Hokkaido Places

Town Hiyama Subprefecture

Esashi 江差町

えさしちょう

Esashi is an old port town on the Sea of Japan. The herring trade made it rich from the 17th to the 19th century. It is the home of the folk song Esashi Oiwake, of a shrine festival about 380 years old with 13 floats, and of the wreck of the shogunate warship Kaiyō Maru.123

Population (2020 Census)
7,428
Area
109.48 km²
District
Hiyama District (檜山郡)
Official website
www.hokkaido-esashi.jp

Known for

  • Herring and the Kitamae-bune trade. Herring fishing boomed from around 1670. In the fifth month of the old calendar, when the processed herring was ready, Kitamae-bune trading ships gathered from all over Japan. People said "May in Esashi is busier than Edo itself" (江差の五月は江戸にもない).14 That saying is the title of Esashi's Japan Heritage story, No. 038.15
  • Esashi Oiwake (江差追分). The town calls this folk song the "king of folk songs" (民謡の王様).7 The Esashi Oiwake National Contest has been held each September since 1963, except in 2020 and 2021 because of COVID-19.162 Its organisers call it the longest-running national folk-song contest in Japan.16
  • Ubagami Daijingū Togyo-sai (姥神大神宮渡御祭), 9–11 August. Thirteen decorated floats (yama) are pulled through town in a festival about 380 years old.3 The town calls it Hokkaido's oldest festival.7
  • The Kaiyō Maru (開陽丸). The Tokugawa shogunate's Dutch-built flagship ran aground and sank off Esashi on 15 November 1868 (lunar calendar), during the Boshin War.17 A full-size replica was finished in April 1990.18
  • Inishie Kaidō (いにしえ街道). Along the old main road, merchant houses, warehouses, temples and shrines from the herring and hiba-timber era were restored between 1989 and 2004.19 They include the Former Nakamura Residence, a National Important Cultural Property.20
  • Kamome-jima (かもめ島). This island, 2.6 km around, shelters the harbour. It has the Heishi-iwa rock, mooring posts left by Kitamae-bune ships, a lighthouse and a beach.21
  • Gokatteya yōkan (五勝手屋羊羹). A sweet bean jelly made by Gokatteya Honpo, a shop founded in 1870.22
  • Herring soba (にしんそば). The owner of the Yokoyama merchant house argues that Kyoto's famous herring soba began with herring shipped from Esashi.23

Sights & activities

Museums & heritage

The Former Nakamura Residence, the District Office museum and the Former Sekikawa Villa share a combined ticket: ¥500 for adults, ¥150 for students.28

  • Inishie Kaidō (いにしえ街道). The old national road through Naka'uta-machi and Ubagami-machi. It is lined with old wholesale houses, warehouses and temples. Power lines are buried, and the Esashi Kaisho Kaikan (江差町会所会館) serves as a rest stop.19
  • Former Nakamura Residence (旧中村家住宅). 22 Naka'uta-machi. A National Important Cultural Property. Four linked hiba-wood buildings step down the slope on Echizen-stone foundations.
    • Hours: 9:00–17:00. Closed Mondays and the day after holidays from November to March, and 31 December–5 January.
    • Admission: ¥300.29
  • Yokoyama House (江差姥神町横山家). A merchant house founded in 1786, with four storehouses. It is a Hokkaido folk cultural property. The interior is closed at present; you can see the outside.23
  • Former Hiyama–Nishi District Office (旧檜山爾志郡役所), Esashi Local History Museum. 112 Naka'uta-machi. Built in 1887. Exhibits cover the town's history, the Esashi Line and the Kaiyō Maru, and there is a restored lock-up.
    • Hours: 9:00–17:00. Open every day April–October.
    • Admission: ¥300.28
    • Hijikata Toshizō's "Sighing Pine" (嘆きの松) stands in front.26
  • Esashi Oiwake Kaikan and Esashi Yama Kaikan (江差追分会館・江差山車会館). 193-3 Naka'uta-machi.61
    • Oiwake performed live with instruction daily April–October, at 11:00, 13:00 and 15:00.
    • Two of the 13 festival floats are shown in rotation; in August 2026 these were Masamune-yama (政宗山) and Hōnen-yama (豊年山).
    • Admission: ¥500.
  • Kaiyō Maru Memorial (開陽丸記念館). A full-size replica warship with objects raised from the wreck, 1-10 Ubagami-machi.
    • Closed from November 2025 until about May 2027.18 Meanwhile some of its cannons, shells and other objects are on special display at the District Office museum.28
    • The "End of the Kaiyō Maru" monument (開陽丸終焉之地) stands behind the Oiwake Kaikan. It marks where the ship ran aground, about 200 m offshore.17
  • Former Sekikawa Villa (旧関川家別荘). 55 Toyokawa-chō. The villa of a leading merchant family, from the late Edo or early Meiji period.
    • Open April–October only. Admission ¥100.62
  • Cemetery of the new government army (新政府軍の墓所). 92 graves from the Hakodate War.27

Nature & scenery

  • Kamome-jima (かもめ島). Linked to the mainland by a breakwater; allow about 2 hours to walk around it.21
    • Heishi-iwa (瓶子岩), a rock said to be the herring-summoning vessel turned to stone.
    • Senjōjiki (千畳敷), a wave-cut rock terrace.
    • Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社), with a stone torii donated by sailors from Kaga.
    • Kitamae-bune mooring posts and an 1876 well.
    • The lighthouse, chosen as one of the "Romance Lighthouses" (恋する灯台) in 2018.21
  • Sunsets over the Sea of Japan. Kamome-jima is billed as one of Japan's 100 best sunset spots (日本の夕陽百選).43 The town runs a sunset photo contest.55
  • Hiyama Koji no Mori (檜山古事の森). A hiba forest set aside in the Todogawa (椴川) national forest to supply timber for future repairs of historic wooden buildings. It is closed to visitors at present, and it is brown-bear habitat.34

Onsen

  • Shigejirō Onsen (繁次郎温泉). 82-7 Tazawa-chō. Hot-spring water flows straight from the source, at about 39–46 °C. There are six kinds of bath, including a hiba-wood outdoor bath for about ten people, and a Finnish sauna.
    • Hours: weekdays 17:00–21:00, weekends 12:00–21:00.
    • Adults ¥300.63
  • Esashi Nukumori Onsen Hoyō Center (江差町ぬくもり温泉保養センター). 126 Oyama-machi, the same district as the Michi-no-Eki. A simple spring (weakly alkaline), run by the town as a day-bathing facility since 2006. It has a free foot bath, open April–December.
    • Hours: 11:00–17:00. Closed Mondays and 1–5 January.
    • Adults ¥440.64

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Beach and camping. The Kamome-jima beach has lifeguards and showers in summer.21 The Kamome-jima campground is free, needs no booking and has a cooking area and toilets. Ground fires and fireworks are not allowed.65
  • Kamome-jima Marine-ping (かもめ島マリンピング). Glamping, SUP, crab fishing, rock-pool walks and cruises. Open 24 April–18 October in 2026.43
  • Boats and rentals. Fishing and cruising boats sail from Esashi Marina. The town rents out e-assist bicycles, electric carts, wheelchairs and strollers.42

Food & culture experiences

The tourism association offers the following:42

  • Oiwake lessons.
  • Kimono walks through the old town.
  • Tenugui towel dyeing and making a charm (omamori).
  • Soba-making classes.
  • Guided walks and a "living history" tour.

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

Esashi (道の駅江差)

  • Location. 1 Oyama-machi, Esashi (檜山郡江差町字尾山町1), on National Route 227.4966
    • Nearby are Shigejirō-hama Beach (繁次郎浜海水浴場), the Tomari River and Shigejirō Onsen.31
    • Hakodate is about 69 km away.31 Phone: 0139-52-1177.66
  • Hours (as of September 2026; check before visiting).4967
    • April–November: 9:00–17:00.
    • December–March: 10:00–16:00.
    • Closed: open every day April–October. From November to March, closed on Mondays (on Tuesday when Monday is a public holiday). Also closed 31 December–5 January.
  • Shops & products.
    • The shop is set up as a "Small Things Museum" (小さいものミュージアム): foods and crafts chosen because they are small.67
    • Featured products are Gokatteya yōkan (五勝手屋羊羹) and mini kōren (ミニこうれん).49
  • Food. The food section of the official Michi-no-Eki site says only "information in preparation"; no restaurant was confirmed.49 For herring soba or a meal, go into the town centre (see Local specialties).
  • Facilities.
    • Parking for 20 cars and 6 large vehicles, plus accessible spaces.49 Covered parking was added in 2021.67
    • Toilets with warm-water bidet seats.49 An accessible toilet with handrails on both sides, heating and an emergency call button, and a lockable baby corner in the women's toilet.67
    • A nursing room with a diaper-changing table, Wi-Fi and tourist information.49
    • A wooden deck looking over the Sea of Japan, built in June 2019 from Dōnan cedar.31
    • Whether the toilets are open 24 hours, and whether there is an EV charger, was not confirmed.
  • Lodging. The station takes bookings for the Shigejirō Banya cabins (繁次郎番屋簡易宿泊所) in Tomari-machi (泊町).68
    • Three cabins, each for up to 10 people, with a kitchen, bath and air conditioning.
    • Open April–November; closed 1 December–31 March.
    • ¥7,260 for two guests, plus ¥2,420 for each extra person.
    • Check-in 15:00–17:00, check-out 10:00. Busy dates are allocated by lottery.
  • Notes.
    • Registered 22 April 1993 in the first nationwide batch, as Hokkaido registration No. 6.3166
    • It calls itself "Japan's smallest Michi-no-Eki." The shop is about 8 tatami mats, roughly 13 m².6731 A survey by the STV television programme found that its shop and toilets together have the smallest floor area in Japan.31
    • A 2019 crowdfunding campaign reached its ¥2 million goal on 29 January 2019. The station reopened, refitted in wood, on 20 April 2019.31
    • A statue of Shigejirō, the witty townsman of local tales, stands outside. His motto is carved on its base: "Laugh, laugh, and good things will come" (笑え、わらえ へば ええごとある).67 Sources differ on its material: the Michi-no-Eki council calls it bronze, while Japanese Wikipedia calls it concrete.4931
    • The building is made of local hinoki timber, with a gable roof meant to recall an Edo-period herring camp.49
    • The stamp is available during opening hours.49
  • Nearby stations in other towns.66
    • Kaminokuni Monju (道の駅上ノ国もんじゅ), Kaminokuni.
    • Assabu (道の駅あっさぶ), Assabu.
    • Route 229 Gennadai (道の駅ルート229元和台), Otobe.69

Getting there & around

  • Rail. No trains run to Esashi. The JR Esashi Line from Kikonai closed on 12 May 2014.5 The nearest stations are Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto (新函館北斗駅), Kikonai (木古内駅), both on the Hokkaido Shinkansen, and Yakumo (八雲駅).5
  • Buses (Hakodate Bus, 函館バス; Esashi office 0139-52-0025).70
    • From Hakodate Station: direct, about 2 h 15 min, on the Hakodate–Esashi Line (route 610).7071
    • From Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station: about 1 h 15 min, via Assabu.70
    • From Kikonai Station: about 1 h 45 min, via Kaminokuni, on the Esashi–Kikonai Line (routes 631–635).7071
    • Route 624 runs along the Hiyama coast.71
  • By car.
    • From Hakodate: about 70 km, about 1 h 30 min on National Route 227 via Hokuto and Assabu.72
    • From Sapporo: about 300 km, about 4 h 30 min. Take Route 227 to Assabu, Prefectural Road 67 to Yakumo, then National Route 5 and the Hokkaido Expressway.72
    • National Routes 227, 228, 229, 276 and 277 all reach the town.5
    • Rental cars can be hired in Esashi as well as in Hakodate.71
  • Ferry to Okushiri. Okushiri Island Ferry sails from the north pier of Esashi port to Okushiri in about 2 h 10 min, or 2 h 20 min in winter (phone 0139-52-1066).7374
    • 1 October 2026 – 28 February 2027: because of construction work, ferries use the New North Pier (新北埠頭) instead. A free shuttle bus runs there from the ferry terminal.75
    • January–March and December: one sailing a day from Esashi, at 13:00.
    • April–November: usually one sailing a day from Esashi, at 13:00.
    • Golden Week, July–August and some September weekends and holidays: two sailings a day from Esashi, at 09:40 and 17:40.
    • Times are from the 2026 timetable; check before travelling.74
  • Air. The nearest airport is Hakodate Airport, about 90 minutes from the old town by car.29
  • Getting around. The old town, Kamome-jima and the museums are within walking distance of one another. Six free car parks serve the historic sites.71 E-assist bicycles are available to rent.42

Practical tips

  • When to go.
    • Early August for the Ubagami festival (9–11 August).3
    • Mid-September for the Oiwake National Contest.16
    • The first weekend of July for the Kamome-jima festival.58
    • April–October for daily Oiwake performances and the Sekikawa Villa.6162
    • Book accommodation early for festival dates. The town has hotels, ryokan, rental houses and the Shigejirō Banya cabins.76
  • Winter hours. From November to March most museums close on Mondays and the day after public holidays. The Former Sekikawa Villa is closed all winter.2862 Expect the strong tabakaze north-westerly wind in January–February.36
  • Closures to know about (as of September 2026).
    • Kaiyō Maru Memorial: until about May 2027.18
    • Yokoyama House: interior closed.23
    • Hiyama Koji no Mori forest: closed.34
  • Brown bears. The town recorded 10 sightings between April and July 2026, in districts including Tazawa and Yanagisaki. Check the town's bear page or LINE alerts, and carry a bell on hill and forest walks. The contact is the Forestry Section, 0139-52-6717.77
  • Information. The Esashi Kaisho Kaikan on Inishie Kaidō is a rest stop and a Japan Heritage guidance spot.1978 The Esashi Tourism Convention Association can be reached at 0139-52-4815.58

More about Esashi

At a glance
Field Details
Type Town (町)
Subprefecture Hiyama (檜山振興局). The subprefecture's office is in Esashi, at 336-3 Jin'ya-machi (江差町字陣屋町336-3).4
District Hiyama District (檜山郡)5
Population 7,428 (2020 National Census; 3,569 men, 3,859 women).6 Resident register: 6,296 people in 3,895 households at the end of August 2026.7 The census count in 1975 was 14,409.6
Area 109.48 km² (GSI, 1 April 2026).8 The town's own profile page gives 109.53 km², and English Wikipedia gives 109.57 km². This entry uses the GSI figure.910
Density About 57.5 people/km² (August 2026 register ÷ GSI area)
Municipal history Edo period: part of the Matsumae domain. When the shogunate took back most of the domain's lands in 1855, Matsumae kept only the south-western Oshima Peninsula, which includes Esashi.115 1871: on the abolition of the domains, part of Tate Prefecture (館県), which was merged that September into Hirosaki Prefecture (later Aomori Prefecture).11 1872: under the Kaitakushi's Hakodate branch. 1897: under the new Hiyama Subprefecture. 1 July 1900: becomes Esashi Town (江差町) under the first-class town and village system.9 Gokatte Village (五勝手村) was merged in at the same time.5 February 1955: merges with Tomari Village (泊村) to form the present town.9 The town's own profile says Esashi came under the Hakodate magistrate in 1854 and dates the prefecture changes to 1869; the domain history above points to Matsumae rule until 1871.911
Neighboring municipalities Kaminokuni, Assabu and Otobe5
Symbols Town tree: hinoki-asunaro, or hiba (ヒノキアスナロ). Town flower: beach rose (ハマナス).9 No town bird was found.
Mascot Shigetchi (しげっち), based on Shigejirō (繁次郎), the witty hero of Esashi folk tales.12
Official website https://www.hokkaido-esashi.jp/ (Japanese). Tourism portal: https://esashi.town/ (with English pages)13

Name origin
  • Esashi (江差). The usual explanation comes from Ainu e-sa-us-i (エサウシイ). It describes a headland running down to the beach: "a place where a head comes down to the shore."5
  • A second theory. The explorer Matsuura Takeshirō (松浦武四郎) linked the name to esashi-us (エサシウシ), a phrase about kelp. Japanese Wikipedia says the headland reading is generally thought more natural.5
  • Same name elsewhere. Japanese Wikipedia says Esashi (枝幸) in Soya takes its name from the same Ainu word, which is one reason the two towns are easy to confuse.5
  • Gokatte (五勝手). The old village name, which survives in Gokatteya yōkan, is said to come from Ainu kokaite (コカイテ), "where the waves break" or "where the waves rise."22 Another story links the name to gokatte-gumi (五花手組), lumbermen from the Nanbu domain who came to cut hiba.24

History
  • Medieval shrine legends. According to local legend, Ubagami Daijingū was founded by Orii-sama (折居様), an old woman who brought herring to Esashi. The tourism office dates the founding to 1447, while Japanese Wikipedia gives 1216. The shrine moved to its present site in 1644. It received court recognition in 1817, and the tourism office calls it Hokkaido's oldest shrine.255
  • Ainu–Japanese conflict. A local legend tells of a Japanese warrior, Oyama Hangan (小山判官), whom the Ainu feared as a kamui (god). Iwaki Shrine (岩城神社) enshrines him.12
  • Matsumae rule and Shakushain's War. Esashi came under the Kakizaki (later Matsumae) clan, which from 1604 held the right to trade with the Ainu. Shakushain's War took place in 1669.5
  • The herring boom, from about 1670. The Tsugaru Ittō-shi chronicle records fishermen and merchants coming to Esashi from Tohoku as well as from within Ezo.15
    • Warehouses were built in steps up the coastal terrace.1
    • Kamome-jima served as the natural breakwater and mooring for Kitamae-bune ships.1
    • Ships arrived most often in the 5th month of the old calendar, followed by the 4th and 6th months.14
    • The Yokoyama house was founded in 1786 as a fishing, trading and shipping business.23
  • 1673: the Hiyama forests. The Matsumae domain opened the hiba forests from the Assabu River basin to the Amanogawa basin in Kaminokuni as the "Hiyama" (檜山), and set up a Hiyama magistrate (檜山奉行) in Esashi.11
  • 1741: the Kanpō tsunami. Memorial stones at Hokke-ji and Shōgaku-in temples are Hokkaido-designated cultural properties.20
  • 1852. The Matsumae domain built gun batteries for coastal defence, two of them on Kamome-jima. Their sites are signposted as the Tokugawa shogunate battery sites.21
  • 1868–1869: the Boshin War.
    • On 15 November 1868 (lunar calendar), the Kaiyō Maru, flagship of Enomoto Takeaki's fleet, was caught in a snowstorm, ran aground and sank off Esashi.17 Legend says Hijikata Toshizō struck a pine tree in grief as he watched it go down. The tree, the "Sighing Pine," still stands.26
    • Ninety-two soldiers of the new government's army who died in 1868–1869 are buried in a cemetery in the town, 26 of them from Matsumae and 18 from Chōshū.27
  • Meiji era.
    • 1870: Gokatteya Honpo is founded.22
    • 1876: a drinking-water well for trading ships is dug on Kamome-jima.21
    • 1887: the Western-style Hiyama–Nishi District Office is built. It is the only district-office building left in Hokkaido.28
    • About 1887: the main house and document storehouse of what became the Nakamura residence are built. In the Meiji era the house belonged to Ōmi merchant Ōhashi Uhei; Nakamura Yonekichi, also from Ōmi, took it over in 1915.29
    • The herring catch collapsed around the turn of the 20th century.10 The last herring shoals came to Esashi's shore in 1913.30 The town gradually turned to tourism.10
  • Oiwake is standardised.
    • Standardisation of the song began in 1908.2
    • 1935: Mayor Harada Asaji brings rival schools together in the Esashi Oiwake Association (江差追分会).2
    • 1963: the first national contest is held.16
  • 20th century.
    • 10 November 1936: the railway reaches Esashi Station.5
    • February 1955: Esashi merges with Tomari Village.9
    • 1971: the Nakamura residence becomes an Important Cultural Property.20
    • 1975: excavation of the Kaiyō Maru wreck begins; 32,905 objects are raised. A full-size replica is completed in April 1990.18
    • 1989–2004: the Inishie Kaidō streetscape project buries the power lines and restores the old buildings.19
    • 22 April 1993: Michi-no-Eki Esashi is registered in the first nationwide batch.31
  • 21st century.
    • 12 May 2014: the JR Esashi Line (Kikonai–Esashi) closes.5
    • 2017: herring kuki (the milky sea of a spawning run) is seen again for the first time in 104 years, and herring slowly begin to return to Esashi.32
    • 19 March 2019: the Ubagami festival procession becomes a Hokkaido intangible folk cultural property.20
    • November 2025: the Kaiyō Maru Memorial closes while a building next to it is demolished. It is expected to reopen around May 2027.18

Geography & climate
  • Shape. The town measures about 10 km east–west and 17 km north–south. Its outline is shaped like a "B," because Assabu cuts into the middle of it.9
  • Rivers and mountains. The Assabu River (厚沢部川) divides the town. Mountains such as Sasayama (笹山) and Motoyama (元山) rise to the east.9
  • Coast. Kamome-jima lies about 500 m offshore and forms a natural harbour.9 It is a special zone of Hiyama Prefectural Natural Park (檜山道立自然公園). It rises 30 m above the sea and is 2.6 km around.21
  • Land use (tax-register land categories, 1 January 2024). Forest covers 61.52 km², about 56% of the area. Wild land (原野) covers 14.69 km², rice paddies 9.92 km² and fields 4.82 km².33
  • Northern limit of the hiba. The hiba (hinoki-asunaro) reaches the northern edge of its range on the Oshima Peninsula.34 A stand of hinoki-asunaro and Sakhalin fir (アオトドマツ) became a national Natural Monument on 12 October 1922.20
  • Climate. JMA normals for the Esashi station (1991–2020):35
    • Annual mean temperature 10.3 °C: −0.6 °C in January, 22.6 °C in August.
    • Average daily high in August 25.9 °C; average daily low in January −3.3 °C.
    • Precipitation 1,230.7 mm a year; sunshine 1,431.2 hours.
    • Total snowfall 219 cm a year, with an average deepest snow cover of only 26 cm.
  • Records. Highest 34.6 °C (31 August 2023); lowest −12.7 °C (20 January 1966).5
  • Mild but windy winters. Esashi is officially a heavy-snow area, but the Tsushima Current keeps winters mild.5 From January to February a strong north-westerly seasonal wind, the tabakaze (たば風), blows in from the sea.36

Economy & industry
  • Services dominate. Of 3,571 employed residents in 2020, 2,584 worked in services (tertiary industry), 613 in industry and 297 in primary industry. In 1975 the total was 6,181.37 The biggest employers by sector are medical care and welfare (548 people), retail and wholesale (452) and construction (346). The number of business establishments fell from 613 in 2009 to 452 in 2021.37 As the seat of the Hiyama Subprefecture office, Esashi is also the administrative centre of the region.4
  • Fisheries. Landings at the Hiyama Fisheries Cooperative's Esashi branch in fiscal 2023 were 515 t, worth ¥437 million. In fiscal 2005 they had been 3,439 t, worth ¥989 million.38
    • Red snow crab (紅ズワイガニ) is now the largest catch: 293 t, worth ¥96 million.
    • Sea cucumber (なまこ): only 12 t, but worth ¥122 million.
    • Squid fell from 807 t (fiscal 2005) to 11 t (fiscal 2023). Walleye pollock, 1,440 t in 2005, is now zero.
    • There were 60 fishing businesses in 2018, down from 139 in 1980 (Fisheries Census). The catch figures above come from the cooperative's landing records.38
  • Salmon farming. A brand of domestically farmed salmon, "Esashikko Shigetora" (江さしっ子 繁虎), is raised in sea pens off Kamome-jima.39
  • Agriculture. In 2020 there were 81 farm households, down from 524 in 1975. They worked 553 ha, of which 407 ha was rice paddy.40
    • Rice (2023): 257 ha, 854 t, sales ¥132.6 million.
    • Potatoes: 737.6 t. Pumpkins: 447.1 t.
    • Broccoli: 109.6 t. Green asparagus: 28.7 t, worth ¥40.6 million.
    • Soybeans: 62 ha.40
  • Tourism. 271,000 visitors in 2024 (Reiwa 6): 250,100 day-trippers, 20,900 overnight guests, 171,700 from within Hokkaido and 97,400 from elsewhere. The figure was 646,000 in 1987 and peaked at 806,400 in 1990.41
    • Paid facilities in 2024: Kaiyō Maru Youth Center 13,767; Oiwake Kaikan 6,788; Former Nakamura Residence 4,529; Former Sekikawa Villa 1,331.41
  • Ageing and depopulation.
    • In the 2020 Census, 2,846 residents (38.3%) were 65 or older, and only 589 (7.9%) were under 15.6
    • In fiscal 2023 there were 25 births and 141 deaths, and 43 more people moved out than moved in.6
    • The resident register fell from 11,273 in 1995 to 6,282 on 31 March 2026.6
  • Revitalisation. The town's efforts include:
    • the Japan Heritage story and its guided "living history" tours;42
    • the Kamome-jima "Marine-ping" glamping and SUP base;43
    • a 2019 crowdfunded renovation of the Michi-no-Eki.31

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Herring soba (にしんそば) Local dish Soba topped with sweet-simmered herring. The Japan Heritage site lists six shops that serve it.44
• Teuchi Soba Nagomi (手打ちそば 和味), 40-1 Atago-machi: from 11:30 until sold out.
• Soba-dokoro Happō (そば処 八寶), 62 Shinchi-machi: firm home-made noodles.
• Aji no Sato Hinoki-tei (味の里 ひのき亭), 48-1 Moshiri-machi: an all-hinoki dining room.
• Oshokuji no Mise Tsurumi (お食事の店 つるみ), 62 Hashimoto-machi: a diner more than 70 years old.
• Restaurant Tsubana-kan (れすとらん 津花館), 100 Hashimoto-machi, looking out on Kamome-jima.
• Horizoん, 193 Naka'uta-machi (see below).
Herring "parent-and-child" sandwich (ニシン親子サンド) Local dish Sweet-simmered herring and crunchy herring roe (kazunoko) with a sweet-spicy ginger-mustard sauce. It was created by the chef of maison FUJIYA Hakodate, inspired by kuki, the milky water of spawning herring. Sold at Horizoん.45
Herring bowl and Horizoん shake (にしん丼・Horizoんシェイク) Café food Horizoん, in a former town restaurant at 193 Naka'uta-machi that reopened in May 2023, serves herring soba and herring rice bowls. Its shake is made with Hokkaido soft-serve and local aronia berries.46
Herring dishes (ニシン創作料理) Restaurant dishes • Restaurant Satomi: vinegared herring salad, carpaccio and namerō (minced herring with miso).
• Tsubana-kan (津花館): herring-and-roe rice bowl with local soba.
• Kaachan Shokudō Tamariba (かあちゃん食堂 たまりば): herring sanpei-jiru soup (reserve ahead) and pickled herring (December–March).32
Herring souvenirs Processed seafood • Sweet-simmered herring (にしん甘露煮), called the town's standard souvenir and made by several producers.
• Herring kelp rolls (トロにしん昆布巻).
• A herring-shaped monaka filled with bean paste, from Gokatteya, sold only in May.47
Gokatteya yōkan (五勝手屋羊羹) Sweets Made by Gokatteya Honpo (五勝手屋本舗, founded 1870) at 38 Hon-chō, 8:00–18:00, closed only on 1 January.22 Made with kintoki beans, which is unusual for yōkan.48 It is also sold at the Michi-no-Eki and offered as a furusato nozei gift.4939 The signature marukan yōkan comes in a tube: you push it up from the bottom and slice it with the attached string.48
Esashi Oiwake manjū (江差追分まんじゅう) Sweets Maeda Seika's (前田製菓) signature bun. The bean paste is cooked over a wood fire and paired with fresh cream.50
"Esashi no Shigejirō" (江差の繁次郎) Sweets White bean paste in a chocolate-coated skin, from Asanoya Kashiho (浅野屋菓子舗, founded 1923).51
Daifuku and strawberry daifuku (大福・苺大福) Sweets Yamadaya Kashiho (山田屋菓子舗, founded 1926) makes seven kinds of daifuku. Strawberry daifuku is sold February–June and often sells out before noon.52
Kōren and Shonbu (江差こうれん・江差しょんぶ) Traditional sweets Local branded sweets sold at Horizoん.46 A mini kōren is a featured product at the Michi-no-Eki.49
Kitamae crab (北前蟹) Seafood / furusato nozei Red snow crab (紅ズワイガニ) sent straight from local fishermen. Crab-leg meat and 1 kg sets are among the town's most popular furusato nozei gifts.39
Esashikko Shigetora salmon (江さしっ子 繁虎) Seafood / furusato nozei Domestically farmed salmon from sea pens off Kamome-jima, sold as sashimi-grade fillets.39
Esashi rice (ふっくりんこ・ななつぼし) Rice Rice from contract farmers, taken as advance orders for the new crop.39 854 t was harvested in 2023.40 New rice is sold at the Industry Festival.53
Black-bean amanattō (黒豆甘納豆) Sweets / furusato nozei Candied beans made from Esashi-grown black soybeans.39
Soba made from Esashi buckwheat (江差そば・にしんそば) Noodles / furusato nozei Made with local buckwheat flour and offered as a "support-type" gift in partnership with disability-support workshops.39

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Esashi Tabakaze Festival (江差たば風の祭典) February to early March The 41st festival ran in 2026 and is named after the winter wind. It includes Oiwake seminars, a soba-making workshop, folk dancing and a hyakunin isshu card contest.36
Kitamae Hina-gatari (江差・北前のひな語り) 7 February–8 March in 2026 The 12th doll display, held in the historic houses of the old town.36
Winter Esashi "Oishi Hyakusai" Nabe Festival (冬江差"美味百彩"なべまつり) Early February (7–8 February in 2026) The 26th festival, at the Esashi Town Culture Hall. About 15 stalls serve hot pots, including herring and lamb. There are also Oiwake and mochi-pounding performances.54
Esashi Oiwake National Recital (江差追分全国発表会) April A recital by Oiwake singers.55
Inishie Yume Kaidō bridal procession (春の江差いにしえ夢開道・花嫁行列) Early May (3 May in 2025) A couple walks in a traditional bridal procession along Inishie Kaidō to Ubagami Plaza, accompanied by nagamochi-uta songs.56
Esashi Yoichi night market (江差夜市) June–October An evening market.55
Esashi Marine Festa (えさしマリンフェスタ) June or July (28 June in 2026) A beach day at the entrance to Kamome-jima, with banana-boat bay cruises, SUP taster sessions, rock-pool play and food stalls.5755
Esashi Kamome-jima Festival (江差かもめ島まつり) First weekend of July (4–5 July in 2026, the 73rd) Fireworks from the west breakwater, the lighthouse opened to visitors and a mochi-throwing for a good catch. Also the All-Hokkaido Kitamae-bune Boat Race (全道北前船競漕大会).58 A 30 m sacred straw rope (shimenawa) used to be hung for the festival, but this has not been done since the 66th festival in 2019.21
Ubagami Daijingū Togyo-sai (姥神大神宮渡御祭) 9–11 August every year About 380 years old, with 13 floats, each with its own festival music.3
• 9 August: opening rites, including the ceremony that fixes the order of the floats (御霊代奉遷祭・先導山車定之儀).
• 10 August: the procession through the lower town (from 10:30).
• 11 August: the procession through the upper town (from 10:00).3
The Michi-no-Eki council describes the festival as more than 370 years old.49
Esashi Oiwake National Contest (江差追分全国大会) Mid-September (18–20 September in 2026, the 62nd) At the Esashi Town Culture Hall. Two days of heats and a final. The 28th contest for seniors and young people is held alongside. Final tickets ¥2,000 in advance, ¥2,300 on the day.16
Esashi Industry Festival (江差町産業まつり) Late September (27 September in 2026, the 45th) In front of the town hall, 10:00–14:00. New local rice and local products are on sale, with mochi-pounding music and a kamishibai picture-story about the Kaiyō Maru.53

Performing arts

  • Esashi Oiwake.
    • It grew from the packhorse drivers' songs of Oiwake post town in Shinano (Nagano), which reached Esashi by land and sea.1 The town says it took shape in the Kansei era (1789–1801).30
    • It is a Hokkaido intangible folk cultural property, designated in 1977.20 With the Ubagami festival, it is part of the Hokkaido Heritage listing "Ubagami Daijingū Togyo-sai and Esashi Oiwake."2
  • Other Hokkaido-designated performing arts.2030
    • Esashi Okiage Ondo (江差沖揚音頭): herring-fishing work songs.
    • Gokatte Shishimai (五勝手鹿子舞): a deer dance.
    • Esashi Sansagari (江差三下り): a song.
    • Esashi Mochitsuki-bayashi (江差餅つき囃子): mochi-pounding music, which the town calls "the most cheerful of all" its folk arts.
  • Town-designated performing arts. The Oiwake dance, the Same-odori (鮫踊り) and the Doba and Tazawa deer dances.30

Shrines, temples and museums

  • Ubagami Daijingū (姥神大神宮), 99-1 Ubagami-machi. It honours Orii-sama as the founder of herring fishing. Captains of Kitamae-bune ships offered it votive paintings (ema).25
  • Floats. The floats Shōhōmaru (松寳丸) and the Jingū-yama doll (神功山人形) are Hokkaido-designated folk properties.20
  • Temples. Hokke-ji (法華寺) and Shōgaku-in (正覚院) keep the Kanpō tsunami memorials.20 Other temples on the tourism list are Kongō-ji and the Higashi and Nishi Hongan-ji branch temples.59
  • Buddhist sculptures. The tourism office lists statues by the wandering carver-monks Enkū (円空) and Mokujiki (木喰) among the town's sights.59
  • Folk tales. The tales of Shigejirō, a witty townsman born in the Bunka era (1804–18) who died in early Meiji, are told in the Esashi dialect. The tourism association publishes a book of 43 of them.60 The town notes that only a few come from oral accounts and that many are said to be later creations.12

Ainu heritage

Written records of Ainu life in Esashi are thin compared with the eastern and central parts of Hokkaido. By the Edo period the town was a Japanese (Wajin) trading port under Matsumae rule.5 Ainu heritage survives mostly in place names. "Esashi" probably comes from e-sa-us-i, a word for a headland5, and Gokatte from kokaite, "where the waves break."22 Local legend also remembers fighting between Ainu and Japanese, in the story of Oyama Hangan and Iwaki Shrine.12 No Ainu cultural facility in Esashi was found. For Ainu culture in the region, see Hiyama.

Sister & friendship cities
  • Higashiōmi (東近江市), Shiga Prefecture. Sister town. The agreement was signed on 4 August 1984 with the former Notogawa Town (能登川町), which is now part of Higashiōmi.795
  • Suzu (珠洲市), Ishikawa Prefecture. Friendship city since March 1998.80
  • No international partners were found.

Notable people
  • Ishidaka Sumie (石高澄恵), women's professional shogi player.5
  • Okazaki Jirō (岡崎次郎), economist.5
  • Hamada Kiichi I (初代浜田喜一, 1917–1985), Esashi Oiwake singer, born in Esashi. A monument to him stands on Kamome-jima.21

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

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