Chippubetsu, town in Uryū district, Hokkaido, Japan
Chippubetsu is a small town in Uryu District, Sorachi Subprefecture, on the island of Hokkaido. It sits among fields and forests, and its buildings follow the local style with steeply pitched roofs built to handle the heavy snowfall that comes every winter.
Chippubetsu grew from a rural settlement built by farming families who cleared and worked the land over several generations. A tower standing in the town center was built to mark its centennial and remains a visible reminder of that history.
The name Chippubetsu comes from the Ainu language and means something like "river with a strong current". Today the town revolves around farming life, and the fields that surround it on all sides give a clear sense of how much daily routines here depend on the land and the seasons.
Summer is the most comfortable time to visit, when the rose garden is in bloom and the weather stays mild. The town has a roadside station selling local goods and a hot spring facility called Chippu-yuu where visitors can soak after a day of exploring.
A young woman from Thailand named An has been organizing tours for visitors from her home country, offering hands-on activities like tomato picking and miso making in town. Her work has brought an unexpected international connection to this farming community that few outside Hokkaido would otherwise know about.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
