Outdoorsy expatriate lured by the beauty of Hokkaido sets up in Niseko. Sound familiar?
It wasn't the mountains that proved irresistible for Dutchman Dennis van den Brink, it was the valleys and plains.
"I came for the farming," says van den Brink, who has helped make Niseko Green Farm, a creative mainstay in sustainable farming in Kutchan, an area southwest of Sapporo. It provides organic vegetables to the wider Kutchan area, restaurants in Sapporo and seasonal veggie boxes nationwide. In addition, Niseko Green Farm has partnered with two restaurants in the town of Hirafu: Green Farm Cafe and IKI. During the winter, van den Brink helps manage the restaurants and even lends a hand in the kitchen.