Higashikawa | Destinations | for Travel Trade & Press

A town that lives on groundwater

Higashikawa is located almost in the center of Hokkaido, and the eastern part is mountainous and forms a large forest area. Asahidake (2,291m), the highest peak of the Daisetsuzan mountain range, which is said to be the peak of Hokkaido, is located in the Higashikawa area.

Adjacent to Asahikawa City, the second largest city in Hokkaido, the current population is about 8,400, but there have been many immigrants in the past few years, and the population is increasing year by year.

There is no water supply system, people live on groundwater, and in a place where rice is thriving, not only is the delicious rice grown in good quality water, but other vegetables, processed products, and restaurants are also supplied with snowmelt water from the Daisetsu Mountains.

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Asahidake “The highest peak in Hokkaido”

Asahidake, with an altitude of 2,291m, is the highest mountain in Hokkaido and has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Mountains. Located on the north side of Daisetsuzan National Park , the highland belt spreads widely and there are many types of alpine plants.

Although the mountaineering season is short, from late June to early October, the scenery of nature that changes rapidly in a short period of time is overwhelming. The flowers of alpine plants, which reach their peak towards the end of July, paint the ground colorfully, and in the Ainu language, it is called “kamuimintara” (garden where the gods live), and it is truly a paradise.

It is known as the place where autumn leaves come first in Japan, and the autumn leaves that can be seen from mid-September to late September start from the Sugatami area and move to Asahidake Onsen day by day. During this period, many tourists visit to see the majestic colors that spread across Daisetsuzan National Park.

Ainu Culture (Nuprikorokolokamuinomi)

Daisetsuzan is also very important to the Ainu people, the indigenous people of Hokkaido. Asahidake, the highest peak of Mt. Daisetsuzan, the “Nuprikorokamuinomi,” which means “mountain festival” in Ainu language, includes traditional Ainu ceremonies, ancient dances, large bonfires, and torchlight processions in which the public is invited to participate.

In addition to the Ainu culture, Higashikawa Town, home of the Daisetsuzan National Park, is producing a film, “Kamui no Uta” (Songs of the Kamui), based on the story of Yukie Chiri, an Ainu cultural traditions hander who was born in 1903 and died at the young age of 19, for the purpose of passing on “Daisetsuzan culture” to the next generation. The film is scheduled to be released in the fall of 2023.