If you see tour buses parking in a carpark which you didn't plan to stop by, there is nothing much to loss to join them. At worst you join the crowd to use the washroom but on the other hand, they might lead you to something you could have missed. Hokuseino-oka Observatory Park was one of those we stopped by in such situation. We were eagerly looking for Parent Child Tree, Seven Star Tree, Patchwork on Michi etc, and ended up to pull into the carpark and parked with these tour buses. The park and the observatory were not the best but the cool nice weather at the late morning, bright sky with some scattered clouds, flowers starting to bloom and the mountain ranges far ahead, it was such a blessing to stand and walk around to enjoy the tranquility. The park is not big but we spent closed to an hour there before heading to our next attraction.

Nice garden for a walk. The lookout point is notable for their pyramid architecture. Take stairs to the top for a breathtaking view of green fields. You can get lavender ice cream here too.

Great to spend here half an hour to have a beautiful view on Biei and the snowy mountains around here.
It’s too far to walk here from the city center but you can rent a (electric) bike near the train station.
Next to the view point the are a few small coffee shops.