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Shosanbetsu, Japan
初山別村
Shosanbetsu is a town of 1,249 people in Hokkaido, Japan, founded in April 1, 1909.
Why visit Shosanbetsu
Townapedia lists 4 parks and trails, 1 place to eat, 1 place to stay and 2 attractions in and around town.
Weather in Shosanbetsu
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Shosanbetsu
Shosanbetsu (初山別村, Shosanbetsu-mura) is a village located in Rumoi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of 31 August 2026, the village had an estimated population of 947 in 478 households, and a population density of 3.6 people per km2. The total area of the village is 279.52 km2 (107.92 sq mi).
From the Wikipedia article Shosanbetsu, Hokkaido (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do2
Parks, trails and playgrounds4
Restaurants and cafes1
Where to stay1
History
The place name of "Shushabetsu" first appears in historical documentation in 1781. It was established as a village on June 7, 1900.
The village's official interpretation of its name is that it is from the Ainu language "Sousanbetsu (waterfall, flowing river)", but the Hokkaido Ainu Policy Promotion Office's "List of Ainu Place Names" lists it as "so-e-san-pet" (waterfall, flowing river), and also lists the view that it may be "so-san-oet" (waterfall, descending river) based on the description of the place by Matsuura Takeshiro, an explorer from the late Edo and Meiji periods.
From the History section of Shosanbetsu, Hokkaido on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries2
Map of Shosanbetsu
11 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Rishiri Airport (RIS) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 91 km away.
- Kanaura 19 km north, about 19 min by car
- Haboro 20 km south, about 20 min by car
- Tomamae 27 km south, about 27 min by car
- Teshio 38 km north, about 38 min by car
- Nakagawa 40 km northeast, about 40 min by car
- Bifuka 46 km east, about 46 min by car
- Nayoro 58 km east, about 58 min by car
- Toyotomi 63 km north, about 1 h by car
- Minamishibetsuchō 64 km southeast, about 1 h by car
- Rumoi 67 km south, about 1 h by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
Loading what members have shared...
Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Shosanbetsu village hall, アラツク, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Roadside Station Roman-Kaido Shosanbetsu 01, Mugu-shisai, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 初山別 - panoramio, Yobito KAYANUMA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- オロロンライン - panoramio - Yobito KAYANUMA (12), Yobito KAYANUMA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- オロロンライン - panoramio - Yobito KAYANUMA (10), Yobito KAYANUMA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 羽幌線橋梁跡 - panoramio, Yobito KAYANUMA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Ororon Line - panoramio, abu_9495, CC BY 3.0
- 初山別天文台 - panoramio, Yobito KAYANUMA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Hokkaidō-Enbetsu-Torii, User:Rfb0, CC BY-SA 4.0
- 初山別みさき台公園キャンプ場 - panoramio, S30改, CC BY 3.0
- オロロンライン - panoramio - Yobito KAYANUMA (11), Yobito KAYANUMA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- 初山別みさき台公園キャンプ場 - panoramio (1), S30改, CC BY 3.0
- ISS066-E-13276 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-13274 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-13275 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- オロロンライン - panoramio - Yobito KAYANUMA (13), Yobito KAYANUMA, CC BY-SA 3.0
- ISS066-E-25404 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-26612 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS023-E-10721 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-25403 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS023-E-10720 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
- ISS066-E-26611 - View of Earth, Earth Science and Remote Sensing Unit , Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Public domain
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