How to choose where to eat in the Furano valley: what the area is known for, what to expect in each season, and the practical details that decide a meal — hours, parking, language and dietary needs.
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What the Furano Valley Is Known For
This is farming country. The valley and the hills around it produce dairy, potatoes, corn, onions and melons, and Hokkaido as a whole is known for its seafood. That shows up on menus across the area in different ways — some kitchens lean on the local produce directly, others simply cook well with what is grown nearby.
Soup curry deserves a mention on its own. It is a Hokkaido speciality rather than a Furano one, but it suits this climate so well that you will find it across the island, and it is the dish most visitors from outside Japan end up remembering.
What Actually Decides Where You Eat
In a rural valley the deciding factors are rarely the food alone. Opening hours are shorter than in a city and many places close between lunch and dinner. Distances are real — what looks close on a map is a drive. Parking matters. And if you are travelling without Japanese, whether anyone at the restaurant speaks English changes the evening considerably.
Season changes things too. During the lavender weeks in July and August, and again through the ski season, the evening sitting fills up across the valley. Booking ahead is worth the phone call, especially for a group.
Where We Fit: Nepal Dining, Nakafurano
We are a Nepalese and Indian restaurant based in Nakafurano, in the middle of the valley. About fifteen minutes by car from Furano Ski Resort and from Kamifurano, and around thirty from Biei. Free parking, sixty seats, and walk-ins welcome outside the busiest evenings.
On the menu you will find curries — butter chicken, tikka masala, mutton, keema, prawn and seafood among them — three soup curries, naan baked to order in the tandoor, rice, tandoori chicken, chicken tikka and momo, the Nepalese steamed dumpling, which comes with a chicken or a vegetable filling. You choose the spice level yourself.
Language, Diet and Practical Details
Our staff speak English. We are halal-friendly — not halal-certified, and we say so plainly, because the difference matters to the people who ask. Vegetarian dishes are on the standard menu. Vegan is possible on request: our standard naan dough contains dairy and egg, but the kitchen will prepare dishes without them if you say so when you order. The same applies to nut-free cooking and to allergies.
We open Tuesday to Sunday, 11:00 to 15:00 and 17:00 to 21:00, and close on the second and fourth Wednesday of each month. The number is 0167-44-2444. If you are more than four people, or arriving at a busy hour in season, a call ahead is the safest way to get a table.
Sharing the best of Furano travel, Hokkaido food culture, and the story of Nepal Dining — where Himalayan flavours meet Japanese hospitality.