Article

01485 ／しょさんべつむら

Hokkaido 苫前郡

Shosanbetsu Village

An observatory modeled on a moon lander.

Observatory, Misakidai Park

Photo by tail_furry (CC BY-SA 3.0)

01 ／ Star registry

Unnamed stars get names,registered and kept by the village.

The My Stars system began with the My Stars Declaration on April 1, 1995. Give a name to one of the unnamed stars, and the village official site says Shosanbetsu Village registers it with the star and keeps it forever, while also stating that ownership of a star or its name is not officially or scientifically recognized. A minor planet, (6158), had its name Shosanbetsu announced in 2010.

Apr 1, 1995: My Stars Declaration
Names registered and kept by the village (village site)
2010: name of minor planet (6158) announced

02 ／ Konpira Cape

The sunset lines upwith a torii standing in the sea.

Konpira Shrine lies below Misakidai Park (Konpira Cape). The village official site says that after local fishermen enshrined a talisman of Konpira that drifted ashore on the cape long ago, sea accidents nearby are said to have declined. It calls the sunset behind the torii in the sea a perfect photo spot.

Konpira Shrine below Misakidai Park
Talisman legend (village site)
Sunset lines up with the torii

03 ／ Village emblem

Centered on the letter "shi,"hills spread in three directions.

The village site says the emblem emphasizes Shosanbetsu as a place of overall activity. The hill-like shapes spreading in three directions from the hiragana letter for "shi" stand for the mountains and for the growth of the three main districts: south, central, and north. The name is said to come from an Ainu word; other theories exist.

Hill-like shapes in three directions from "shi"
Three districts: south, central, north
Name origin has several theories (village site)

Shosanbetsu Village 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 May–September 2025)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: 91 minutes by bus from Horonobe.

about 1,000 people
Rural district town

There is no railway station in the village. From Horonobe Station on the JR Soya Main Line, the Engan Bus Horonobe-Rumoi line (timetable revised October 1, 2026) takes 91 minutes to Shosanbetsu with no transfer. The 7:49, 11:59, and 15:29 departures, which also run on weekends and holidays, all take 91 minutes.

People living here: 1,080people
Area: 279.52km²
Households: 498households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 4 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —0 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.

Shosanbetsu Village in Japan44.532°N 141.766°E

to HoronobeLocal bus91min

Travel times follow 沿岸バス『時刻表① 郊外線総合』令和8年（2026年）10月1日改正（PDF の Last-Modified は 2026-09-09）の幌延留萌線。幌延駅発→初山別着 91分（7:49発・11:59発・15:29発） (checked 2026-10-29). They vary by time of day.

Shape

Borders 2 municipalities.

Territory of Shosanbetsu Village

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

28.4km

Embetsu Town, Haboro Town

Shosanbetsu Village isthis kind of town.

01Shosanbetsu Observatory stands in Misakidai Park, and its building is modeled on the moon lander of the Apollo program. The village official site calls its 65 cm reflector the largest in northern Hokkaido
02The village has run the My Stars system, in which it registers and keeps names given to stars, since 1995. The name of minor planet (6158) was announced in 2010 as Shosanbetsu
03The village site calls the sunset behind the torii in the sea off Konpira Cape a perfect photo spot. The emblem centers on the letter "shi" with hills in three directions, standing for the growth of three districts

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Shosanbetsu Village official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes