Factory or dairy visit · Furano, Hokkaido
Furano Cheese Factory
The Furano Cheese Factory (富良野チーズ工房) is free to visit, with windows onto the cheese production room and ripening store. It opens 9:00 to 17:00 from April to October and 9:00 to 16:00 from November to March. Short workshops let you make butter or ice cream (¥1,200) or mascarpone (¥1,300), and the Pizza Kobo bakes Neapolitan pizza with the factory's mozzarella.
- Entry
- Free
- Summer hours
- 9:00 to 17:00
- Winter hours
- 9:00 to 16:00
- Workshops
- From ¥1,200
- Parking
- Free, 120 cars
What You See
Through glass windows you can watch the cheese being made and see the ripening store. Upstairs is a shop with tastings, selling cheese, milk, butter and sweets, plus a model cow to try milking, a cheese history corner and a photo spot where you dress as a cheesemaker.
Hands-On Workshops
- Butter making: about 40 minutes, ¥1,200, starts at 9:15, 10:15, 11:15, 13:15, 14:15 and 15:15.
- Ice cream making: about 40 minutes, ¥1,200, same times, needs at least four people to run.
- Cheese (mascarpone) making: about an hour, ¥1,300, at 9:30, 11:00, 13:30 and 15:00.
The 15:15 sessions do not run from November to March. Book online or by phone (0167-23-1156) at least four days ahead; same-day cancellations are charged in full. People with pacemakers cannot join, because induction cookers are used.
Food
The Pizza Kobo (10:30 to 16:00) bakes Neapolitan pizza in a wood-fired oven from Naples with Furano flour, tomato, onion and the factory's own mozzarella: a margherita is ¥1,850, or ¥500 for a quarter. The Ice Milk Kobo sells gelato and cheese soft-serve in season; it closed for 2026 on 22 October.
Closed Days and Getting There
Closed 31 December to 3 January, every Monday in January and February, and for maintenance in the second week of November. The factory is about 3.4 km from JR Furano Station, about 9 minutes by taxi or 25 minutes by bicycle.
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Questions People Ask
Is the Furano Cheese Factory free?
Yes, entry and parking are free. Only the workshops and food cost extra.
Do I need to book the Furano cheese workshops?
Yes, online or by phone at least four days ahead.
Official site: furano-cheese.jp/. Dates, hours and prices checked 22 October 2026; confirm on the official site before you travel. See all cheese factory tours.