If you’re looking for a unique day trip from Sapporo, Sweden Hills in Tobetsu is one of Hokkaido’s best-kept secrets. Just around 40 minutes by car from central Sapporo, this charming residential community is famous for its beautiful Scandinavian-style homes, wide streets, and peaceful atmosphere that feels more like northern Europe than Japan. It was Sunday and we decided to check out the Midsommar Festival held in Sweden Hills.

We arrived early in Sweden Hills, at around 9:45 am in the morning, so looking for parking space was not that hard.

Why is it called “Sweden Hills”?

Sweden Hills was developed as a residential area inspired by Swedish architecture and urban planning. The town of Tobetsu has maintained a long-standing friendship with Sweden, and many of the homes are built using authentic Swedish construction styles.

As you stroll through the neighborhood, you’ll notice:

• Colorful Scandinavian-style wooden houses
• Spacious gardens and tree-lined streets
• Lack of electric poles since the cables are hidden underground.

It’s a favorite destination for photographers, architecture lovers, and travelers seeking a peaceful escape from the city.

There was a public bus running from Tobetsu JR station to Sweden Hills, but there were not a lot, so we were glad to be able to come via car. We arrived just on time before the Midsommar Festival began

There were a lot of stalls selling traditional Swedish foods and artworks. Not only Swedish foods, but there were also some stalls selling international and Japanese foods.

The festival area also had an exhibition of artworks from Sweden. There was also a place that sells some more traditional Swedish style foods.

There were also an event in the nearby park, where we could see some Japanese people dressed up in traditional Swedish costume. Exploring this places really felt like going abroad to Sweden.