Rikubetsu Town

• Hokkaido
• Area Info
• Sightseeing
• Accommodation
• Activities
• Nature
• Festivals & Events
• Spring
• Summer
• Autumn
• Winter

Rikubetsu Town, in the Ashoro district of eastern Hokkaido, is certified as Japan's coldest town — a small farming community of some 2,500 residents where January temperatures routinely plunge well below -30°C. Yet this extreme cold is the town's greatest pride and tourism asset. The pristine, light-pollution-free atmosphere creates extraordinary night skies, and the 'Ginga no Mori Observatory' (Galaxy Forest Observatory) houses one of Japan's largest 60-cm reflector telescopes — a mecca for stargazing enthusiasts. The winter festival 'Shibare Festival' features the legendary experience of waving a wet towel until it freezes solid in the air — a quintessentially Hokkaido way of celebrating, rather than fearing, the cold. In summer, lush pastoral farm landscapes replace the snow, making Rikubetsu a rewarding destination in any season.