Hokkaido Places

Town Kamikawa Subprefecture

Aibetsu 愛別町

あいべつちょう

Aibetsu is a farming town where the Aibetsu River meets the Ishikari, at the northeastern end of the Kamikawa Basin. It calls itself Hokkaido's "mushroom village" (きのこの里). Enoki, maitake and nameko grow here in indoor mushroom houses, and the town's biggest day is a September festival built around a 3.5-metre mushroom-soup pot.123

Population (2020 Census)
2,605
Area
250.13 km²
District
Kamikawa District (上川郡)
Official website
www.town.aibetsu.hokkaido.jp

Known for

  • "Kinoko no Sato" (きのこの里, mushroom village): mushroom growing began in 1972 with two enoki farms. The town now grows enoki, nameko, maitake and shiitake, and its output is among Hokkaido's highest.12
  • Kinoko no Sato Festival (きのこの里フェスティバル): the town's biggest event, with about 8,000 visitors, on the first Sunday of September. The 40th festival was scheduled for 6 September 2026.312
  • Rice: paddies cover 1,560 of the town's 1,830 ha of farmland, and rice is the top farm product.13 The local brand is "Ai Ippai" (愛一杯).14
  • Kyowa Onsen (協和温泉): a single inn on a cold carbonated spring, famous for mushroom full-course dinners.1516
  • Ishigakiyama (石垣山): a columnar-basalt crag used for rock climbing. It is remembered as an Ainu battlefield and is part of a Japan Heritage story.1718
  • Hokkaidoite (北海道石): a new mineral named in 2023. Aibetsu is one of its two type localities (the secondary one; Shikaoi is the primary).19
  • Quirky traditions: snow softball in March, a 600 kg shrine rope hung every 30 December, and noon fireworks for each new birth.204

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Ishigakiyama (石垣山): a cliff of columnar-jointed rock, popular with climbers, where wild hydrangeas (yama-ajisai) grow.3217
  • Hōraisan cherry trees (蓬莱山の桜): a hill of cherries next to the town centre (Honchō). Cherries also bloom along Fureai-dōri, the square used for festivals.51
  • Aibetsu Dam and Karippu Lake (愛別ダム・狩布湖): in the hills beyond Kyowa Onsen. Best for autumn colours.33
  • Asahikawa–Sōunkyō Cycling Road (旭川層雲峡自転車道): the 26.5 km Asahikawa–Aibetsu section opened in 2005.25 Sakura Park in Aibetsu Riverfront Park has toilets and a lookout on the route.57

Onsen

  • Kyowa Onsen (協和温泉, Kyowa 143-3): a simple carbonated cold spring (12.6 °C, pH 5.6). Only its natural flow of 9 L/min is used, and you can drink it. The inn opened in 1969, and the present wooden building dates from 1988.58 Day bathing runs 7:00–22:00 and costs ¥600 for adults and ¥300 for children.1516 The canteen, open to day visitors, serves sansai soba, kinoko ramen and a spicy mushroom rice bowl.59

Museums & heritage

  • Hokkaidoite display: in the town hall lobby (Honchō 179). Weekdays 8:30–17:15. Shine the UV lamp on the specimen to see it glow.60
  • Aizan Museum (愛山ミュージアム, Aizan 1081-2): photos and records of the Aiyama Station area in the old waiting room, with a station stamp. Free; open 9:00–17:00 (winter 9:00–16:00).29
  • Nakai Nobuya Stone Sculpture Park (中井延也石の彫刻公園): 12 works by the Aibetsu-born sculptor, gathered in the Rural Park (Kitamachi) in 2014 to mark 120 years since settlement began.6162
  • Kurara (蔵KURARAら, Honchō 119): a 1924 sake storehouse of Sapporo soft stone, turned into a community hall with a café and a local-products corner in 2000. Open 10:00–19:00, closed Tuesdays. Its toilets are open all year, 7:00–22:00.63

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Kinoko no Sato Aibetsu Auto Campground (きのこの里あいべつオートキャンプ場, Aizan): on the Ishikari River with Daisetsuzan views. Open 26 April to mid-October; book on Nap. Camper sites (30 A power, water, waste drain) cost ¥5,000, car sites ¥4,000, tents from ¥1,000 and car sleeping ¥2,000. Showers and coin laundry.64
  • Kinoko no Sato Park Golf Course (きのこの里パークゴルフ場): 45 holes in Aibetsu Riverfront Park on Route 39. Open 15 April to late October, 8:30–18:00, closed on the 1st and 3rd Wednesday. Adults ¥300 a round.65
  • Kart Land ARK (カートランドARK, Kanetomi): a 650 m racing-kart course with two-seat and junior karts. Open late April to October, closed Mondays.66
  • Asahikawa Kokusai Country Club (旭川国際カントリークラブ, Fushiko): 18 holes, par 72.67

Food experiences

  • Maitake ramen and katsudon at Yama no Shokubō (closed Wednesdays)42 and Mori no Gohanya (closed Mondays).43
  • Mushroom dishes and braised pork belly at Aibetsu Shokudō Ochikochi (愛別食堂おちこち).68 The same owners run a guesthouse in a 50-year-old farmhouse, with an outdoor sauna and free tuk-tuk tours of the town.69

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

No Michi-no-Eki is located in Aibetsu. None appears for the town on the official Hokkaido list.70 The town's own plan says it has no outlet for selling its local products and that a direct-sales centre should be considered.2 Nearest stations:

  • Toma (道の駅とうま), on Route 39 at Uenbetsu 2-ku (宇園別2区) in neighbouring Toma, toward Asahikawa.
    • Hours: 9:00–18:00; restaurant 11:00–17:00 (different hours in winter). Closed 31 December–3 January.
    • Shop: the "Densuke-san no Ie" (でんすけさんの家) shop sells Densuke watermelons and other Toma produce.
    • Parking: 10 large and 40 standard spaces.
    • Registered in 1998 (No. 48).71
  • Asahikawa (道の駅あさひかわ), on Route 237 at Kagura 4-jō 6-chōme in Asahikawa. Station open 9:00–21:00; shop 9:00–19:00 (April–October) or 9:00–18:00 (November–March).72
  • Higashikawa "Michikusakan" (道の駅ひがしかわ「道草館」), in central Higashikawa on the road to Asahidake Onsen. Open 9:00–18:00 (April–September) or 9:00–17:00 (October–March).73
  • Shirataki (道の駅しらたき), in Okushirataki, Engaru. It stands next to the Shirataki Parking Area on the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway, east of Aibetsu past Kamikawa. Shop open 9:00–17:00.74

Hours are as of September 2026; check before visiting.

For a rest stop in town, try Kurara in the town centre. It has toilets open 7:00–22:00 all year and a local-products corner.63

Getting there & around

  • Rail. The JR Sekihoku Main Line (石北本線) has three stations in town: Aibetsu (愛別, A38), Naka-Aibetsu (中愛別) and Antaroma (安足間).4 Only local trains stop at Aibetsu.27 From JR Asahikawa the ride takes about 48 minutes.75 From Sapporo, take the Kamui limited express to Asahikawa (about 1 h 20 min) and change.76
  • Bus.
    • Dōhoku Bus (道北バス) runs from Asahikawa to Aibetsu via Pippu, and on its Sōunkyō line via Toma and Aibetsu to Kamikawa.4 Asahikawa to Aibetsu takes about 50 minutes.75
    • The reserved Tokkyū Okhotsk bus (Asahikawa–Monbetsu) stops at Aibetsu-bashi (愛別橋). Toward Monbetsu you can only board there; toward Asahikawa you can only get off.77
  • Road. National Route 39 follows the Ishikari through town. The Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway, which starts at Pippu JCT, has two interchanges here: Aibetsu IC and Aizan-Kamikawa IC.42 Asahikawa is about 26 km and 40–45 minutes away by car.275 From Sapporo, drive the expressway to Aibetsu IC; Kyowa Onsen is about 10 minutes from there.78 The whole trip takes roughly 2 hours (unverified).
  • Air. Asahikawa Airport is about 45 minutes by car. The town notes direct flights from there to Tokyo and Osaka.759
  • Getting around. A bookable town demand bus (¥100) runs five times a day between Aibetsu Station, the town hall, Fushiko and Kyowa Onsen. Book with Aibetsu Hire (01658-6-5234) at least an hour ahead, or by 17:00 the day before for the early runs.79

Practical tips

  • When to go. Early September for the Kinoko no Sato Festival3; June for the shrine festival and music parade52; autumn for the leaves at Karippu Lake.33 The campground and park golf course are open from late April to October.6465
  • Brown bears. The town's current log lists sightings from April to September, including on Route 39, the cycling road, the ski area, the shrine grounds and near Aibetsu IC. Go in groups, carry a bell or radio, and turn back if you find droppings or tracks.80
  • Winter. Expect a lot of snow. The town reports around 6 m of snowfall a year and temperatures that can fall below −20 °C.8 Allow extra time on snowy roads.
  • Services. There is no Michi-no-Eki, so use Kurara for toilets and local products.63 For a place to stay, try Kyowa Onsen or the Ochikochi guesthouse.1569
  • Tourism ambassador. The town's tourism ambassador is Sapporo singer-songwriter Yamamoto Saki. She wrote the town's image song "Ai no Machi," first performed at the 2023 summer festival.81

More about Aibetsu

At a glance
Field Details
Type Town (町)
Subprefecture Kamikawa (上川総合振興局)
District Kamikawa District (上川郡), historic Ishikari Province4
Population 2,605 at the 2020 Census. The preliminary 2025 Census count was 2,288, down 12.2%.5 The resident register showed 2,294 people (1,093 men, 1,201 women) in 1,252 households on 31 August 2026.6
Area 250.13 km²7
Density About 9.2 people/km² (2,294 residents). It was 10.4/km² at the 2020 Census.
Municipal history Group settlement began in 1895. Aibetsu Village (愛別村) was created in 1897 from parts of Takasu (鷹栖村) and Nagayama (永山村) villages.8 It became a second-class village in 1906 and gave up its eastern lands to form Kamikawa Village (now Kamikawa) in 1924. It became a first-class village in 1937 and a town on 1 August 1961.2 It has never merged.
Neighboring municipalities Kamikawa (east), Pippu (west), Toma (south), and Shibetsu (north, across the mountains)9
Symbols Tree: cherry (さくら). Flower: azalea (つつじ). Both were adopted on 15 March 1989.9 The emblem (6 November 1934) shows the "arrow river" (Ainu aipet) under a rising sun.9 No town bird was found.
Mascot Ai-chan-man (あいちゃんマン), a mushroom character created in 1985, long before the local-mascot boom. He appears on the town's resident-certificate forms and manhole covers.10 The town calls him its official character and released a 40-sticker LINE set of him.11 His girlfriend, Lovely-chan (ラブリーちゃん), joined him in 2015.10
Official website https://www.town.aibetsu.hokkaido.jp/

Name origin
  • Arrow river. Aibetsu comes from the Ainu ay-pet (アイペッ), "arrow river," according to the Hokkaido Government's Ainu place-name list.21 The town explains that the land was steep and the river ran "as fast as an arrow."8 The list also records a legend that a Tokachi Ainu chief was shot, fell, and his arrow floated down this river.21
  • Nettle river. The same list suggests hay-pet, "nettle river," with the h dropped.21 Japanese Wikipedia notes that the Aibetsu River is not actually very fast. It also mentions a third reading, "river with wood for arrows."4
  • Other local names:
    • Antaroma (安足間): the Hokkaido list, citing Chiri Mashiho, gives antar-oma-p ("thing with a deep pool," uncertain) or an-taor-oma-p ("thing with a high bank on one side").2122
    • Fushiko (伏古): from Fushiko-Aipet, "the old Aibetsu River."4
    • Aizan (愛山): not Ainu. It combines Aichi (愛知) and Yamagata (山形), the home prefectures of the 1897 settlers.23

History
  • Ainu era: Jōmon pottery, arrowheads and old trenches have been found at Ishigakiyama. Local lore sets a battle between Tokachi and Ishikari Ainu there.2417
  • Edo-era exploration: Shogunate officials Mitsuhashi Tōemon (三橋藤右衛門, 1798) and Kondō Jūzō (近藤重蔵, Bunka era) explored the upper Ishikari.25 Matsuura Takeshirō's Ishikari Nisshi records a local tradition that Mamiya Rinzō once spent a night in a cave at Ishigakiyama.17
  • Meiji surveys and settlement: A Kaitakushi (開拓使) survey party that included Arai Ikunosuke (荒井郁之助) reached the Aibetsu river mouth in 1873, and settlement lots were leased from 1894.25 The founding year is 1895, when 70 households from Wakayama (Kanetomi Farm, 金富農場), 55 of a Gifu group (Ikaushi, 伊香牛) and 50 of an Aichi group (Naka-Aibetsu, 中愛別) arrived.25 That makes 175, the figure on the town website. The town profile and Britannica give 179.9826 Yamagata, Toyama and more Aichi settlers followed in 1896–97, and a Mino (Gifu) group of 24 households came in 1901.25
  • Railway era: The Sekihoku Line reached Aibetsu on 4 November 1922 and continued to Kamikawa on 15 November 1923, opening Naka-Aibetsu and Antaroma stations.2722 Kamikawa Village split off in 1924.25
  • Mining: The Tokusei Mine (徳星鉱山) worked from 1932 to 1943, and a mercury mine from 1944 to 1945.25 Hokkaidoite was later found in quartz veins at an old mine site in the town.19
  • Peak and decline: The census population peaked at 9,834 in 1955.25 The town's own count peaked at 10,094 in 1959, then fell 26.8% between 1965 and 1975 as farmers left the land.2 Aibetsu became a town in 1961. Mushroom farming began in 1972, and beef cattle helped move farms beyond rice alone.21
  • 1986–2014:
    • 1986: Aibetsu Dam was completed.25
    • 1987: the first Kinoko no Sato Festival drew about 6,000 people. In 1989 it was named one of the "Hokkaido Machizukuri 100."25
    • 1988–2013: a private airfield operated in the town, and in 1990 the town bought its own Mooney M20 plane. The town profile calls Aibetsu Japan's first town to own a plane.2848 The town sold the plane in 2008.25
    • 2004: the Aibetsu and Aizan-Kamikawa interchanges opened on the Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expressway.25
    • 2010: foot-and-mouth disease cancelled the festival, and three small schools closed.25
    • 2011: Aibetsu High School closed after 61 years, and salmon were seen spawning in the Aibetsu River for the first time in 52 years.25
  • Recent:
    • 2018: Ishigakiyama joined a Japan Heritage story.18
    • 2023: hokkaidoite was named.19
    • March 2024: Aiyama Station (愛山駅) closed, and its waiting room became the Aizan Museum. The town gives 15 March as the closing date; JR formally abolished the station at the 16 March timetable change.2329
    • 2025: the town signed a forest agreement with the cosmetics maker SHIRO.30
    • The elementary and junior high schools are due to merge into one compulsory-education school in FY2028.31

Geography & climate
  • Setting. Aibetsu lies at the northeastern end of the Kamikawa Basin, where the Aibetsu River joins the Ishikari (142°30′–142°47′E, 43°49′–44°02′N).425 The Daisetsuzan range rises to the east. Hills under about 1,000 m surround a valley floor about 200 m above sea level, drained by 54 rivers and streams.9 Forest covers about four-fifths of the town: 84% by the town's count, and 20,360 of 25,013 ha according to MAFF.113
  • Mountains and water.
    • The highest peak, Sarubu-dake (猿布岳, 1,138 m), has no trail. Its summit ponds are known as "secret ponds" (秘沼).4
    • Ishigakiyama (525 m), on the Toma border, is a cliff of columnar joints in lava about 3.4 million years old. It is one of the Hokkaido Geological 100 Sites.32
    • Aibetsu Dam (1986) forms Karippu Lake (狩布湖) above Kyowa Onsen.2533
    • No national, quasi-national or prefectural natural park area was found in the town in the sources consulted.
  • Climate. Aibetsu has an inland climate with big temperature swings: summer highs of 30 °C, winter lows below −20 °C, and about 6 m of snowfall a year.8 The town's own figures disagree. Its profile gives about 5 °C annual mean and about 800 mm of precipitation.8 Its depopulation plan gives about 7 °C,2 and 1,251.5 mm was measured in 2012.25 The town has no JMA station, so the neighbouring stations are a better guide:
    • Pippu (比布, west): mean 6.4 °C, January −8.3 °C, August 20.6 °C, 1,081.7 mm of precipitation (1991–2020).34 Records are 36.9 °C (7 August 2021) and −31.4 °C (25 January 1985).35
    • Kamikawa (上川, east): 816 cm of snowfall a year and 95 cm average deepest snow.36

Economy & industry

  • Farm output. MAFF estimates the town's 2024 farm output at ¥3.31 billion:

    • rice: ¥1.73 billion
    • beef cattle: ¥730 million
    • chickens: ¥710 million
    • vegetables: ¥110 million

    In the 2020 Census of Agriculture there were 102 farm businesses. Rice was planted on 959 ha, buckwheat on 67 ha and soybeans on 39 ha.13

  • Mushrooms. The MAFF figures have no separate mushroom line. Enoki, maitake and nameko lead, and output ranks among Hokkaido's highest.2 The town profile even calls Aibetsu "Hokkaido's No. 1 mushroom village."37 Shiitake, kikurage and Ezo-yukinoshita, a crunchy wild-type enoki, are also grown.3837 Competition from big corporate growers is forcing older mushroom houses to merge or close.2

  • Livestock. The town's undated industry page says livestock sales exceed ¥2 billion a year.1 That is well above MAFF's 2024 livestock estimate of ¥1.44 billion.13 Only six livestock farms remained at the end of FY2020.2

  • Forestry and manufacturing. Sawmills and plants for veneer, laminated wood and concrete products.1

  • Tourism. The town counted 41,605 visitors in 2020 and aimed for 60,000 by 2026.2

  • Population and ageing. People aged 65 and over made up 42.3% of residents at the 2015 Census and 46.4% on 1 January 2020.2 Only 9 babies were born in 2020.2 The preliminary 2025 Census count was 2,288.5

  • Revitalization.

    • Processed beetroot products since FY2018.2
    • Furusato nozei: 962 donations worth ¥27.27 million in FY2024, spent on school costs, shop renovations, school ICT and the special-needs high school.39
    • A five-year forest agreement with cosmetics maker SHIRO, signed on 27 August 2025. SHIRO already makes skincare from mugwort (yomogi) harvested in Aibetsu.30

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Aibetsu mushrooms (愛別のきのこ) Mushrooms Enoki, maitake, nameko, shiitake, kikurage and Ezo-yukinoshita.38 A six-kind mushroom box is a furusato nozei gift for a ¥13,000 donation.40 The Aifukufuku stand also sells mushrooms.41
Kinoko ramen and kinoko katsudon (きのこラーメン・きのこカツ丼) Local dish Ramen and pork-cutlet bowls piled with local maitake. Served at Yama no Shokubō (山の食房, Chūō 115-5)42 and Mori no Gohanya (森のごはんや, Aizan 582-2).43
Mushroom full course (きのこのフルコース) Local dish Kyowa Onsen's five-mushroom dinner: maitake rice, shiitake sashimi, mushroom gratin and more.44 Book ahead. Overnight stays with the course cost ¥9,000 per person (tax excluded, three or more to a room).15
Ai Ippai rice (愛一杯) Rice JA Kamikawa Chūō's reduced-chemical rice (Nanatsuboshi and others), sold at Da Marche Aibetsu (ダ・マルシェ愛別店) and local shops.14 Rice dominates the furusato nozei gifts, with 100 rice listings on Furusato Choice.45
Aibetsu Washu "Fushiko" (愛別和酒「ふしこ」) Sake Junmai daiginjō brewed by Kobayashi Shuzo (小林酒造) from Aibetsu-grown Ginpū (吟風) rice polished to 50%, then aged in a stone storehouse. Sold at Da Marche Aibetsu and local liquor shops.46 It was first unveiled in 2001.25
Mochi from Aifukufuku (愛ふくふく) Sweets Handmade rice cakes from Hakuchō-mochi rice and home-grown adzuki beans, with no preservatives. Stand at Kyowa 1154, open 10:00–16:00 (January–April until 15:00), closed Sundays and Wednesdays.41
Kinopokkuru curries and "mazete gohan" (きのポックル) Processed food Preservative-free curries and rice mixes. Shop at Honchō 109-3 (8:00–18:00); also at Da Marche, Seicomart Aibetsu and online.47
Beets (ビーツ・シリンドラ) Vegetable Only the sweet, less earthy Cylindra variety is grown. Packaged beets are sold at Kimura Shōten, Umetsu Shōten and online.48 A 3 kg seasonal box is a furusato nozei gift.40
Aronia products (アロニア) Fruit products Yume Nōen (夢農園) makes aronia-berry dressing, confiture and meringue cookies. Sold at Kimura Shōten, Kyowa Onsen and online.49

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Snow Softball Tournament (雪中ソフトボール大会) First Sunday of March Softball on snow with a red ball, and runners go round the bases backwards (third, second, first). Spectators get free mushroom soup, and teams grill lamb afterwards. Entry is ¥10,000 per team on the event page;20 the town's general events page still lists ¥5,500.50
Cherry festival at Hōraisan (蓬莱山の桜まつり) Cherry-blossom season Held on a 260 m hill near the town centre. Young people of the 1897 settler families planted cherries there, and the town added 600 trees in 1989.51
Aibetsu Shrine Grand Festival (愛別神社例大祭) 25 June A portable shrine (mikoshi) is carried through town. It was held on 25 June 2026.52
Music Parade (音楽行進) 26 June Bands march from Aibetsu Station to the elementary school, then play a concert. It has run since 1966,50 and the 61st parade in 2026 had six groups.52
Aibetsu Summer Festival (あいべつ夏まつり) 14 August Stalls, stage shows and fish-grabbing behind Kurara, then bon dancing to Hōrai Taiko drums.53
Kinoko no Sato Festival (あいべつきのこの里フェスティバル) First Sunday of September (6 September 2026, 10:00–16:00, free) At the Rural Park (農村公園), Kitamachi. The "Jumbo Kinoko Nabe" is mushroom soup cooked in a pot 3.5 m across and 2 m deep. The "Hyakushō Ikki-daki" (百姓一揆炊き) cooks 100 shō of rice over firewood. Also Aibetsu beef, food trucks and a stall from exchange partner Higashiōmi.312
SKY-GATE AIBETSU Drag (愛別ドラッグレース) September (21–22 September in 2024, the latest listing) Car and motorcycle drag racing on the former airfield; ¥1,000.54
Bikkura-ichi harvest market (びっ蔵市) Early October Bargain local produce, Okhotsk scallops and mushroom pizza at Kurara.55
Giant shrine rope (ジャンボしめ縄) Hung 30 December Residents spend about 10 days making it. The rope is about 8 m long and about 600 kg. It hangs on Aibetsu Shrine's torii, lit up over New Year, until the June festival.4
  • Gifu Shishi Kagura (岐阜獅子神楽). A lion dance brought by the Gifu settlers and kept alive by a preservation society. It was designated a town intangible cultural property in 1971.225
  • Happy Born (ハッピー・ボーン) and Kimi no Isu (君の椅子). Since 1990, volunteers have set off a firework at noon whenever a birth is registered; the 500th went up in FY2013. Since FY2010, each newborn has also received a one-of-a-kind wooden chair.4
  • Momota Sōji poem monument (百田宗治詩碑). The poet visited Antaroma many times in 1946–48 and thought of settling there. A monument with one of his poems was put up at Antaroma and now stands in the grounds of Manyōji temple in Aizan.56

Ainu heritage
  • Place names. Aibetsu, Antaroma and Fushiko are Ainu names (see Name origin).21 Penkeyama (辺恵山) and Pankeyama (班渓山) take their names from the Penke-Memunai and Panke rivers (penke "upper", panke "lower"), which are two separate streams.4
  • Ishigakiyama. The crag is component No. 19 of the Japan Heritage story "Kamikawa Ainu in Coexistence with Kamuy: Traditional World of the Gods at the Foot of Mt. Daisetsu" (カムイと共に生きる上川アイヌ). The story was recognized on 24 May 2018 and covers 2 cities and 10 towns.1824 The Ainu called the crag San, the home of San Kor Kamuy. Jōmon pottery, arrowheads and old trenches found there fit the legend that it was a battlefield.24
  • Facilities. No Ainu cultural centre, museum or living-tradition group was found in Aibetsu in the sources consulted. The Japan Heritage story's other member municipalities include neighbouring Kamikawa, Toma and Pippu, and Asahikawa.18

Sister & friendship cities
  • Ai-no-Machi Exchange (愛のまち交流), domestic, since 1988.
    • Origin: on Valentine's Day 1988, a women's group in Aitō, Shiga, sent a letter and a single chocolate. That began an exchange among four towns with 愛 ("love") in their names: Aibetsu, Aikawa (Kanagawa), Aitō (Shiga, now part of Higashiōmi) and Aino (Nagasaki, now part of Unzen).82
    • The four mayors met in Aibetsu for an "Ai-no-Machi Summit" in 1994.4 In 2014 Aibetsu reached out to three newer "ai" municipalities: Aisai (Aichi), Aishō (Shiga) and Ainan (Ehime).82
    • Higashiōmi still runs a stall at the mushroom festival.3 On 24–27 July 2026, Aibetsu children stayed with host families in Aitō.12
  • International: none found.

Notable people
  • Asahikuni Masuo (旭國斗雄, 1947–2024), sumo ōzeki nicknamed "Piranha" and "Professor of Sumo." He later ran Ōshima stable as stablemaster.83
  • Nakai Nobuya (中井延也, 1934–1999), sculptor and professor at Tama Art University. His stone works fill the town's sculpture park.6261

Sources

Numbers in the text link to these sources. Figures as of 23 September 2026

  1. 愛別町の産業 | 愛別町 — Aibetsu Town JA accessed 2026-09-23
  2. 愛別町過疎地域持続的発展市町村計画（令和3年度～令和7年度） — Aibetsu Town JA accessed 2026-09-23
  3. きのこの里フェスティバル | 愛別町 — Aibetsu Town JA accessed 2026-09-23
  4. 愛別町 - Wikipedia — Japanese Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
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