Article

01303 ／とうべつちょう

Hokkaido 石狩郡

Tobetsu Town

A two-story annex the tourism association says was built to host guests.

Date Residence Annex

Photo by Suikotei (CC BY-SA 4.0)

01 ／ Designated fossil

A walrus-family fossil from the Tobetsu Riveris a specimen that fills a gap in evolution.

In 1977 a whale fossil was found in the Tobetsu River basin at Aoyama, and a walrus-family fossil is highly likely to be included in it. It was studied at the National Museum of Nature and Science. It dates to the late Miocene, about 9.5 to 10 million years ago. Its tusks are short, and it is thought to have eaten fish and squid.

Designated a town cultural property on 16 Feb 2022
Late Miocene, about 9.5 to 10 million years ago
On deposit at the Hokkaido University Museum since 2015

02 ／ Flax fields

The tourism association says flax growingbegan in Tobetsu in 1893 (Meiji 26).

The Tobetsu tourism association says flax growing began in Tobetsu in 1893 (Meiji 26) and peaked around 1965 (Showa 40). The industry once came to an end, and flax growing was revived to press linseed oil. The flowers are at their best from late June to early July, and a flax festival is held each July.

Flax growing began in 1893 (town tourism association)
Planting peaked around 1965 (town tourism association)
Flowers at their best from late June to early July

03 ／ End of the line

The terminus of the Sassho Lineis Hokkaido-Iryodaigaku Station, in town.

In JR Hokkaido's timetable the Sassho Line runs from Sapporo through Tobetsu to Hokkaido-Iryodaigaku Station. The town has four stations: ROYCE' Town, Futomi, Tobetsu and Hokkaido-Iryodaigaku. When the section beyond Hokkaido-Iryodaigaku closed in 2020, a volunteer history group and the town board of education held a panel exhibition.

Hokkaido-Iryodaigaku is the line's terminus (JR Hokkaido timetable)
Four stations in town
Panel exhibition held July to August 2020

Tobetsu 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 May 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

35 to 40 minutes from Sapporo by JR.

about 20,000 people
Rural district town

The Tobetsu tourism association gives 35 to 40 minutes by JR from Sapporo Station, and 40 minutes by car. The town has four stations on the Sassho Line, and its gateway is Tobetsu Station. The town's profile page describes a town that borders Sapporo City and has agriculture as its core industry (updated 2016). It belongs to Ishikari District.

People living here: 15,916people
Area: 422.86km²
Households: 7,281households
Rent (average for rentals): 32,698yen
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 15 clinics

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

Children waiting for childcare: —2 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 7 municipalities.

Tobetsu Town in Japan43.224°N 141.517°E

Territory of Tobetsu 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

47.0km

Ishikari City, Tsukigata Town, Shintotsukawa Town, Shinshinotsu Village, Ebetsu City, Sapporo City, Urausu Town

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

Tobetsu Town isthis kind of town.

01The Annex of the Date Residence is a two-story wooden building from 1880 (Meiji 13), owned by the town board of education and designated a town cultural property in 1980. The town tourism association says it was built as a place to host guests
02The Tobetsu walrus fossil, found in the Tobetsu River basin, dates to the late Miocene, about 9.5 to 10 million years ago. It was designated a town cultural property in 2022 and is on deposit at the Hokkaido University Museum
03The tourism association says flax growing began in 1893, and a flax festival is held each July. The terminus of the Sassho Line is Hokkaido-Iryodaigaku Station, in town. The town says its name comes from an Ainu word meaning a river that comes from a swamp

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Tobetsu Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes