Hokkaido Places

Town Tokachi Subprefecture

Rikubetsu 陸別町

りくべつちょう

Rikubetsu calls itself "Japan's coldest town" (日本一寒い町). Winter nights here still drop below −30 °C, and every February visitors are invited to spend the night in ice domes. About 2,000 people live here, alongside more than three times as many cattle. The town also has a public observatory with one of Japan's largest telescopes, and a closed railway line where visitors can drive the old diesel railcars themselves.

Population (2020 Census)
2,264
Area
608.9 km²
District
Ashoro District (足寄郡)
Official website
www.rikubetsu.jp

Known for

  • Extreme cold: the record low is −33.2 °C (27 January 2000)10. The January average daily minimum is −19.6 °C11, lower than at any other Japan Meteorological Agency station except the summit of Mt. Fuji7.
  • Shibare Festival (しばれフェスティバル): a midwinter festival held since 1982. Its "Human Cold-Endurance Test" has visitors sleeping outdoors in ice domes1213.
  • Ginga-no-Mori Observatory (銀河の森天文台): its 115 cm reflector is one of the largest public telescopes in Japan14. Low-latitude auroras have been photographed here15.
  • Rikubetsu Railway (ふるさと銀河線りくべつ鉄道): visitors can ride and even drive the railcars of the Furusato Ginga Line, which closed in 200616.
  • Seki Kansai (関寛斎): the physician who began clearing this land in 1902, aged 726.
  • Dairy and deer: about 7,350 dairy cattle17, a milk brand made by the town itself18, and venison from wild Ezo deer19.
  • Yukuepira Chashi (ユクエピラチャシ跡): one of the largest Ainu hilltop fort sites in Hokkaido and a National Historic Site20.
  • Off-road motorsport: Rikubetsu Circuit dates from 1986. The town's racing helped bring the first WRC Rally Japan to Tokachi in 200421.

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Stargazing: the Environment Agency named Rikubetsu a "Starry Sky Town" in FY1987, and one of 10 "star-friendly towns" in FY199714.
  • Hokuryō-dake: the peak is just over the border in Ashoro30. The trailhead is 25 km (about 40 minutes by car) from central Rikubetsu. The climb takes about 2 hours up and 1 hour down31.

Onsen

  • There is no hot-spring resort in town. Fureai-no-Yu (ふれあいの湯) is a public bath in the health center, with a sauna and cold bath. Open 4–9 p.m., closed Sundays; ¥500 for adults. There are no towels or soap57.
  • The town points visitors to nearby Tokachigawa Onsen and Onneyu Onsen6.

Museums & heritage

  • Ginga-no-Mori Observatory (りくべつ宇宙地球科学館), in Uenbetsu1458:
    • The 115 cm reflector "Rikuri" shows planets, nebulae and even bright stars by day. Nagoya University and the National Institute for Environmental Studies have research stations in the building.
    • Hours: April–September 2–10:30 p.m.; October–March 1–9:30 p.m.
    • Closed: Mondays and Tuesdays (open 3–5 May and 14–16 August), for maintenance in mid- to late May, and 28 December–3 January.
    • Admission: ¥500 for adults, ¥300 for children, cash only.
    • Planetarium: short "Tonight's Sky" shows on weekends and holidays59.
    • Auroras: faint auroras low in the northern sky have been photographed here, including in October 2003, on 11 May 2024 and on 1 January 202515.
  • Seki Kansai Museum (関寛斎資料館), at the Michi-no-Eki: the pioneer doctor's life and papers. ¥300 (free for town residents and for junior-high age and younger). Closed Mondays (except public holidays), the day after a public holiday, and 30 December–3 January24.
  • Yukuepira Chashi: see Ainu heritage.

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Rikubetsu Railway536016:
    • The town owns 6 of the line's last 10 railcars and the track toward Kawakami. Former Ginga Line drivers and trained volunteers run them.
    • Season: 25 April–31 October 2026, closed Tuesdays except during Golden Week.
    • Rides: station rides and hand-pedalled trolleys cost ¥300 for adults. They run mainly on the 2nd and 4th weekends of each month and during Golden Week.
    • Driving courses (booked in advance): the S course inside the yard costs ¥3,000. The 80-minute courses for ages 18 and over run from ¥25,000 (L course) up to ¥65,000 for the full 5.7 km run to Bunsen (2025–26 prices).
    • The Michi-no-Eki site bills this as Japan's longest railcar-driving experience. Railcars in Galaxy Express 999 "Maetel" livery, one signed by Leiji Matsumoto, can be seen free2726.
  • Rikubetsu Circuit: one of the largest dedicated off-road courses in Hokkaido, with races and rally stages from May to October21.
  • Ginga-no-Mori Cottage Village (銀河の森コテージ村): log cottages of local larch for 6 to 10 people, opened in 199961. A free, bookable campsite with 3 pitches is open June–October; the surrounding forest has many brown bears62.

Food experiences

  • Venison and milk: venison jingisukan, soft-serve and the town's milk are available at the Michi-no-Eki (see below).
  • In town63:
    • Hata Shokudō (秦食堂), founded in 1947, serves 100% buckwheat soba from flour it mills itself (lunch only; closed Sundays).
    • Morita-ya (森田屋) has been listed in the Hokkaido Michelin Guide and is known for butadon and chili prawns.
    • Sushi Fuji (すし藤) is also in town.

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

Aurora Town 93 Rikubetsu (道の駅オーロラタウン93りくべつ)

  • Location: Ōdōri, Rikubetsu (足寄郡陸別町大通), on National Route 242, in the former Rikubetsu Station building. The Rikubetsu Railway runs from the station's platforms and yard276416. Tel. 0156-27-2012.
  • Hours (as of September 2026 — check before visiting):
    • Tourism & Products Hall (観光・物産館): April–October 8 a.m.–6 p.m.; November–March 9 a.m.–5 p.m. Closed 30 December–3 January. Hours changed for part of April 20262765.
    • Soft-serve stand: late April to the end of October, 9 a.m.–5 p.m. (to 6 p.m. in August). Closed Mondays64.
    • Seki Kansai Museum: 9:30 a.m.–4:30 p.m., closed Mondays24.
  • Shops & products274218:
    • Venison products, wild vegetables, and specialties from the 1 city and 6 towns along the former Ginga Line.
    • Oazuke pudding and mascot goods. The station's 2017–18 posts also announced winter-only machi-choco46 and hikyō-meshi44.
    • Orders and shipping for Rikubetsu milk.
  • Food: the official Hokkaido Michi-no-Eki site lists Rikubetsu venison jingisukan as the station's food item27. There is also a seasonal soft-serve stand64. This research found no evidence of a sit-down restaurant in the building. The town's restaurants are a short walk away63.
  • Facilities:
    • Parking for 74 cars and 5 large vehicles27.
    • A 24-hour EV quick charger. Pay with an NCS charging card, or by smartphone and credit card through Enegate's Eco-Q-den service64.
    • Free "Michi-no-Eki SPOT" Wi-Fi, available 24 hours in 60-minute sessions64.
    • Toilets with warm-water bidet seats, plus accessible and ostomate toilets. Cashless payments other than credit cards are accepted27. This research did not confirm whether the toilets are open 24 hours.
    • A ticket and information desk for Tokachi Bus and Kitami Bus64. The Tokachi Bus desk is open 9 a.m.–5 p.m. and closed Tuesdays66.
    • A lawn park of about 4,000 m²64.
    • Aurora House (オーロラハウス), a lodge upstairs with 16 single and 2 twin rooms. The Michi-no-Eki site quotes ¥6,700 per night with two meals, plus ¥500 for heating from November to March6727.
  • Notes:
    • Registered on 18 August 2000 as Hokkaido Michi-no-Eki No. 696827.
    • The two-story building (1,593 m²) dates from 1993. From 2000 to 2006 it was both a railway station and a roadside station64.
    • The stamp-rally stamp is available during the hall's opening hours27.

Getting there & around

  • Rail: there is no rail service. The buses that replaced the Ginga Line connect with JR at Ikeda (Nemuro Main Line) and Kitami (Sekihoku Main Line)769.
  • Buses:
    • Tokachi Bus Route 17 (Obihiro–Rikubetsu) runs via Ikeda, Honbetsu and Ashoro. The trip from Obihiro Station Bus Terminal takes about 2 hours 50 minutes, with 9 weekday departures70.
    • Hokkaido Kitami Bus runs Kitami–Kunneppu–Oketo–Rikubetsu in about 1.5 hours69.
  • Road: National Route 242 runs through the town7.
    • The toll-free Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway links Rikubetsu-Shōtoshibetsu IC (at Shōtoshibetsu, 小利別) with Kunneppu IC. It opened in 201728.
    • A Rikubetsu IC to the south is still under construction71.
    • From the south, Ashoro IC on the Dōtō Expressway is about 35 minutes away24.
  • Driving times: via expressways, about 4 hours 30 minutes (267 km) from Sapporo, 1 hour 45 minutes (97 km) from Obihiro and 50 minutes (54 km) from Kitami. From Kushiro it is about 2 hours 45 minutes (138 km) on ordinary roads72.
  • Airports: Memanbetsu is the closest, about 1 hour 10 minutes by car. Kushiro takes about 2 hours, and Tokachi-Obihiro 2 to 2.5 hours7224.
  • Getting around: the observatory, cottages and festival ground are all in Uenbetsu, at Ginga-no-Mori146112. Yukuepira Chashi is out at Tomamu20. With the community bus gone since 20217, you will need a car.

Practical tips

  • When to go:
    • Early February: for the Shibare Festival and the coldest weather12.
    • Late April to October: the railway is running53.
    • Clear nights at any season: stargazing. The observatory is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays58.
  • Cold-weather preparation: in January and February the average overnight low has been between about −15 °C and −23 °C in recent years (2016–2025), and lows below −30 °C still occur (−30.7 °C in 2023)32. The festival organizers do not lend cold-weather gear; they advise dressing as if for a winter mountain climb13.
  • Wildlife: brown bears live in the forests around Ginga-no-Mori. Campers must sign a wildlife-safety waiver and take all rubbish home62. Ezo deer are plentiful19, so drive carefully at dusk.
  • Services: services are thin. The town's lodging page lists only Aurora House, the cottage village and the campsite38. The Michi-no-Eki doubles as the bus information point64.

More about Rikubetsu

At a glance
Field Details
Type Town (町)
Subprefecture Tokachi (十勝総合振興局)
District Ashoro District (足寄郡)
Population 2,264 at the 2020 Census (1,058 households), down 8.8% from 20151. The preliminary 2025 Census count was 1,988, down 12.2%. That made Rikubetsu the smallest municipality in Tokachi and 162nd of Hokkaido's 1792. The resident register showed 2,019 people (92 of them foreign residents) on 31 August 20263
Area 608.90 km² (GSI)4. About 81% is forest (492.56 km² of forest land in the town's 2025 land statistics)5
Density About 3.3 people/km² (latest figure, calculated from the figures above); 3.7/km² at the 2020 Census1
Municipal history In 1919 a joint village office (戸長役場) for Rikunbetsu and Toshibetsu villages split from the Ashoro office. Rikunbetsu Village (淕別村) became a second-class village in April 1923. The village moved from Kushiro Subprefecture to Tokachi in 1948 and was renamed Rikubetsu (陸別村) in 1949. It absorbed the Tomamu district from neighboring Nishi-Ashoro (西足寄町, now part of Ashoro) in 1951 and became a town in 1953678. Apart from that boundary change, it has never merged with another municipality
Neighboring municipalities Ashoro in Tokachi; Oketo, Kunneppu and Tsubetsu in Okhotsk7
Symbols Flower: Amur adonis (福寿草). Tree: white birch (白樺). Bird: common cuckoo (郭公)6. The town flag and emblem date from March 19507
Mascot Shibare-kun (しばれ君) is a boy who drifted in on sea ice from the Amur River. His girlfriend Tsurara-chan (つららちゃん) is a fairy who rode the aurora from Canada to warn about global warming9
Official website https://www.rikubetsu.jp/

Name origin
  • The name comes from the Ainu name of the Rikubetsu River. The town gives it as Rikunbetsu, meaning "a river that climbs high" or "a dangerous high river". It was written 淕別 and read Rikunbetsu until the 1949 renaming to 陸別 (Rikubetsu)6.
  • The Hokkaido Government's Ainu place-name list records two readings22:
    • Nagata Hōsei (永田方正) read it as ri-kun-pet, "high, dangerous river".
    • Yamada Hidezō (山田秀三) doubted that kun ever meant "dangerous". He read it as rik-un-pet, "river lying in a high place". The river runs between the high ridges of the Pacific–Okhotsk watershed and climbs into the mountains on the Abashiri side.
    • The list calls Yamada's reading the more natural one. It also notes that the Rikubetsu town history says this reading "fits the feel of the terrain".
  • Other Ainu names in the town:
    • Tomamu (斗満): tomam, "marsh" or "wetland"23.
    • Yamuwakkanai (止若内): yam-wakka-nay, "cold-water stream"22.
    • Yukuepira (ユクエピラ): "deer – eat – cliff"20.

History
  • Ainu period: Yukuepira Chashi was built about 450 years ago. It is one of several chashi along the Toshibetsu River (利別川), which once formed the border between the Tokachi and Kushiro regions20. Stone tools from the Tomamu site are a town-designated cultural property7.
  • Before settlement: most of the present town belonged to Ashoro District in Kushiro Province and was governed from Kushiro until 1948. In the Edo period the district lay within the Kusuri (クスリ) trading territory (場所) run under the Matsumae domain. Tomamu, where the Seki family settled, belonged to Nakagawa District in Tokachi Province until it was transferred to Rikubetsu in 195178.
  • 1901–1912: Seki Kansai: Seki Mataichi (関又一) settled at Tomamu in 1901, fresh out of Sapporo Agricultural College. In 1902 his father, the 72-year-old physician Seki Kansai, followed from Tokushima6.
    • Kansai was born in 1830 in Kazusa Province (now Tōgane, Chiba) and trained in Western medicine under Pompe in Nagasaki. He served as physician to the Tokushima domain and ran a field hospital in the Boshin War24.
    • He started with 7 cattle and 52 horses and cleared a first hectare. Frost wiped out most of the buckwheat, potatoes and daikon6.
    • Influenced by Ninomiya Sonshin's farm and, through his friend Tokutomi Roka, by Tolstoy, he formed a settlers' cooperative, the Sekizensha (積善社). He took his own life at Tomamu on 15 October 1912, aged 82246.
  • 1910–1923: the national Abashiri Line reached Rikubetsu from Ikeda in 191016 and brought new settlers. There were setbacks: a fire destroyed 16 houses on the main street, and harvests failed. The village administration was set up in 1919, and Rikunbetsu Village followed in 19236.
  • 1948–1953: the village moved to Tokachi (1948), was renamed Rikubetsu (1949) and absorbed Tomamu from Nishi-Ashoro (1951). It became a town in 1953678.
  • 1980s:
    • The Shibare Festival began in 198212, along with off-road racing (the circuit was built in 1986)21.
    • Lacombe, Canada became Rikubetsu's sister town in 19866.
    • In 1987 the town was named a "Starry Sky Town" (星空の街)14 and the chashi a National Historic Site25.
    • Construction of a Nissan test course began in 19886.
    • In 1989 the rail line passed from JR (as the Chihoku Line) to the third-sector Furusato Ginga Line26.
  • 1993–2004: the Seki Kansai Museum opened in 199324 and the observatory on 7 July 199814. The Michi-no-Eki was registered in 200027, and stages of the first WRC Rally Japan ran in 200421.
  • 2006–2008: the Ginga Line closed on 21 April 2006, after 95 years of rail service. It reopened as the hands-on Rikubetsu Railway on 20 April 200816.
  • Recent years:
    • The town began producing its own milk in 201418.
    • The toll-free Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway reached the town in 201728.
    • Rikubetsu marked its centenary in 20186.
    • The community bus ended in July 20217.
    • Commemorative trains in 2026 mark 20 years since the line closed26.

Geography & climate

  • Landforms: Rikubetsu is the north-eastern corner of Tokachi. The Toshibetsu River runs north–south through the middle of the town, then south to join the Tokachi River at Ikeda. To the west is upland used for dairy farming; to the east is a plateau around 500 m high7. Forest covers about 81% of the land5.

  • Mountains: Mt. Kitoushi (喜登牛山, 1,312 m), on the border with Ashoro, is the town's highest peak29. Higashi-Mikuni-yama (東三国山, 1,230 m) also sits on the town's edge7. Hokuryō-dake (北稜岳, 1,256 m; the town gives 1,254 m) is often listed as a Rikubetsu mountain, but it stands just inside Ashoro. The town still runs its community climb there3031. Pikas and Dolly Varden trout live on Hokuryō-dake, and its summit looks out over the Higashi-Taisetsu range31.

  • Parks: no national park lies within the town. Akan and Daisetsuzan national parks are within touring distance6.

  • Climate: humid continental (Dfb), and the town is a designated heavy-snow area7. JMA normals for 1991–202011:

    Measure Normal
    Annual mean temperature 4.8 °C
    January mean −11.1 °C
    January average daily minimum −19.6 °C
    August mean 19.1 °C
    Annual precipitation 832 mm
    Annual snowfall 386 cm
    Deepest snow cover (average) 75 cm
    Sunshine 1,792 hours

  • Temperature records: the AMeDAS extremes are −33.2 °C (27 January 2000) and +37.8 °C (26 May 2019)10. The town also cites −35.5 °C at the old weather station (1 February 1977) and an unofficial −38.0 °C at Shōtoshibetsu (1978)32.

  • Recent winters: the yearly lows were −30.7 °C in 2023 and −26.0 °C in 2025. The town's measured snowfall in 2022–2025 (127–208 cm a year) was well below the normal32.

Economy & industry
  • Dairy and livestock: as of February 2024 the town had 54 farms, working 4,991 ha. Most of it is hay meadow (3,200 ha) or feed crops such as dent corn; farmers also grow some wheat and sugar beet. The herd numbers about 7,350 dairy cattle, 920 beef cattle and 70 horses — more than three animals per resident17. To attract new dairy farmers, the town offers grants and 6-month to 3-year on-farm training33.
  • Forestry and other industry:
    • Local bodies include a forest cooperative and a wild-vegetable (山菜) processing cooperative7.
    • Nissan's Hokkaido Rikubetsu Proving Ground is a test course at Shōtoshibetsu. Construction began in 198867.
  • Tourism: 147,300 visits in FY2025, down 4% on the year before34.
    • 91% of visitors came from within Hokkaido, and only 7,600 stayed overnight.
    • August and September are the busiest months, and the Shibare Festival brings a spike in February.
    • No foreign overnight guests were recorded.
  • Population:
    • The population fell from 2,956 (2005 Census) to 2,264 (2020)35 and 1,988 (2025 preliminary)2.
    • In 2020, 39% of residents were 65 or older35.
    • In FY2024 there were 5 births and 54 deaths35.
  • Revitalization:
    • Hometown-tax (ふるさと納税) gifts started in June 201736.
    • A fan club, the Rikubetsu Friendship Townspeople's Association (陸別友好町民の会), was founded in 1998 and has had more than 2,600 members37.
    • The town promotes workations at Ginga-no-Mori38.

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Rikubetsu venison (りくべつ鹿肉) Game meat Venison from wild Ezo deer culled in the town, sold as jerky, jingisukan (seasoned grilled meat), miso-marinated and shigure (sweet-simmered) products19. Loin and fillet cuts are top hometown-tax gifts39
Rikubetsu low-temperature pasteurized milk (りくべつ低温殺菌牛乳) Dairy Pasteurized at 65 °C for 30 minutes at a town-run plant. The town calls this kind of council-run dairy rare in Japan. On sale since 2014, only in the town and on just one or two days a month. Order at the Michi-no-Eki at least 3 days ahead; shipping is available18
Rikubetsu Milk Oazuke Pudding (りくべつミルクのおあずけプリン) Sweets Additive-free frozen pudding made with the town's milk, eaten half-thawed40. Sold at the Michi-no-Eki27
Midori-no-Sono pork products Charcuterie Sausages, bacon and frankfurters made from Tokachi pork with German spices, at the Gesele workshop of a disability-support facility41
Wild vegetables (山菜) and farm goods Forest & farm Packs of seasonal wild greens and mushrooms42, dried shiitake, kiriboshi daikon (dried daikon strips) and pumpkin paste43
Hikyō-meshi (秘境めし) Rice mix Venison and butterbur (fuki) to stir into cooked rice; launched in 201844
Bear products Game Canned bear meat in miso and bear fat, from Kita-Nihon Dream Hunt (北日本ドゥリームハント)45
Machi-choco (まちチョコ) and mascot manjū Sweets Winter-only fair-trade chocolate in local-photo or mascot wrappers4647. Shibare-kun & Tsurara-chan buns filled with Tokachi-soybean paste, from Honda Shōten (本田商店)47
Mascot goods Souvenirs Straps, towels, stationery and capsule-toy pin badges4849

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Shibare Festival (しばれフェスティバル) First Saturday–Sunday of February (42nd: 7–8 February 2026) Held since 1982 at the Uenbetsu event ground, with fireworks and stalls12. The main draw is the Human Cold-Endurance Test (details below)13
Off-Road Battle (オフロードバトル) May (17 May 2026) Buggy and ATV racing at Rikubetsu Circuit21
Rikubetsu Railway Festival (ふるさと銀河線りくべつ鉄道まつり) Mid-July (15th: 18–19 July 2026) The eve has about 2,000 fireworks and a "fireworks train"; the main day has stage shows and special trains50
Yatai-mura (屋台村) Last Saturday of July Food and craft stalls on the station square51
Doshin Off-Road Race in Rikubetsu August (2 August 2026) At Rikubetsu Circuit21
Observatory star parties August (Perseids) and autumn (30 September–11 October 2026) Special viewing sessions52
Rally Hokkaido, Rikubetsu stage September (5 September 2026) A round of the Asia-Pacific Rally Championship (APRC)21
Main-line special trains 4 May, 19 July, 9 August, 13 September and 11 October 2026 Trains out along the old main line to Bunsen (分線) or Hyakkoi (百恋) for Golden Week, the railway festival, the summer holidays, the anniversary of the Abashiri Line opening and Railway Day53
Hokuryō-dake town climb (北稜岳町民登山会) First Sunday of October A community mountain climb. The town's page lists 2017 as the last climb held; the 2018–2020 climbs were cancelled31
Rally Tokachi (ラリーとかち), Rikubetsu stage October (11 October 2026) Rally stage at the circuit21
Shibare Rock Festival (しばれロックフェスティバル) Date varies Free open-air rock concert at the Uenbetsu event center54
  • Human Cold-Endurance Test (人間耐寒テスト)13:
    • Participants stay out until 7 a.m., either in ice domes ("balloon mansions", ¥9,000) or in their own tents (¥7,000). Stoves and all open flames are banned inside the domes and tents. The organizers call a large bonfire, the "fire of life", the challengers' only warmth. Night temperatures usually run from −25 °C to −5 °C.
    • The fee includes breakfast and a morning bath. Places must be booked in advance, with a lottery if there are too many applicants. More than 7,100 people had earned the certificate by October 2025.
    • The organizing committee spends about a month building the domes, spraying water onto 2.5 m balloons at around −20 °C.
  • Patch championship: from 1989 to 2018 the town hosted 30 editions of the Nissan Cup All-Japan Patch Championship55. パッチ is the name used in Sapporo (and in Akita) for menko, a card-flipping game56.
  • Heritage: the Seki Kansai Museum holds the pioneer's diaries and poems, several of them town-designated cultural properties. A monument marks the opening of the Abashiri Main Line7. The town is listed as a filming location for Yamada Yōji's 1977 film The Yellow Handkerchief and the NHK morning drama Natsuzora (2019)7.

Ainu heritage
  • Yukuepira Chashi (ユクエピラチャシ跡): at Tomamu. It was designated a National Historic Site on 8 September 1987, and the town has been its official custodian since 199325.
    • Three linked enclosures sit on a hilltop terrace about 50 m above its surroundings, facing a steep cliff. The central semicircular moat is about 100 m long, 6 m wide and 3 m deep, which makes this one of the largest chashi in Hokkaido.
    • Its unusual feature is a great bank outside the moat. The builders layered the dug-out white volcanic ash and loam, then finished the surface in white ash.
    • The scale and planning suggest that a powerful leader lived here. The site is also called Kaneran Chashi, after Kaneran, a hero in local legend20.
    • The town publishes a map and route guide to the site20.
  • Other sites and names: the Torari chashi-kotsu (トラリチャシコツ群) group is a town-designated site7. Ainu place names survive in Rikubetsu, Tomamu and Yamuwakkanai (see Name origin). The sources consulted document no Ainu cultural facility or living-tradition program in the town.

Sister & friendship cities
  • Lacombe, Alberta, Canada: sister town since 5 July 19866.
  • No domestic partner cities found.

Notable people
  • Seki Kansai (関寛斎, 1830–1912): physician and the pioneer who opened Rikubetsu (not born here)24.
  • Kanai Takeo (金井武雄): born in Rikubetsu; founder of the Fuji Megane eyewear chain7.
  • Nagaya Makiko (長屋真紀子): former speed skater from Rikubetsu7.

Sources

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

  1. 第１表 男女別人口、面積、人口密度及び世帯数（令和２年国勢調査結果 統計表） — 北海道 総合政策部計画局統計課 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  2. 令和7年国勢調査速報 北海道の人口・世帯数（要計表に基づく人口・世帯数の集計） — 北海道 総合政策部計画局統計課 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  3. 住基ネットにおける人口【参考値】（令和8年(2026年)8月31日現在） — 北海道 総合政策部地域行政局市町村課 JA accessed 2026-09-23
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