Article

01364 ／おとべちょう

Hokkaido 爾志郡

Otobe Town

White cliffs, said to be layered pumice.

Shirafra, Takise Coast

Photo by aachiii (CC BY 4.0)

01 ／ Columnar joints

At Cape Shibi, columns 8 to 12 m longreach almost vertically to the sea.

This cape was designated a Hokkaido Natural Monument in 1972. Its shape resembles a tuna's back, hence the name Shibi, meaning tuna. The upper wall is honeycomb-like, the lower part is columnar joints 8 to 12 m long, and the town says the rock erupted under the sea in the Miocene.

Hokkaido Natural Monument
Designated 1972
Columns 8 to 12 m long

02 ／ Swimming beach

The Sea Pool's structure itselfacts as a breakwater against waves.

The town says the Sea Pool at Gennadai Seaside Park is the only site in Hokkaido chosen for the Ministry of the Environment's 100 select pleasant bathing beaches. The facility itself serves as a breakwater that blocks large waves, so the water stays calm. Visitors enter by a large spiral walkway from the car park.

Among the 100 select beaches
Ministry selection, 2006
Facility is the breakwater

03 ／ Float festival

Hachiman Shrine's festival sends outsix floats, one for each district.

The town says each district has one float, and six floats accompany the festival with flutes and drums. The oldest is Ebisuyama; an ink inscription of September 1887 on its tool box is why it is said to date from then. The festival runs for three days, 14 to 16 August.

6 floats
1 float per district
Ebisuyama: inscription of 1887

Otobe 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 September–October 2022)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

Average temperature is about 17 C from May to October.

about 3,000 people
Rural district town

The town says the Tsushima Current keeps the average temperature at about 17 C from May to October, relatively mild for Hokkaido. Winters bring strong northwest winds, but snowfall is a relatively light 0.5 to 1.2 m. The only route stopping in town is the Hiyama Kaigan Line bus; for Hakodate, change at Esashi Terminal.

People living here: 3,403people
Area: 162.59km²
Households: 1,597households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 1 hospital ／ 1 clinic

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 3 municipalities.

Otobe Town in Japan41.968°N 140.136°E

Territory of Otobe 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

15.7km

Yakumo Town, Esashi Town, Assabu Town

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

Otobe Town isthis kind of town.

01Shirafra on Takise Coast means white slope; white cliffs about 20 m high run some 500 m, and the same coast has Kuguriiwa, dug by fishers as a passage for herring fishing
02Cape Shibi was designated a Hokkaido Natural Monument in 1972, and columnar joints 8 to 12 m long reach the sea in its lower wall
03The Sea Pool at Gennadai is a beach where the facility itself is the breakwater, and Hachiman Shrine's festival sends out six floats, one per district

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Otobe Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes