One of the purposes of this trip to Obihiro was the "Horse Carriage BAR". We made a reservation in advance and visited the place. It is about a 3-minute walk from Obihiro Station. Reception and meeting point is at "HOTEL NUPKA". We were on the third tour at 8:00 PM. There are indoor seats on the 1st floor and outdoor seats on the 2nd floor, and we got seats on the 2nd floor. The tour includes one drink and snacks. The drinks to choose from include craft beer and local fruit juice. The snacks are made by local producers and include sweet potatoes and specialty cheeses from the abundant land of Obihiro. The tour lasts about 50 minutes. Since the nightlife area of Obihiro is not very large, we go around twice. Along the way, you can see tourist spots such as the main store of Rokkatei, the northern food stalls, and Tokachino Nagaya, which helps you understand the location. But the most priceless experience is the sound of the horseshoes echoing in the air of Obihiro, the powerful and gentle appearance of the former Ban'ei racehorse "Koma-chan" pulling the carriage, and the sight of him happily munching on carrots as a reward. I couldn't help but think about the past life of Obihiro with horses and the trust relationship between horses and people, and my heart was filled with warmth. It was a moment of genuine gratitude for the happiness of being in the city of Obihiro, receiving curious looks from people on the street and passing cars.

I tried riding the "Horse Car Bar" in Obihiro, where you can enjoy drinks while touring the city in a carriage at night. I managed to secure a nice second-floor seat with a great view. There are six seats on the second floor, and it's quite high up. The carriage, pulled by a horse named Koma who used to compete in Ban'ei horse racing, starts off smoothly. The set includes wine, beer, cheese, edamame, and more. The breeze feels nice, giving off a beer garden vibe. We took a break midway for feeding carrots to Koma, who eagerly devoured them. Koma was so friendly and had a really soft coat. We leisurely toured the streets of Obihiro for about 45 minutes. It was a fun experience.

You can enjoy sightseeing in Obihiro city with Musashikoma-kun, who has been working hard at Ban'ei Horse Racing. The people in the city are waiting for Koma-chan, which is nice. He is friendly and very well-behaved, so it's safe for children too. You can even get on the tour at the last minute if there are seats available. I was able to take out the food in a container that Koma-chan was using! (Depends on the season?) The potato snacks are really delicious. It's convenient that you can use the difficult-to-use electronic regional coupons. I hope they make various Koma-chan goods!

Since it was featured in the local news, as a fan of transportation, I definitely wanted to experience it! I hesitated because my companion was not interested and the cost would be for two people (what a waste, haha). However, luckily I received a message from a reviewer from Tokyo who was visiting, so I suggested this to them, and we ended up riding the carriage BAR together. I made a reservation through the official website, paid 3240 yen for a second-floor seat with one drink and snacks at the hotel reception on the day of the ride, and received a boarding pass. Seating starts 3 hours before the ride, so if you arrive early, you can choose your preferred seat, such as a front seat. Additional drinks cost 500 yen each. You can add them when booking online (the maximum is 10 drinks, haha). You can also pay for them when you board. The carriage operates three times a day on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 6 pm, 7 pm, and 8 pm. Please note that the check-in deadline is 15 minutes before boarding (any later will be considered a cancellation). Riding in a carriage, looking at the night streets of Obihiro... I wish I could say that, but actually, I felt the heat from people walking by, haha. We stopped at the north side of the street halfway through and had a 15-minute break. We fed the horse (a 7-year-old horse named Musashikoma) carrots and took photos while touching the horse. It was so much fun even for locals. I will share more in my diary. Before boarding the carriage BAR, you choose one drink. I recommend three options: 1. "Beginning of the Journey" beer (Hotel Nupka's original craft beer), 2. Grazing milk (from "Arigato Farm" in Ashoro), 3. Grape soda (from "Aizawa Farm" in Obihiro). The food menu consists of finger foods that are easy to eat with one hand. I thought you could only choose one, but it turned out to be a nice set of three items: 1. Edamame from Nakasatsunai, 2. Steamed potatoes, 3. Natural cheese from Tokachi. Of course, I chose beer!! (haha) I've had it a few times since I'm a local, but this pilsner-type beer with a barley aroma was quite chilled and had a good sharpness. Drinking beer while feeling the wind is the best, haha. However, if you drink it when the horse starts walking, you might spill it on your clothes, so be careful. The edamame had a nice touch with grilling. The steamed potatoes were flavorful even when slightly cold. On top of those potatoes, there was "Sasayuki" from the Shinotoku Town Community Learning Center, which is a camembert type but not too strong, so even those who are not fans of cheese should be fine (just a little bit). "Sachi" from the Shiawase Cheese Factory in Ashoro was a hard type, so you can nibble on it. Listening to the clippity-clop of the hooves while looking at Obihiro from the second floor was enjoyable even for non-tourists. It has the potential to become a highlight of Obihiro sightseeing! I hope it continues. Go, Musashikoma, with the power of carrots! Thank you for the meal. *Carriage BAR Official Website: https://bashabar.com/

I skipped the review for this year quite a bit, but since you asked to write it first, I'll start from here. Last week, I went back to Hokkaido for a visit. Originally, I was supposed to go in April, but due to work being busy, I rescheduled for the end of May. I was able to take some paid time off, so I planned a 5-night, 6-day trip from Sapporo to Asahikawa and Obihiro. Oh, and when I contacted my usual follower in Obihiro, they told me about an interesting bar in the area. It's called the Horse Carriage Bar, an idea from the president of Hotel Nupka. It's a bar where you can drink while a horse, originally a racehorse, pulls a carriage around the downtown area. I love participating in fun things like this, so I immediately signed up. The weather forecast four days before was cloudy with rain later, but it was surprisingly hot that day. I had some Genghis Khan (grilled lamb) first, then took a stroll around the night stalls before arriving at the Horse Carriage Bar. I booked a seat on the 2nd floor through their website and paid for the carriage ride at Hotel Nupka on the day of the event. The first drink is included in the carriage ride fee, and you can order more beer for 500 yen each. The horse, Musashikoma, used to be a racehorse at Obihiro Racecourse and is now usually at Obihiro Hills. It has a calm and friendly personality. The ride started at 7 PM, and we enjoyed the beer and snacks while feeling the breeze of Obihiro. The horse trotted slowly, and we could hear the sound of its hooves. We passed through the city, and everyone took photos, including us taking photos of them. The ride took us to a break in front of a night stall, where we could take photos with Musashikoma and feed it carrots. It was a popular spot, but the horse remained calm for the photos. After a tour around the city, we arrived back at Hotel Nupka. Musashikoma was so gentle and pettable. It was a fun experience at the Horse Carriage Bar, and I recommend it to anyone visiting Tokachi.