Kamishihoro sits in the heart of Tokachi, one of Hokkaido's most celebrated agricultural regions, and the food here reflects that bounty with honest, unfussy pride. The town's black wagyu beef — raised on wide, cold-air pastures — is the undisputed star, and you'll find it served as thick-cut steaks, yakiniku, and richly layered curry at small local restaurants that feel more like someone's dining room than a formal establishment. Pair that with Tokachi-grown potatoes, buttery and almost sweet, and you already have a meal worth traveling for.

Dairy runs deep in Kamishihoro's identity. The town is home to Naiatai Farm, a sprawling, pastoral operation where soft-serve ice cream made from fresh local milk stops visitors in their tracks. The cream is dense and clean-tasting, worlds away from anything you'd find in a city convenience store. Local cheeses and fresh yogurt appear at roadside farm stands, and the morning milk — sometimes sold directly from the farm — has a grassy richness that reminds you exactly where it came from.

For a more casual bite, the area around Nukabira Onsen draws visitors who work up an appetite after a long soak, and small teahouses and lodge-style cafes serve hearty Hokkaido comfort food: venison stew, mushroom-laden miso soup, and hand-rolled soba made with locally buckwheat. Don't leave without trying ishikari-style hotpot at one of the inn restaurants — salmon, tofu, and root vegetables simmered in a miso broth that warms you from the inside out, especially after a day spent wandering the autumn forests.