Hamatonbetsu

Hamatonbetsu stretches over 401 square kilometers along the Sea of Okhotsk, featuring marshy coastal areas and western mountain ranges with Lake Kutcharo at its center.

The town name originates from the Ainu language word to-un-pet, meaning river entering lake, and gained its current designation during the municipal reform of 1951.

Lake Kutcharo, designated as a Ramsar site in 1989, serves as a critical habitat for nearly 300 bird species throughout their annual migration cycles.

The town maintains four elementary schools, one junior high school, and one public high school, while National Routes 238 and 275 provide primary transportation access.

Winter visitors can observe drift ice formations along the Sea of Okhotsk coast while local fisheries produce substantial quantities of scallops and salmon.

Location: Soya Subprefecture

Location: Esashi district

Inception: April 1, 1916

Shares border with: Esashi, Nakatonbetsu, Horonobe, Sarufutsu

Website: http://town.hamatonbetsu.hokkaido.jp

GPS coordinates: 45.12378,142.35978

Latest update: May 27, 2025 08:56