Hokkaido Places

Town Sorachi Subprefecture

Chippubetsu 秩父別町

ちっぷべつちょう

A flat rice-growing town of about 2,000 people on the northern edge of the Ishikari Plain. Tondenhei soldier-farmers settled it in 1895–96. It calls itself the "town where the bell rings" (鐘のなるまち) after the 2.8-tonne Dutch swing bell on its centennial tower, and it packs an onsen, the roadside station and some very large free children's playgrounds into one walkable town-centre complex, with a free rose garden about 2 km away.

Population (2020 Census)
2,329
Area
47.18 km²
District
Uryu District (雨竜郡)
Official website
www.town.chippubetsu.hokkaido.jp

Known for

  • Rice. Rice made up about ¥4.33 billion of the town's estimated ¥4.52 billion farm output in 20249. The town was selected for the national "100 best rice-growing areas" (日本の米づくり百選)105, and its Nanatsuboshi and Yumepirika rice make up about 90% of its furusato nozei donations11.
  • The bell. The Centennial Memorial Tower (開基百年記念塔, completed 1993) is 100 ft tall and carries a 2.8-tonne Dutch swing bell that the town calls one of the largest in Japan125. The slogan "鐘のなる町ちっぷべつ" dates from 19895.
  • Chippubetsu Onsen "Chippu Yu & Yu" (秩父別温泉ちっぷ・ゆう＆ゆ). Opened in 1990, it is a hot-spring hotel beside the roadside station513.
  • Rose Garden Chippubetsu (ローズガーデンちっぷべつ). Admission is free and the 5.4 ha garden, on a hillside about 2 km from the town centre, holds about 300 varieties and 3,000 rose plants14.
  • Akazukin-chan tomato juice (あかずきんちゃん) and a family of green broccoli products, including the local dish Midori no Napolitan (緑のナポリタン)1511.
  • Free, very large play facilities for children. The outdoor Cubic Connection is 58 m wide and 13 m high and is billed as Japan's largest of its kind. The indoor Kids Square Chikkuru adds 600 m² of play space1617.
  • Maruki Toshi. The anti-war painter who co-created the Hiroshima Panels (原爆の図) was born at Zenshōji temple, which now has an art room devoted to her and her husband1819.

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Rose Garden Chippubetsu (ローズガーデンちっぷべつ, 3-jō Higashi 2-chōme). The garden opened on 11 July 1999 and covers 5.4 ha, of which about 3,000 m² is planted with roses. Opening hours are 9:00–17:00 (last entry 16:45), entry is free, and leashed dogs are allowed. There is parking for 90 cars and 4 buses. The "Flora" building has toilets, a rest area and a shop selling rose seedlings and goods, and its upper floor looks out over the whole garden4951. Drivers on the expressway can park at Chippubetsu PA and walk straight in25. A dog run next door opened in 20215.
  • Sakura no Mori (桜の杜, Minamiyama). A cherry grove on the former Children's Adventure Forest Park site48.
  • Hyakurokuen (日本庭園「百祿園」). A small Japanese garden of yew (onko) trees and stacked stones on the east side of the onsen52.
  • Takinoue Park (滝の上公園, developed from 1966)5. Near the former Kita-Chippubetsu Station and known for cherry blossoms. Wikipedia notes that many swans come to the paddy fields near the former station around late April26.

Onsen

  • Chippubetsu Onsen Chippu Yu & Yu (秩父別温泉ちっぷ・ゆう＆ゆ, 2085 Chippubetsu). There are two bath halls that swap between men and women daily53. "Silk no Yu" uses the Chippu no Yu source, a sodium-chloride spring, and has milky micro-bubble silk baths and an open-air rock bath. "Ōgon no Yu" uses Source No. 2, a simple spring, and has a gold-leaf pottery pot bath, a waterfall bath and a mist sauna. Day bathing runs 9:00–22:00 and costs ¥500 for adults and ¥250 for elementary-school children, with half-price entry on the 10th and 25th of each month13. The hotel has 12 Japanese-style rooms, 4 Western twin rooms and 2 special rooms, plus "Ōtori" group lodging for training camps54. The onsen website has posted a temporary closure for facility maintenance on 17–19 November 2026. Day bathing, the restaurant, lodging and banquets are all closed on those days5355.

Museums & heritage

  • Centennial Memorial Tower (開基百年記念塔, 2-jō 1-chōme). Visitors can go up to the observation deck, which looks over the town and its paddies. It is open daily 9:00–17:00 (to 16:00 November–March)12. The town says the bell rings twice a day12, while the Hokkaido roadside-station site says three times in one place and four times in another56. A separate "Happiness Bell" (しあわせの鐘) was added to the tower in 20075.
  • Local History Museum (郷土館). Holds the Tonden bell, farm tools, models of settler houses and old photos. Open 10:00–16:00, closed Mondays and over New Year, free50.
  • Zenshōji Maruki Iri & Toshi Art Room (善性寺 丸木位里・俊 美術室). Opened in 19915. It shows a large folding-screen Hiroshima Panels (原爆の図) work listed as "1992", along with oils, watercolours and ink paintings. Open 3 May – 3 November, 10:00–16:00, ¥400 (free for junior-high students and younger), with irregular closures19.

Outdoor & seasonal activities (mostly at Bell Park Chippubetsu, ベルパークちっぷべつ)

  • Cubic Connection (キュービックコネクション). An outdoor play structure built from 2 m cubes, 58 m wide and 13 m high over six levels, with about 20 kinds of play elements and wheelchair access to two levels. Open April – 31 October (25 April – 31 October in 2026), 8:00–18:00 (9:00–17:00 in September–October), closed the 4th Monday of each month (the next day if that is a holiday), free1635.
  • Kids Square Chikkuru (キッズスクエア「ちっくる」). A 600 m² indoor play hall with a giant climbing net, climbing wall, tube slides and a toddler corner. Open 9:00–17:00 (to 18:00 in July–August), closed the 4th Monday of each month and 30 Dec – 3 Jan, free. From April to the end of November 2026, entry is limited and needs a numbered ticket17.
  • Bell Park Chippubetsu Campground (ベルパークちっぷべつキャンプ場). Open 25 April – 29 September, ¥500 per tent or tarp per night. Book only through the "Nap" (なっぷ) site; no booking is needed for day camping57.
  • Other facilities. A 27-hole park golf course, the B&G Ocean Center (a summer 25 m pool with 6 lanes) and tennis courts4758.
  • Mee-Mee Land sheep farm (観光体験牧場めぇーめぇーランド). Free entry and free sheep feeding (the flock includes Suffolks). Open 25 April – 11 October in 2026, 9:00–17:0059.
  • Natsumi-no-Sato (交流体験農園「なつみの里」). An allotment farm with small cabins with wood stoves and saunas for longer stays. Annual rental is ¥230,000–250,000, and the cabins are not usable in winter60.

Food experiences

  • Restaurant Hamanasu (レストラン「はまなす」) in the onsen. Open 11:30–14:00 and 16:00–20:00, serving dishes made with seasonal local ingredients, plus a "Chikkuru lunch" for children3961.
  • The town's tourism page also lists a mochi sweets café (餅菓子と喫茶 日日), a sushi and izakaya restaurant (寿司処家紋), Kitchen House Kojima (キッチンハウス小島) and the yakitori shop Kushishō (串正)47.

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

Kane no Naru Machi Chippubetsu (道の駅鐘のなるまち・ちっぷべつ)

  • Location: 2085 Chippubetsu, Chippubetsu-chō, Uryu-gun (〒078-2100). It stands on National Route 233, about 10 km from Fukagawa on the way to Rumoi56. The station is part of the Bell Park complex at the foot of the Centennial Memorial Tower, beside the Chippu Yu & Yu onsen5623. Chippubetsu IC on the Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway is nearby23. Tel. 0164-33-390262.
  • Hours: April–October 9:00–17:00, November–March 9:00–16:00. Closed Tuesdays from November to March and 30 December – 5 January (as of September 2026, check before visiting)6256.
  • Shops & products: The station building is the "Furusato Specialty Products Hall" (ふるさと特産物展示館). It sells fresh vegetables, local specialties and sundries from town farmers, and posts what is in stock on Instagram62. Specialties include Akazukin-chan tomato juice, broccoli–rice-flour pasta, broccoli ramen and Green Sauce56, plus Midori no Napolitan sauce40, tomato daifuku, "Hiyori" castella and "Potato Chippubetsu" chips444546.
  • Food: Green Soft broccoli soft-serve (¥350, summer only)42. For full meals, go to Restaurant Hamanasu in the adjoining onsen39.
  • Facilities: Parking for 196 standard and 5 large vehicles. Toilets with warm-water bidet seats and an accessible toilet, EV charger, Wi-Fi, an information desk, accessible facilities, a shop and farm-direct sales. The onsen and its lodging are on site56. Whether the toilets are open 24 hours was not confirmed (unverified). The campground, Kids Square Chikkuru and Cubic Connection are within walking distance58.
  • Notes: Registered on 10 August 2005 as Hokkaido station No. 90. The stamp is available during opening hours only56. The specialty-products hall itself dates from 1990, when it opened together with the onsen5.

Nearby stations in other towns: Rice Land Fukagawa (ライスランドふかがわ) in Fukagawa, at the junction of Routes 12 and 23363. Sunflower Hokuryu (サンフラワー北竜) in Hokuryu, on Route 275, with an onsen and hotel64. Den'en no Sato Uryu (田園の里うりゅう) in Uryu, on Route 275, the gateway to the Uryu Marsh65.

Getting there & around

  • Rail: There has been no railway in town since 1 April 2026, when the Rumoi Main Line closed2028. The nearest station is Fukagawa (深川駅) on the JR Hakodate Main Line in Fukagawa.
  • Local buses: The "Kitaso Liner" (きたそライナー号) started on 1 April 2026 and runs from the Community Plaza "Pirina" to Fukagawa Station (adult fare ¥480–520) and to the Numata Town Tourist Information Plaza in Numata (¥360). It was launched by three operators: Dōhoku Bus (道北バス), Sorachi Chūō Bus (空知中央バス) and 明日萌観光バス. Sorachi Chūō Bus's daytime Numata line ended on 30 September 2026. From 1 October the same runs continue as a municipal paid passenger service (自家用有償旅客運送), run by Numata together with Chippubetsu and Fukagawa, with operation contracted to Sorachi Chūō Bus. Routes, stops and times stay the same, but passes, coupon tickets and cashless payment change6667. Pirina, built on the site of the former Chamber of Commerce building, has a bus waiting area with vending machines, a nursing room and toilets. It is open 5:45–22:15 on weekdays and 5:45–21:00 on weekends and holidays2768.
  • Longer-distance buses: The Rumoi–Asahikawa line (Engan Bus/Dōhoku Bus) takes about 1 hour from Asahikawa6966. The Sapporo express bus "Kōsoku Rumoi" (高速るもい号, via Fukagawa, alight at "Chippubetsu IC iriguchi") takes about 2 hours69. However, the town's bus page lists this service only "until 30 September" (2026)66. The operator's page, updated 1 July 2026 for the summer timetable, still lists the Chippubetsu IC iriguchi stop and shows no end date70, so check whether it runs after 30 September.
  • Road: Chippubetsu IC (No. 2, opened 23 July 1998) is on the Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway (深川留萌自動車道, E62). Chippubetsu PA offers toilets and vending machines only24, and you can walk from it into the Rose Garden25. National Route 233 runs through town7.
  • Travel times by car: From Sapporo about 1 h 10 min via the Dō-ō and Fukagawa-Rumoi expressways, and from Asahikawa about 45 min69. From New Chitose Airport about 1 h 45 min, from Asahikawa Airport about 1 hour, and from Asahiyama Zoo about 1 h 20 min71.
  • Nearest airport: Asahikawa Airport, in Higashikagura7.
  • Getting around: The onsen, roadside station, tower, museum, campground and play facilities all sit together in the Bell Park area, and the Rose Garden, dog run and sheep farm lie about 2 km away to the north-east, next to Chippubetsu PA2314. A car is needed for outlying spots such as Sakura no Mori.

Practical tips

  • Best seasons: Cherry blossoms in May. The Rose Garden season runs from late June to early October, with the evening illumination in early September. The Tonden Festival is in August, and the new-rice marathon and harvest are in early October252948.
  • Seasonal closures: The Rose Garden, Mee-Mee Land, Cubic Connection and the campground all close from autumn to spring25591657. In winter the roadside station closes at 16:00 and on Tuesdays62.
  • Winter roads: Snow is deep. The town's AMeDAS station has recorded 165 cm of snow on the ground and −29.9 °C30. Use winter tyres and allow extra time on Route 233 and the expressway.
  • Money-savers: Onsen entry is half price on the 10th and 25th of each month (moved to the next weekday if these fall on a weekend or holiday)13. The Rose Garden, Kids Square Chikkuru, Cubic Connection, the sheep farm and the museum are all free4917165950.
  • Transport caution: Since the rail closure, buses are infrequent, and the daytime Numata–Fukagawa runs pass to a municipal operator on 1 October 2026, with new ticket and payment rules. Check the town's bus page before planning a car-free visit66.
  • Wildlife: The Hokkaido-wide cautions apply: watch for Ezo deer on roads at dusk and follow local brown-bear advisories near woods and riverbanks.

More about Chippubetsu

At a glance
Field Details
Type Town (町)
Subprefecture Sorachi (空知総合振興局)
District Uryu District (雨竜郡)
Population 2,329 (2020 Census, 982 households)1; 2,077 on the resident register (住民基本台帳) as of 31 August 2026, 1,036 households23
Area 47.18 km²14. GSI re-surveyed the town's area in 2014 (4,726 ha became 4,718 ha)5, so older sources such as English Wikipedia still give 47.26 km²6
Density 49.4 people/km² (2020 Census)1; about 44/km² in August 2026 (calculated)
Municipal history Tondenhei settlement 1895–96; became Chippubetsu Village (秩父別村) when it split from Fukagawa Village in 1901; second-class village 1906; first-class village 1923; town status 195957. A North Sorachi merger council (1 city, 4 towns) was set up in 2004 and dissolved in 2005, so the town stayed independent5
Neighboring municipalities Fukagawa, Numata, Hokuryu, Moseushi7
Symbols Tree: cherry (桜). Flower: rose (バラ). Flowering tree: azalea (つつじ)8. Town emblem adopted 19685. No town bird found
Mascot Chibel-kun (チーベルくん), named in 1993 as the centennial character58. English Wikipedia describes him as a caped scarecrow whose hat tells the time6; the town materials consulted do not describe him this way (unverified)
Official website https://www.town.chippubetsu.hokkaido.jp/

Name origin
  • According to the town, the name comes from the Ainu Chikkushibetsu (チックシベツ), "a river with a passage" (通路のある川)4.
  • Japanese Wikipedia offers two readings: ci-kus-pet (チクㇱペッ, "we–pass through–river", i.e. a river used as a route) and cip-kus-pet (チㇷ゚クㇲペッ, "boat–pass through–river"). An alternative theory reads it as "river where horsetail (tokusa) grows thickly"7.
  • The name was first written 秩父志別. When the railway station opened in 1910 it was called Chikushi (筑紫), from the first half of "Chikkushibetsu", and no record explains why the station name differed from the village name. Mail kept going to the wrong place (some of it to Chikubetsu, 築別, in Haboro), so the station was renamed Chippubetsu in 1954205. The Chikushi name also survives in the Chikushi kagura lion dance (ちくし神楽獅子舞)7.
  • The spelling 秩父別 has been used since the village separated from Fukagawa in 19017. The characters are phonetic ateji for the Ainu name. None of the sources consulted links the town to Chichibu (秩父) in Saitama.

History
  • Ainu era. The Ainu place name is the main local trace of this period. The sources consulted document no archaeological sites or kotan in the town area.
  • 1889. 150 million tsubo of the Uryu Plain (雨竜原野) were leased to the Kazoku Kumiai Farm (華族組合農場), a farm run by a group of peers, and Chippubetsu fell within the Hachisuka farm zone. In 1893 the government decided to take back the undeveloped land and open tondenhei villages there instead5.
  • 1895–96: tondenhei settlement. In May 1895 two soldier-farmer villages were opened: West Chippubetsu (西秩父別兵村, 1st Battalion 6th Company) and East Chippubetsu (東秩父別兵村, 7th Company), with 100 households each21. The town counts 200 households arriving in 1895 and another 200 in 1896, for a total of 40054. Chichibu Shrine (秩父神社) was founded in 1895, and its building on the present site was completed in 190375. The sources consulted do not say which prefectures the settlers came from.
  • 1898–1915: floods, cold and irrigation. A major flood hit the first allotments in 1898. In 1901 the village split from Fukagawa and got a post office, and in 1902 the tondenhei were formally disbanded. In 1904 nearly every head of household was mobilised for the Russo-Japanese War. A village irrigation scheme finished in 1904 watered 600 chō. The cold summer of 1913 did not yield even seed rice, and the Asahi irrigation canal (朝日用水路), completed in 1915, brought water to 2,900 chō5.
  • 1910. The Fukagawa–Rumoi railway opened, and Chikushi (now Chippubetsu) Station opened on 23 November2220. The first stone warehouse went up in front of the station in 1920, and a cluster of brick warehouses (煉瓦倉庫群) still appears on the town map523.
  • Early Shōwa. Crops failed in the cold years of 1931 and 1932. A fire in 1937 destroyed 24 houses downtown, and in 1940 rice blast wiped out almost the entire rice crop. Many repatriates arrived after the war, and the population reached its all-time peak of 7,048 in 19555.
  • 1959–1990s: from town status to "town of the bell." Town status came in 1959. Rice set-aside began in 1970, and farmers turned converted paddies over to broccoli and tomatoes510. The Tonden Festival was first held in 1978, and the sister-town tie with Ayanan (Kagawa) followed in 1979. In 1986 the town ranked first in Hokkaido for its share of top-grade rice shipments. The "bell" slogan was adopted in 1989. The onsen and the specialty-products hall opened in 1990, and the centennial tower in 19935.
  • 1998–2005. The Fukagawa-Nishi IC–Chippubetsu IC section of the Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway opened on 23 July 199824. The Rose Garden opened in 199925, the same year the SL Suzuran steam train ran between Fukagawa and Rumoi. In 2003 the Chippubetsu, Moseushi and Numata farm co-ops merged into JA Kitaibuki (北いぶき農協). The roadside station opened in 20055.
  • 2013–2022: revitalisation. Midori no Napolitan appeared in 2013. The town recorded net in-migration in 2013, and in 2018 its population rose (by three people) for the first time in 34 years. Kids Square Chikkuru opened in 2017 and Cubic Connection in 2018. An AMeDAS weather station was installed in town in 20225.
  • 2026: loss of the railway. JR Hokkaido closed the last section of the Rumoi Main Line (Fukagawa–Ishikari-Numata) on 1 April 2026, and Chippubetsu and Kita-Chippubetsu stations closed with it2026. Buses now fill the gap. The Community Plaza "Pirina" (コミュニティプラザ「ピリナ」) was built partly as a bus waiting hall2728.

Geography & climate
  • Landforms. The town sits at the northern tip of the Ishikari Plain, in the northern part of the Uryu Plain. Most of it is flat land at 40–50 m that is almost entirely rice paddy. Only the east, around Nakayama (中山), rises above 100 m47. The town hall stands at 46 m, and the town measures 8.27 km east–west and 7.10 km north–south (43°45′N, 141°57′E). About 70% of the land is farmland and only about 7% is forest5.
  • Rivers. The Ishikari River (石狩川) and Uryu River (雨竜川) pass by the town. Smaller streams include the Chippubetsu-sakai, Chippubetsu-sakura and Chippubetsu rivers (チップベツ堺川・秩父別桜川・秩父別川)7. Floods have been a recurring hazard: in 1988, 400 mm of rain left the town centre under water5.
  • Scenery. The autumn marathon route from the Rose Garden looks out on Mt. Shokanbetsu (暑寒別岳)29. The sources consulted show no national or quasi-national park inside the town.
  • Climate. The town has had its own AMeDAS station only since October 2022. Its records so far are a high of 35.1 °C (24 Aug 2023), a low of −29.9 °C (30 Jan 2023), a maximum snow depth of 165 cm (10 Feb 2025), and annual precipitation of about 1,170–1,430 mm (2023–2025)30. For long-term averages, the nearby Ishikari-Numata station just to the north (1991–2020 normals) gives an annual mean of 6.5 °C, a January mean of −7.4 °C (average daily low −12.6 °C), an August mean of 20.5 °C (average daily high 26.1 °C) and 1,280 mm of precipitation a year31. Fukagawa data in the town yearbook show 554–712 cm of snowfall a year for 2018–2022 and a 36.1 °C high in 20215.

Economy & industry
  • Farm output. MAFF estimates Chippubetsu's 2024 farm output at ¥4.52 billion, of which ¥4.33 billion (about 96%) came from rice. The town has 3,090 ha of cultivated land, including 2,800 ha of paddy9.
  • Rice. In FY2022 the town planted 2,138 ha of rice and shipped 273,112 bales. By variety, Nanatsuboshi covered 1,154 ha, Yumepirika 560 ha and Kirara 397 about 237 ha5. Chippubetsu is one of seven Hokkaido-designated seed-rice production areas (水稲種子生産の指定産地) and supplies seed of varieties such as Nanatsuboshi and Yumepirika to the rest of Hokkaido32. The town notes that Hokkaido-grown Yumepirika, the variety as a whole rather than the town's crop alone, earns the Special A grade every year in the Japan Grain Inspection Association's taste ranking32. The town also says its rice has at times been placed in the top rank (rank 5) under Hokkaido's rice guidelines33.
  • Rotation crops (FY2022). Wheat covered 250 ha (1,115 t), buckwheat 280 ha, soybeans 50 ha and broccoli 27 ha (127 t)5. Farmers have grown broccoli and tomatoes on converted paddies since the 1970 set-aside, and the town's broccoli is used by high-end ryōtei restaurants10. North Sorachi, which includes Chippubetsu, ranks first in Japan for ornamental "toy pumpkins" (おもちゃかぼちゃ)11.
  • Farming structure. Farm households fell from 414 in 1990 to 148 in 2020. Of the 1,167 people employed in 2020, 393 (34%) worked in agriculture5.
  • Organisations. JA Kitaibuki, formed by the 2003 co-op merger, has its headquarters in the town57. The municipal company Chippubetsu Shinkō Kōsha (株式会社秩父別振興公社, founded 1973) runs the onsen hotel and makes Akazukin-chan juice at the "Kururi" farm-produce processing centre (くるり). It also manages Cubic Connection, Kids Square Chikkuru and the Natsumi-no-Sato allotment farm3435.
  • Tourism. In FY2022 the onsen had 135,059 visitors (10,780 of them overnight), against about 180,000 a year in FY2013–FY2018. The same year the Rose Garden drew 19,335 visitors (30,750 in FY2013), the sheep farm 5,123 and Kids Square Chikkuru 50,356 (101,381 in FY2018)5.
  • Furusato nozei. Donations grew from ¥454 million (FY2020) to ¥986 million (FY2023, 26,899 donations, to end of February 2024), with rice as the main return gift11. Donations can be made through major portals including Furusato Choice, Satofull, Rakuten and Furunavi36.
  • Population. The population peaked at 7,048 in 1955 and was 2,329 in the 2020 Census, a fall of two-thirds5. Between 2015 and 2020 it dropped 7.3%1. The town markets itself on child-rearing support and has declared itself a "town that supports children and child-rearing" (子ども子育て応援宣言のまち)8.

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Akazukin-chan tomato juice (トマトジュース「あかずきんちゃん」) Juice Made from ripe eating tomatoes picked in the morning and juiced the same day, with salt kept to 0.3% or less35. Also sold as an unsalted version (¥200 for 180 ml) and as "The PREMIUM Akazukin chan", a blend with local mini tomatoes (¥300 for 180 ml). Made by Chippubetsu Shinkō Kōsha and sold at the roadside station and the onsen shop153738
Midori no Napolitan (緑のナポリタン) Local dish Launched in 20135. Flat fresh pasta made with local broccoli, wheat and rice, in a rich sauce based on Akazukin-chan juice and topped with broccoli. It is on the menu at Restaurant Hamanasu in the onsen39. A take-home version is also sold: sauce made by Hamanasu (¥600) and broccoli–rice-flour pasta (¥500 for 2 servings)4041
Broccoli ramen (ブロッコリーら～麺) Noodles Hokkaido-wheat noodles with local broccoli powder, in miso, salt and soy flavours11
Green Soft (グリーンソフト) Soft-serve Broccoli-powder soft-serve that tastes like matcha. ¥350, summer only, at the roadside station42
Rose Soft (ローズソフト) Soft-serve Rose-scented soft-serve, ¥400, sold only at "Flora" (バラの城ふろーら) inside the Rose Garden during its season43
Green sweets and sauces Sweets / condiments Chippubetsu green langue de chat with a chocolate filling (10 pieces ¥650), Midori no Ice (broccoli ice cream, ¥300), and Green Sauce (a broccoli and onion dressing)3511
Tomato daifuku (とまと大福) Wagashi Rice cake with a triple filling that uses Akazukin-chan juice, ¥360. Sold at the roadside station and the onsen shop44
Castella "Hiyori" (しっとりカステラーナ「日和」) Cake A box with one green broccoli castella and one plain castella, ¥1,200 per the town (the maker's product list gives ¥850). Sold at the roadside station and the onsen4535
Chippubetsu rice: Nanatsuboshi & Yumepirika (ななつぼし・ゆめぴりか) Rice The most popular furusato nozei gifts11. Hokkaido-grown Yumepirika, including the town's, is rated Special A32
Rice-flour financier (米粉フィナンシェ) Baked goods Made with local Yumepirika rice flour11
Kisaki melon (赤肉メロン「妃」) Fruit JA Kitaibuki's red-fleshed melon, about 2 kg per fruit, with a sugar content around 15 degrees11
Toy pumpkins (おもちゃかぼちゃ) Ornamental crop Halloween pumpkins. North Sorachi, including Chippubetsu, ranks first in Japan for production11
Pumpkin potage, "Potato Chippubetsu" (かぼちゃのポタージュ・ぽてとちっぷべつ) Packaged foods Potage made from local pumpkins (2 × 180 g, ¥600) and potato chips made from Hokkaido potatoes (¥200 per the town; the maker's list gives ¥150 for 70 g)3546
Ezo deer jerky for dogs (無添加 天然エゾ鹿肉ジャーキー) Pet treat Additive-free, listed among the town's specialties47

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Tonden Festival (とんでんまつり) August The town's biggest summer event. It features a "working vehicles" (はたらくくるま) display, a beer party and a prize lottery29. First held in 1978, it returned in 2023 after four years off5
Cherry blossoms at Sakura no Mori (桜の杜) May Blossom viewing on the former Children's Adventure Forest Park site in Minamiyama. Free, open all day48
Rose Garden season (ローズガーデンちっぷべつ) Late June – early/mid October (2026: 20 June – 11 October) Free entry to about 300 rose varieties2549
Night Garden Illumination Night (ナイトガーデン・イルミネーションナイト) Early September (2026: 4–5 September) Evening illumination of the Rose Garden25
New Rice Promotion Marathon (新米普及マラソン大会) Early October Starts at the Rose Garden, with views of Mt. Shokanbetsu. Every runner gets 2 kg of new-crop Yumepirika and a new-rice onigiri at the finish29. First held in 20125
Chippu Festival in Rose Garden (ちっぷフェスティバル inローズガーデン) / Industry Festival (産業まつり) / Hokkaido inter-university ekiden (北海道大学駅伝) Dates unverified Listed as town events by Japanese Wikipedia7. The town yearbook records the Hokkaido university ekiden championship being held in town in 19945
Cubic Wonderland (キュービックワンダーランド) First held 2022 Event held at Bell Park Chippubetsu5
  • Performing arts. The Chikushi Kagura lion dance (ちくし神楽獅子舞) is a town-designated cultural property kept by the Chikushi Kagura Lion Dance Preservation Society7. In 1988 it performed at the Seto Ōhashi Expo in Kagawa and received a letter of thanks from the Kagawa governor. The Takinoue lion-dance and Chippubetsu taiko preservation societies disbanded in 20155.
  • Shrines and temples. Chichibu Shrine (秩父神社) dates from the tondenhei settlement of 18957. Zenshōji (善性寺), Maruki Toshi's birthplace, houses the Maruki Iri & Toshi art room (see Sights)19.
  • Cultural properties. Town-designated cultural properties include the "Tonden bell" (屯田の鐘), used to tell the time in the soldier-farmer villages and now at the Local History Museum, and a piece of calligraphy by General Nogi Maresuke (乃木希典) kept at the town hall750. Japanese Wikipedia also lists the Chikushi Kagura and Takinoue lion dances, noting that the Takinoue dance is inactive7.

Ainu heritage

The town's name is Ainu (see Name origin). Beyond that, the sources consulted document no Ainu sites, kotan or cultural facilities in Chippubetsu. The nearest major Ainu cultural institution is Upopoy (National Ainu Museum) in Shiraoi, a long drive south.

Sister & friendship cities
  • Ayagawa, Kagawa Prefecture (香川県綾川町). The sister-town tie was signed on 8 September 1979 with the former Ayanan Town (綾南町)4725. Ayanan merged with Ayakami on 21 March 2006 to form Ayagawa, and the tie was renewed with the new town in 2006. The two towns still exchange visits, including student delegations735.
  • Sister schools in the UK. In 1991 Chippubetsu Elementary and Junior High schools formed sister-school ties with "Gendros" primary school and St Edmund's girls' school in the United Kingdom (current status unverified)5.

Notable people
  • Maruki Toshi (丸木俊, 1912–2000). Painter and picture-book artist, born at Zenshōji in Chippubetsu Village. With her husband Maruki Iri she created the Hiroshima Panels, and she wrote Hiroshima no Pika18. She was made an honorary citizen in 19995.
  • Kuroki Ryō (黒木亮, born 1957). Financial novelist and former Hakone Ekiden runner7. He was born in Akabira and adopted at seven months into a shrine family in Chippubetsu, where he grew up74.

Sources

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

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