Article

01465 ／けんぶちちょう

Hokkaido 上川郡

Kenbuchi Town

14 locals founded a picture-book society.

Ehon no Yakata, picture books

Photo by maruyon (CC BY-SA 2.1 jp)

01 ／ Kimi no Isu

A chair carved with a newborn's name,and a picture book, from the town and others.

Since fiscal 2007, Kenbuchi Town has given families of newborns a commemorative set: a chair, a picture book and a birth card. The chair is made of Hokkaido wood and engraved with the child's name and date of birth. The project began with graduate students at Asahikawa University; Kenbuchi joined after Higashikawa Town. The gift is presented at the picture-book library about 100 days after birth, from the town, the neighborhood association and the society for the picture-book town.

Since fiscal 2007
Name and birth date engraved
Joined after Higashikawa Town

02 ／ Kenbuchi Station

The only town station in the JR Hokkaidotimetable is Kenbuchi on the Soya Line.

In JR Hokkaido's timetable data (October 2026 issue), the one station listed in the town is Kenbuchi Station on the JR Soya Main Line. The town's access page gives about 60 minutes by JR from Asahikawa Station. The town calls the roadside station Ehon no Sato Kenbuchi its gateway.

JR Soya Main Line
One station listed in the town
About 60 min from Asahikawa (town site)

03 ／ Yachidamo

An ash already large when the settlers came,the town made it a pioneer memorial tree.

The Manchurian ash (yachidamo) was already a standout big tree when the tondenhei settler-militia arrived, and the town designated it a pioneer memorial tree on September 1, 1956. Soldiers and their families are said to have received instructions beneath it. It was chosen among Hokkaido's 100 famous trees in 1968, and the yachidamo is the town tree.

Designated September 1, 1956
Hokkaido's 100 famous trees (1968)
Estimated about 640 years at the town's 100th year

Kenbuchi 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 June–August 2011)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

From Asahikawa Station, about 60 minutes by JR.

about 3,000 people
Rural district town

The town's access page (checked October 2026) gives about 60 minutes by JR Soya Main Line from Asahikawa Station and about 150 minutes from Sapporo Station. The town's station is Kenbuchi. The area is 130.99 km², and the town belongs to Kamikawa District.

People living here: 2,926people
Area: 130.99km²
Households: 1,227households
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.

Shape

Borders 2 municipalities.

Kenbuchi Town in Japan44.096°N 142.361°E

Territory of Kenbuchi 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

16.6km

Shibetsu City, Wassamu Town

Travel times per leg are not published by the municipality, so they are not shown.

Kenbuchi Town isthis kind of town.

01Kenbuchi's picture-book town resident movement began in 1988, when 14 local founders held the inaugural meeting of a society to create a picture-book town; its base is the town's picture-book library
02The town gives newborns a Hokkaido-wood chair engraved with the child's name, plus a picture book; Kenbuchi Station on the Soya Main Line is the town's only station in the JR Hokkaido timetable
03The town designated a yachidamo that was already large when the settlers arrived as a pioneer memorial tree in 1956, and it was chosen among Hokkaido's 100 famous trees in 1968

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Kenbuchi Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes