Station to Hokkaido Chuo Bus, via Hiroshima Line SeikoDoto University (sapporo terminal or Fukuzumi Station) After getting off at “Fure Learning Center” stop, About 5 minutes on foot and 13 minutes by car from Kitahiroshima Station (Photo courtesy of Kururu-no-Mori)
At the end
Kitahiroshima City has not only the new charm of a ball park, but also a lot of charms such as those with high historical value and familiar things to the local area. In addition, it seems that events in cooperation with the completion of ball parks are planned in various places in Kitahiroshima City. When you visit the new stadium, be sure to stop by various parts of Kitahiroshima City.