Article

01633 ／かみしほろちょう

Hokkaido 河東郡

Kamishihoro Town

A bridge that sinks and reappears.

Taushubetsu River Bridge

Photo by MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Station site

A 61 m platform on a flat in the mountains,a Registered Tangible Cultural Property.

Station site in Kamishihoro Town — Photo by MaedaAkihiko (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Former Horoka Station was built when the former JNR Shihoro Line was extended in 1939. Its concrete platform is 61 m long, 2.3 m wide and 0.8 m high, with a ramp at each end. It was registered on June 28, 2017, and the town's site calls the place a station site.

61 m long, 2.3 m wide, 0.8 m high
Registered Tangible Cultural Property (building)
Registered June 28, 2017

02 ／ Arch bridge

Among prewar Hokkaido railway concrete arch bridges,it is known for the largest span.

The Daisan Otofuke River Bridge on the former JNR Shihoro Line is 71 m long, with two 10 m arches, one 32 m arch and one more 10 m arch. Bunka Isan Online says it is known as having the largest span among prewar Hokkaido railway concrete arch bridges. It was registered in 1999.

71 m long
One 32 m arch
Registered in 1999

03 ／ Archaeological site

A Paleolithic site is the town's first cultural property;the town's site calls it among Hokkaido's oldest.

The Shimaki Site was found in 1967 and has had several excavations. The town's site writes that it is known as one of Hokkaido's oldest sites, about 20,000 years old, and records it as the first designated by the town. It was designated a town cultural property on August 1, 1985.

Found in 1967
About 20,000 years old (town's site)
First town-designated cultural property

Kamishihoro Town from the sky

Now and 1974–78. Tap a photo to zoom in.

Now1974–78

Wide (about 6 km across)

Close (about 1.5 km across)

Now (shot August–October 2016)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））

Open in GSI Maps (now)Open in GSI Maps (1974–78)

Living here

No station: 67 minutes by bus from Obihiro Station.

about 5,000 people
Rural district town

There is no railway station in the town, and the Shihoro Line was closed in 1987. The Kamishihoro Line buses of Tokachi Bus and Takushoku Bus take 67 minutes by the fastest daily service from Obihiro Station Bus Terminal to Kamishihoro Bus Terminal (the town's common timetable, checked October 29, 2026). The town's site also lists the Nukabira Onsen hot spring area and the Hokkaido Balloon Festival, which has a history as Japan's first hot-air balloon event, among its industries.

People living here: 4,778people
Area: 694.23km²
Households: 2,350households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 3 clinics

Area and habitable land at the same scalee-Stat B1101 / B1103

Children waiting for childcare: —1 nurseries and similar
Home purchase subsidy: —
Average annual temperature: —

These 3 items are waiting on a nationwide data source. We do not fill them with estimates.

ACCESS

Where you can go from here.

Kamishihoro Town in Japan43.233°N 143.296°E

to ObihiroLocal bus67min

Travel times follow 上士幌町公式『上士幌線共通時刻表（十勝バス・拓殖バス）』（https://www.kamishihoro.jp/diagram 。ぬかびら源泉郷～上士幌～帯広間の路線バス。2026-10-29 に読んだ。往路〔帯広⇒上士幌〕の表と、各便のページ https://www.kamishihoro.jp/diagram/route/00008050 〔拓殖62〕・00008118 〔十勝51〕）。運行は十勝バス（番号49・51）と北海道拓殖バス（番号61・62）。事業者の公式（https://www.takubus.com/ ・https://www.tokachibus.jp/）の時刻表は『バス停時刻表プラス』の画面で、上士幌線の表そのものは読んでいない (checked 2026-10-29). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 8 municipalities.

Territory of Kamishihoro Town

Boundaries: National Land Numerical Information (Administrative Area Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari.Lakes: National Land Numerical Information (Lake Data), MLIT. Processed by Machigatari. Prepared with the approval of the Director-General of the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, using its Digital Map 25000 (Spatial Data Framework) and Digital Map 25000 (Place Names and Public Facilities). (承認番号平27情使、第585号)

North to south

45.3km

Ashoro Town, Shihoro Town, Shikaoi Town, Shintoku Town, Kamikawa Town, Oketo Town, Honbetsu Town, Kitami City

Kamishihoro Town isthis kind of town.

01By the town's site, Taushubetsu River Bridge, an arch bridge of 1937, appears on the frozen lake from about January, begins to sink from about June as the water rises, and by about August to October lies at the bottom of the lake
02The platform of former Horoka Station (61 m long) and the Daisan Otofuke River Bridge (71 m long) are both remains of the former JNR Shihoro Line and Registered Tangible Cultural Properties (buildings)
03The town's site says the Shimaki Site, a Paleolithic site, is known as one of Hokkaido's oldest, about 20,000 years old, and the town's first designated cultural property

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Kamishihoro Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes