Article

01464 ／わっさむちょう

Hokkaido 上川郡

Wassamu Town

The town chose to keep a pass station.

Shiokari Station, kept by town

Photo by Ozizo (Public domain)

01 ／ Summit rocks

Three rocks that look like stacked boardsstand on a 333 m summit.

Summit rocks in Wassamu Town — Photo by 合田俊幸 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The town says that on a 333 m summit about 9 km southwest of the town center stand a male rock and a female rock, each about 10 m tall, and a small child rock. All look like piled boards, and the rock is hornblende andesite. The town estimates it is lava from about 13 million years ago.

333 m summit
Male and female rocks about 10 m
Hornblende andesite

02 ／ Cherry trees

The town's tourism page says about 1,600Ezo mountain cherries cover Shiokari Pass.

Cherry trees in Wassamu Town — Photo by 合田俊幸 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

The town's tourism page says Shiokari Pass has long been known for cherry blossoms, and that in mid-May about 1,600 Ezo mountain cherry trees cover the whole pass. Cherry trees also line both sides of the road, about 14 km round trip, between Shiokari and Minamioka Forest Park.

About 1,600 trees (town tourism page)
Mid-May
Planting began in 1978

03 ／ Child dance

The same children dance for nine years,said to be found only at Wassamu Shrine in Hokkaido.

Wassamu Shrine was founded in 1938, and 1939 is said to be the start of the child dance. Six dances in a kagura tradition are arranged in seven parts, and the same group of four children performs them for nine years, from first grade to third year of junior high.

Town-designated cultural property
Said to have begun in 1939
Nine years, from grade 1 to junior high year 3

Wassamu 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

Two active stations: Wassamu and Shiokari.

about 3,000 people
Rural district town

The town's active JR stations are Wassamu and Shiokari on the Soya Main Line. The town's access guide gives about 43 minutes by rapid and about 50 minutes by local from Asahikawa on the Soya Main Line, and about 1 hour 50 minutes by limited express from Sapporo. The gateway is Wassamu Station.

People living here: 3,192people
Area: 225.11km²
Households: 1,429households
Rent (average for rentals): —
Healthcare: 0 hospitals ／ 4 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 6 municipalities.

Wassamu Town in Japan44.023°N 142.413°E

Territory of Wassamu 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

19.3km

Shibetsu City, Kenbuchi Town, Takasu Town, Pippu Town, Horokanai Town, Asahikawa City

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

Wassamu Town isthis kind of town.

01Shiokari Station is a pass station on the Soya Main Line. JR Hokkaido planned to close it from fiscal 2021, and the town chose to keep it by paying the upkeep. It opened in 1924, and the town has maintained it since April 2021
02The Meoto-iwa rocks stand on a 333 m summit. The town's tourism page says Shiokari Pass has about 1,600 Ezo mountain cherry trees, and the child dance that the same children perform for nine years at Wassamu Shrine is said to be found only there in Hokkaido
03The All Japan Tamaire Championship, held every year in Wassamu, times how fast teams get 100 balls into a basket. The local museum displays one steam locomotive, D51 337. Pyrethrum cultivation began in 1911

If something caught your eye, ask the town itself.

Wassamu Town official site ↗Wikipedia ↗

From this town's themes