Basic Information + An Introduction to the Website
Tobetsu is a town in Hokkaido, Japan. 40 minutes away from Sapporo by both train and car, and 60 minutes away from the nearest airport (Shin Chitose Sapporo), it is one of the few towns in Hokkaido to have been founded by a Samurai.
From Tobetsu, you can quickly find yourself in Hokkaido’s verdant nature, or the plentiful crops of the local farmers. Equally, it is a quaint city in itself with an array of: family-run restaurants which use local ingredients; cosy Izakayas, with friendly staff, cold drinks and fresh-off the grill meat and fish; and shops selling local produce and hand made clothing.
If you want to experience rural Japan or want a destination off the beaten track, Tobetsu is a great place to come to. There is not much here which directly caters to tourists, so you might want to learn a few words of Japanese or brush up on your google translate skills, but it is precisely this authenticity which lends Tobetsu its charm. The people here are warm and friendly, perhaps because the winters are so cold.
The English language section of this website has three sections: About Tobetsu, Visit, and Stay.
- About Tobetsu: An outline of local history, geography, culture and religion, ranging from the local shrine to ice-cream loving bikers.
- Visit: Suggestions of where to stay, what to do, and where to eat.
- Stay: For those who have an interest in living in Tobetsu, we present options both in the town and in the countryside ranging from new-builds to rentals.
For information on transport around Tobetsu/ how to get around: Transport to, from and in Tobetsu