Some of the tractors on display
A tractor is a useful vehicle when you are to plow or carry something heavy in the fields. However, for many farmers, it’s also something special that they enjoy its appearance and feel personal attachment to. Tsuchi-no-Yakata is a museum in Kamifurano town, Hokkaido, where you can meet those old-time tractors and learn the history of farming tools.
Seventy two units of old tractors in different colors and distinctive designs sit in neat rows. The oldest one in the collection is a steam-powered traction engine built in 1902, and the latest one is a Russian-made tractor built in 1980. Most of them on display were actually used and donated by farmers in Hokkaido.
Steam tractor was fueled by coal or wood. This tractor weights 9 tons and could generate 25 horsepower. (in Kamifurano town, Hokkaido)
The majority was built in the 50s, the early days of the tractors in Japan. Soon after the end of the war, Japan imported many tractors instead of making them on its own. Some of them have very distinctive designs.
The museum is becoming popular also among people who love classic cars as a place to enjoy vehicles with unique designs.
The Tsuchi-no-Yakata Museum was opened in 1992 by Sugano Farm Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd., originally in order to display soil samples. One day, when the company asked local farmers if they have old tractors, many said yes and donated them for the new display.
Masayuki Tamura, museum director, said in a quiet tone that the tractors on display are the pioneers of Hokkaido. “Every single piece has a history and memories of its users.”