01437 ／ ほくりゅうちょう
Hokkaido 雨竜郡2 million sunflowers bloom on a hill.
Himawari no Sato, 23.13 ha01 ／ One-are-per-household drive
The tourism association's anniversary book says the JA women's section launched a one-are-per-household planting drive in 1980, and plantings grew from 4.2 ha to 42 ha by 1985. In 1989 young people plowed and sowed a 6 ha field in a day, and Himawari no Sato was born.
02 ／ Shiryu lion dance
According to the Hokkaido cultural resources database, the Shiryu lion dance fuses the red lion of Toyama's Etchu style with the blue lion and lion-tamer dance of Awaji Island. It is offered at the Shiryu Shrine festival and goes around the whole town.
03 ／ Yew Forest
The town describes Ichii no Mori (Yew Forest) as a forest made by the townspeople, backed by a wish to cherish nature. It is in Itaya, and two poem monuments linked to the town stand along its walking path. The yew is the town's tree.
Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.
Wide (about 6 km across)
Close (about 1.5 km across)
Now (shot June 2024)Shot 1974–78
Source: Geospatial Information Authority of Japan (GSI) GSI Tiles（全国最新写真（シームレス）／国土画像情報（第一期：1974〜1978年撮影））
Living here
The town says it is a farming town with rice as its main crop along the Uryu River and three other rivers, and in 1990 it declared itself a town of safe food production protecting people's lives and health. It won the grand prize at the 46th Japan Agricultural Awards in 2017, and 70 percent of its area is forest.
−13% since 2015
2,785 → 1,724
56.28km² of it habitable
2024
2.3 people per household
2020
11.6 per 10,000 people
2023
These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.
ACCESS
Travel times follow 北海道中央バス『高速るもい号』の時刻表（札幌発＞留萌行き https://www.chuo-bus.co.jp/highway/index.cgi?ope=det&n=13&o=1 、留萌発＞札幌行き 同 o=2。見出し『2026年7月1日更新（夏ダイヤ）』）。滝川駅前 12:46 発 → 北竜役場前 13:14 着（28分）、滝川駅前 18:26 発 → 北竜役場前 18:54 着（28分）。逆向き（北竜役場前→滝川駅前）は 8:44 → 9:20 と 16:44 → 17:20（各36分）。 (checked 2026-10-29). They vary by time of day.
Shape
North to south
16.3km
If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.
From this town's themes
Similar towns
A Sumida River guest house, moved home.
Zoshunkaku, Okura's villaRice country, It snows, Hot springs
A river with 23 fish species recorded.
Shiribeshi-Toshibetsu RiverIt snows, Hot springs, Farming town
A windowed bridge spans the platforms.
Pippu Station, footbridgeRice country, It snows, Farming town
_-_panoramio.jpg){kind=link}