Our Hokkaido sheep farm
The flock and place behind our wool.
About the farm
Tomamu Sheep Farm is an independent working farm run by Ryoji and Shiho Arimitsu in Tomamu, Shimukappu, Hokkaido. It is separate from the tourist attractions operated by Hoshino Resorts TOMAMU.
In the snow-free season our sheep graze day and night. We rotate pastures so they can eat nutritious grass at the right time.
Shiho & the flock
For Shiho, understanding the sheep begins with walking out into the fields and spending time among them. Being close, watching, and learning their individual personalities are all part of how she cares for the flock.
Ryoji often connects with the flock through the sheepdogs, while Shiho enjoys meeting the sheep directly, on their own terms. Their different instincts complement each other, and they share all the everyday responsibilities of the farm.
The work here follows the seasons and the flock: grazing sheep, managing pasture, and working with sheepdogs. We are also preparing raw fleece and processed wool to sell directly from this site. You can join the wool waitlist for an availability notice.
Our flock & breeding
The flock now numbers around 300 sheep, with Suffolk and Poll Dorset lines, their crosses, and a small number of other types. Our Booroola Dorsets are a smaller wool-producing cross.
Most breeding ewes are Poll Dorsets or Suffolk–Poll Dorset crosses, bred with rams from those same lines. Stronger Suffolk traits often bring a black face; stronger Poll Dorset traits tend toward a white face, sometimes with black spots. Both are large meat breeds.
Sheep meat has an important place in Hokkaido’s food culture, and we supply it to many restaurants across the region.
Black sheep & wool
Our black sheep have Jacob and Cheviot in their paternal line, with Poll Dorset crosses on their maternal side. As sheep were selected for easily dyed white fleece, the black-wool trait became less common. These sheep retain their naturally dark fleece.
We see real value in naturally black wool. We hope to grow this part of the flock and make its fleece more widely available. Hardy and adaptable, the sheep are also well suited to Tomamu’s climate and pasture.
Why Tomamu
Tomamu is an extraordinary place for sheep. In hotter and more humid parts of Japan, summer conditions can limit the time sheep are able to graze comfortably. Tomamu’s cooler summers allow our flock to remain on pasture day and night throughout the snow-free season.
The farm’s location gives the sheep room to graze through the summer in a climate that suits them.
Where we are
Tomamu, Shimukappu, Hokkaido — a mountain region known for its sea of clouds.
Contact: tomamusheepfarm@gmail.com