Hokkaido Places

Town Soya Subprefecture

Rishirifuji 利尻富士町

りしりふじちょう

Rishirifuji covers the eastern half of Rishiri Island, a volcanic island in the Sea of Japan off Hokkaido's northern tip. Most visitors arrive through its port, Oshidomari, to climb the 1,721 m Mount Rishiri or to walk the lakes and capes around it. The town lives on Rishiri kombu and sea urchin, and its history includes an Edo-period trading post, a Russian raid and an American who came ashore to learn Japanese.

Population (2020 Census)
2,458
Area
105.62 km²
District
Rishiri District (利尻郡)
Official website
www.town.rishirifuji.hokkaido.jp

Known for

  • Mount Rishiri, or "Rishiri Fuji" (利尻山, 1,721 m): a free-standing volcanic cone and the first peak listed in Japan's 100 Famous Mountains. The main Oshidomari trail starts in the town1011.
  • Rishiri kombu (利尻昆布): kelp that gives a clear, refined dashi. The town says it is used mainly by high-end restaurants in the Kansai region and is prized as the finest kombu12. Wild and farmed kombu were the island's two most valuable catches in 202513.
  • Sea urchin: bafun urchin, called ganze (ガンゼ) locally, is harvested June–September. It is eaten raw, as uni-don or grilled in the shell14.
  • Mirror lakes: Himenuma (姫沼) and Otatomari-numa (オタトマリ沼) reflect Mount Rishiri on calm days. The view above Otatomari is said to be the one printed on the Shiroi Koibito biscuit box151617.
  • Kanrosen spring (甘露泉水): the northernmost of Japan's 100 Famous Waters, selected by the Ministry of the Environment. It flows at the 3rd station of the Oshidomari trail1811. The surrounding natural recreation forest is one of Japan's 100 best forests for forest bathing (森林浴の森百選)18.
  • Gateway to the island: Oshidomari ferry terminal and Rishiri Airport are both in the town1920.
  • Frontier history: the Motodomari trading station (1765), the Russian raid of 1807, the graves of Aizu samurai sent to guard the north, and Ranald MacDonald's landing in 184878.

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Pesshi Cape (ペシ岬): a 93 m rock beside Oshidomari port, nicknamed "Gorilla Rock". Oshidomari Lighthouse stands on it, and one of the Aizu samurai graves is near the top. It is about 20 minutes on foot from the ferry terminal, and the paths are open May–October5455. The lighthouse has been chosen as one of Japan's "Lovers' Lighthouses" (恋する灯台)55.
  • Himenuma (姫沼): a pond made around 1920 by joining three smaller ponds. It is said to be named after the kokanee salmon (himemasu) once stocked in it. A loop of about 1 km (20 minutes) runs through old-growth forest, with views of the mountain reflected in the water. It is 10 minutes by car from the port; the road is closed in winter15. Chipmunks can be seen here56.
  • Otatomari-numa (オタトマリ沼): the island's largest pond, with a loop of about 30 minutes. Rabbit-ear irises (kakitsubata) bloom in the adjacent Numaura wetland in June–July. It is about 35 minutes by car from the port16. The Numaura Observatory, also called the "Shiroi Koibito Hill" (白い恋人の丘), overlooks it. Couples who propose here can get a certificate authorized by Ishiya, the maker of Shiroi Koibito, from the tourism association17.
  • Fujino Park (富士野園地): meadows of orange Ezo kanzō daylilies from late June to mid-July, with views of Ponmoshiri islet, where black-tailed gulls nest51.
  • Yūhigaoka Observatory (夕日ケ丘展望台): a hill about 56 m high, the island's best-known sunset viewpoint, 5 minutes by car from the port57.
  • Minamihama wetland (南浜湿原): a raised bog with a walking path, known for star photography31.
  • Alpine Plant Garden (高山植物展示園): in Oshidomari-Sakaemachi, with Rishiri poppy, botan-kinbai and other island alpines at low elevation; free entry58.

Onsen

  • Rishiri Fuji Onsen (利尻富士温泉保養施設): in Sakaemachi, about 10 minutes' walk from the ferry. The water is a sodium chloride and bicarbonate spring (41.3 °C at the source). The facility has an outdoor bath facing Mount Rishiri, a sauna, a jacuzzi and a coin laundry. Hours are 12:00–21:00 (last entry 20:30); it is closed on Wednesdays from November to April. Adults pay ¥500. Next door are a free footbath (June–October) and the "Yūeikan" pool, which uses hot-spring water (as of 2026, check before visiting)59.

Museums & heritage

  • Rishiri Island Local History Museum (利尻島郷土資料館): in Oniwaki, in the 1913 Western-style Oniwaki village office. It has herring-fishery dioramas and archaeological finds. Open 9:00–17:00 from May to October, closed Tuesdays and the day after public holidays (open daily in July–August); adults ¥30060.
  • Rishiri Art Visitor Center (りしりアート・ビジターセンター): made up of the Culture Center and Rippu-kan. Rippu-kan has local history and Jōmon to Okhotsk culture finds, and since 2020 it has shown the original lamp from the Pesshi Cape lighthouse. Open 9:00–17:00 from 1 May to 15 October, closed Mondays; adults ¥30061.
  • Izumi no Fukuroma (泉の袋澗): a stone breakwater built in the Taishō era or earlier, used to hold landed herring in seawater. It is part of the Hokkaido Heritage listing28.
  • Aizu samurai graves (会津藩士の墓) at Pesshi Cape and Jikyōji temple, and Ranald MacDonald's landing site at Notsuka: both are town-designated cultural properties30.

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Climbing Mount Rishiri (Oshidomari course): the trail starts at the Rishiri Hokuroku campground. It passes Kanrosen spring (3rd station) and Chōkan-yama (8th station). Allow about 11 hours round trip even in good weather. Portable toilets are mandatory (sets cost ¥400), and the trail has five toilet booths. The steep, crumbling section above the 9th station is the most dangerous part11. Submit a climbing plan10.
  • Pon-yama (444 m): a short forest climb from the Hokuroku campground, roughly 40 minutes to an hour to the top25.
  • Cycling: the island's dedicated cycle path, open late April to late October, can be combined with the loop bus (bikes by reservation). Part of the path is closed from 25 May to 30 October 202662.
  • Camping: Yū-ni Family Campsite in Sakaemachi (1 May–31 October; cottages ¥18,000, bungalows ¥6,000–9,000, tent entry ¥600 per adult); Rishiri Hokuroku campground at the trailhead (15 May–15 October); free Numaura campground (1 June–30 September)53.
  • Wildlife: Steller's and white-tailed sea eagles along the coast in winter; black woodpeckers and Japanese robins at Himenuma56.

Food experiences

  • Try uni-don or grilled urchin in summer at local restaurants and fishermen's roadside stalls14. Two lakeside rest-house stalls at Otatomari, Matchan no Mise and Wakasan no Mise, grill scallops (8:00–17:00, closed in winter)6364.
  • Buy kombu and seafood at the fisheries cooperative store (8:30–17:00, closed Saturdays and Sundays)41 or at the souvenir shops by the ferry terminal65.

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

No Michi-no-Eki is located in Rishirifuji. The official Hokkaido list has none on Rishiri or Rebun islands66.

  • Nearest: Michi-no-Eki Wakkanai (道の駅わっかない) in Wakkanai, 1 hour 40 minutes by ferry67.
    • Location: Kaiun 2-chome on National Route 40, within walking distance of JR Wakkanai Station68.
    • Hours: information desk 9:00–18:00; shop 8:30–18:00 (July–September) or 9:00–18:00 (October–June); café 8:00–16:00. Shops are closed 30 December–1 January (as of September 2026, check before visiting)68.
    • Food: the café serves hayashi rice made with Sōya Kuroushi (宗谷黒牛) beef68.
    • Facilities: 88 car and 11 large-vehicle spaces, toilets, a nursing room, Wi-Fi and a kids' area68.
    • Notes: registered in 201266.
  • Other Soya stations: Sarufutsu Park (さるふつ公園) in Sarufutsu, Pinneshiri (ピンネシリ) in Nakatonbetsu, Kita-Okhotsk Hamatonbetsu (北オホーツクはまとんべつ) in Hamatonbetsu and Marine Island Okajima (マリーンアイランド岡島) in Esashi66.
  • The island's equivalent: Rishiri-tō Oshidomari Umi-no-Eki (りしりとう・おしどまり海の駅). This is the Oshidomari ferry terminal, registered on 22 March 2014 as Hokkaido's seventh "sea station" (umi-no-eki)69.
    • Facilities: waiting room, boarding bridge, escalator and elevator, multipurpose toilets, coin lockers, nursing room, kids' corner, restaurant, shops, Wi-Fi and tourist information. Visiting boats can moor for ¥110 per meter per 24 hours69.
    • Tourist information desk: 8:00–18:30 (until 17:00 from 15 April to 31 May and in October); closed 1 November–14 April70.
    • Souvenir shops: Kawamura Shoten inside the terminal71 and Maruta Shoten opposite65.

Getting there & around

  • Ferry: Heartland Ferry sails from Wakkanai to Oshidomari in 1 hour 40 minutes.
    • June–September (2026 timetable): three sailings a day each way, leaving Wakkanai at 07:15, 11:15 and 16:40 and Oshidomari at 08:25, 12:05 and 16:40.
    • Winter: two sailings a day each way67.
    • Fares (2026): 2nd class ¥3,590; cars under 4 m ¥21,650; bicycles ¥3,30072.
    • Rebun (Kafuka) to Oshidomari takes about 40–45 minutes7319.
    • A new ship, the Trollius Sōya, is due on the route in early spring 202774.
  • Air: Rishiri Airport is in the town at Motodomari. Hokkaido Air System (JAL) flies to Sapporo-Okadama year-round, and ANA flies to New Chitose from June to September7520. Sapporo to Rishiri takes about 50 minutes73.
  • Rail and bus to Wakkanai: from Sapporo it takes about 5 hours 30 minutes by JR train or 5 hours 50 minutes by highway bus. From Asahikawa it is about 4 hours by rail73.
  • On the island: Sōya Bus1 runs loop buses in both directions, with a one-day pass and some hail-and-ride sections. Timetables change with the season75. The Onsen stop is about 8 minutes from the ferry terminal61. Rental cars, taxis (Fuji Hire in Oshidomari) and rental bicycles are available75.
  • Roads: prefectural roads 108 (Kutsugata–Senhoshi–Oshidomari), 105 (Rishirifuji–Rishiri), 856 (Motodomari–Rishiri Airport) and cycle-path route 10761. The island is about 55 km around by road45.

Practical tips

  • Season: most viewpoints, the museums and campsites are open roughly May–October and closed in winter156053. Flowers peak from late June to July51. Plan around the Hokkai Island Festival (late July and 3 August) or the Uni Uni Festival (11 August) if you want festival food47.
  • Climbing: register a climbing plan (forms at the police boxes and lodgings) and carry a portable toilet1011. Most lodgings drive guests to the trailhead11. From 15 to 20 July 2026, helicopters flying in materials for repairs above the 9th station could briefly hold climbers76. For accidents, call the Oshidomari police box (0163-82-2110) or the town office (0163-82-1111)10.
  • Winter: Mount Rishiri draws backcountry skiers. After a run of backcountry accidents in Hokkaido, the town publishes safety guidance in several languages77. Northwest gales can drift snow across roads on the west side of the town35.
  • Wind and weather: gusts of more than 40 m/s have been recorded34. Keep ferry and flight plans flexible.
  • Wildlife: Rishiri is said to have no bears, deer or snakes24. The 2018 bear was judged very unlikely to still be on the island, and the town published updates during that episode29.
  • Visitor center and costs: the tourist information desk is inside the ferry terminal70. The Rishirifuji Tourism Association is based at the town office (0163-82-1114)78. Hokkaido's accommodation tax (¥100 per person per night) also applies to campsite cabins53.

More about Rishirifuji

At a glance
Field Details
Type Town (町)
Subprefecture Soya (宗谷総合振興局)
District Rishiri District (利尻郡), shared with Rishiri1
Population 2,458 (2020 National Census)2. The 2025 Census preliminary count is 2,140, down 12.9%3. Resident register: 2,072 people in 1,156 households on 1 January 20264; 2,068 on 31 August 2026 (Juki-net reference figure)5
Area 105.62 km² (GSI, 1 April 2026)6. The town covers the northern and eastern part of Rishiri Island (182.08 km²)6
Density About 19.6 people/km² (August 2026); 23.3/km² at the 2020 Census2
Municipal history Six villages were set up on the island in 1878. A shared village office (戸長役場) for Rishiri District opened at Oshidomari in 1880, which the town counts as its founding (開基). In 1902 the second-class village system created Oniwaki and Oshidomari villages7. The two merged as Higashi-Rishiri Village (東利尻村) on 30 September 1956 and became Higashi-Rishiri Town on 1 September 1959. The town took its present name on 30 September 19901
Neighboring municipalities By land: Rishiri. By ferry: Wakkanai and Rebun1
Symbols Trees: Japanese rowan (ナナカマド) and Ezo spruce (エゾマツ). Flower: Rishiri poppy (リシリヒナゲシ). Bird: Rishiri komadori, a Japanese robin (リシリコマドリ)8. The emblem (adopted 1957, revised 1990) combines a sun disc, a stylized り and Mount Rishiri, topped by an "H" for the initials of the Japanese words for growth, advance, peace and good catches8
Mascot Rippu-kun and Rippu-chan (りっぷくん・りっぷちゃん), a boy and girl chipmunk from Mount Rishiri. The current pair is the second generation9
Official website https://www.town.rishirifuji.hokkaido.jp/rishirifuji/

Name origin
  • Rishirifuji means "Rishiri Fuji", the popular name for Mount Rishiri. The town was called Higashi-Rishiri ("East Rishiri") because it lies on the east side of the island. It was renamed in 1990 after the mountain21.
  • Rishiri comes from the Ainu ri-sir (リシリ), "high island". The Hokkaido Government's Ainu place-name list attributes this reading to Yamada Hidezō and gives it the highest certainty grade (A). The list also records the older spelling リシイリ21. A map of Ezo from 1644 already shows the island as "Riishiri" (リイシリ)7.
  • Oshidomari (鴛泊), the main settlement, comes from us-tomari (ウシトマリ), "anchorage in the inlet". Imai Hachikurō's survey map of 1834 marks "Ushitomari" at this spot22.
  • Oniwaki (鬼脇) appears in the Hokkaido Government list as onne-iwak-i (オンネイワクイ), "place where the old ones live". A note by Yamada adds that it may have meant "large dwelling place" or "original dwelling place". The list gives this reading certainty grade C, below the grade A it gives Rishiri23. Japanese Wikipedia derives Oniwaki from onne-waki ("large dwelling" or "large section"). It derives Otatomari from ota-tomari ("sandy inlet") and Menushoro from mem-usor ("bay with a pond")24. These are secondary readings.
  • The hills called Pon-yama (ポン山) use the Ainu pon, "small"25. Japanese Wikipedia says these names were probably given by Japanese settlers24.

History
  • Prehistory: stone tools found at the Sakaemachi campsite site are the oldest trace of people on Rishiri, about 13,000 years old. Jōmon cylindrical pottery (about 4,500 years ago) has been found at the Minatomachi 1 site. Settlements of the Okhotsk culture (5th–9th centuries) and later the Satsumon culture (7th–13th centuries) are known across the island7. The town counts about 30 archaeological sites. Finds from the old town-hall site, dug in 2009, are on display26.
  • Ainu era and the Matsumae trade: around 1670 the Tsugaru Ittōshi chronicle recorded about 300 Ainu on Rishiri trading marine products with Japanese merchants. The town's history takes this to mean that the Riishiri trading post (リイシリ場所) was already running by then7. In 1765 a trading station (運上屋) was built at Motodomari (本泊), and the post was contracted to the Ōmi merchant Okada Yasōemon78.
  • 1807: Russian ships raided Rishiri in the Bunka incident, burning vessels and the trading station and taking islanders prisoner. In 1808 the shogunate sent 252 Aizu domain men to guard the island. Many died of illness or at sea, and their graves remain at Pesshi Cape, Motodomari and Tanetomi78.
  • 1848: the American Ranald MacDonald landed alone at Notsuka (野塚), hoping to learn Japanese and become an interpreter. After about a month on Rishiri he was taken to Nagasaki, where he taught English to official interpreters such as Moriyama Einosuke8. The novelist Yoshimura Akira wrote about him in Umi no Sairei (海の祭礼)7.
  • Meiji herring boom: the island became part of Kitami Province, Rishiri District, in 1869. The contract-trading system ended the same year7. Herring catches drew settlers mainly from the Sea of Japan coast of Honshu, including Aomori, Akita, Niigata, Toyama and Tottori8. Oniwaki had 17 crab canneries by 1907. In 1915 the herring catch of Rishiri District passed 100,000 t7.
  • Taishō–Shōwa: the old Oniwaki village office was built in 1913 and is now the local history museum. In 1923 a newspaper readers' poll ranked Rishiri Fuji first among the "Three Views of Hokkaido" (北海道三景)78. Work on Oshidomari port began in 1920 and on Oniwaki port in 19288. A large fire burned central Oshidomari in 1954. The herring stopped coming after 19557.
  • Mergers and parks: Oniwaki and Oshidomari merged in 1956 as Higashi-Rishiri. Rishiri Airport opened in 1962. The area became a quasi-national park in 1965 and part of Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park in 19747. The national park designation brought a boom in island tourism27.
  • Recent decades: the town was renamed Rishirifuji in 1990. The town's industry page says a hot spring was struck by boring in 199627. The 2016 fact book dates the successful drilling to 19988. The Rishiri Fuji Onsen facility opened in 19987. Jet flights to New Chitose began in 1999, and Hokkaido Air System began flights to Sapporo's Okadama airport in 2011. A new ferry terminal, "Umi-no-Eki Oshidomari", opened in 20147. In 2018 the island's fishery heritage and way of life were selected as Hokkaido Heritage (北海道遺産)7. The tourism site of the Kita-Hokkaido DMO gives the year as 201928.
  • 2018 bear visit: a brown bear swam over in May 2018. It left tracks, droppings and feeding signs across the island. After tracking stopped, an October meeting with specialists concluded that a bear was very unlikely to still be living on the island29. The only earlier record is a bear killed at Asahihama in 19127.

Geography & climate
  • Setting: the town takes up the northern and eastern part of Rishiri Island, about 62 km southwest of Cape Sōya across the sea. Its coastline is 38.7 km long8. Settlements sit on a narrow coastal strip below the mountain. Oshidomari in the north and Oniwaki in the south are the two main districts1.
  • Mountains: Mount Rishiri (1,721 m) rises in the middle of the island, with Oniwaki-yama (1,460 m) and Chōkan-yama (1,219 m) on its flanks. Small parasitic cones include Pon-yama (444 m), Oniwaki Pon-yama (411 m) and Otadomari Pon-yama (164 m)1. The town's history dates the stratovolcano to activity starting about 200,000 years ago. Its peak activity came about 50,000–40,000 years ago, and the maar craters at Numaura formed late, ending about 8,000 years ago7.
  • Lakes and wetlands: Otatomari-numa (about 91,000 m²) and Himenuma (about 40,000 m²) are the main lakes8. Otatomari is the island's largest pond and is ringed by Sakhalin spruce forest16. The Numaura and Minamihama wetlands are town-designated natural monuments30. Minamihama is a raised bog only about 5 m above sea level, the largest on the island31.
  • Park: Kanrosen spring, at the foot of Mount Rishiri, lies in Rishiri-Rebun-Sarobetsu National Park18, and Rishirifuji is one of the park's six municipalities32. The park was designated a quasi-national park on 10 July 1965 and a national park on 20 September 1974, with a land area of 24,512 ha32.
  • Climate: at the JMA station at Motodomari (本泊), the 2003–2020 normals are a mean annual temperature of 7.1 °C, −4.5 °C in January and 19.8 °C in August33. The record high is 31.8 °C (7 August 2021) and the record low is −16.6 °C (8 February 2019)34. Wind is constant: the mean speed is 6.4 m/s33, and the strongest recorded gust is 43.7 m/s (2 October 2015)34. The town notes that summer rarely passes 30 °C and that annual snowfall is about 1.5 m, less than inland Hokkaido. Islanders have names for each wind direction, for example yamase for the east wind and hitaki for winter squalls with snow35.

Economy & industry

  • Fisheries: in 2025 the town's fishery landed 1,232 t worth ¥1.74 billion. The whole island landed ¥3.41 billion13. The main catches by value in the town were13:

    • kombu, 148.9 t (wild and farmed) worth ¥629 million;
    • nona (のな) urchin, ¥360 million;
    • uni (bafun urchin), ¥188 million;
    • sea cucumber, ¥136 million;
    • hokke, 351.6 t;
    • octopus, 107.4 t;
    • herring, 218.5 t.

    The fishery statistics list nona and bafun urchin separately. Nona is generally the northern purple urchin, which appears by that name among the town's furusato gifts (unverified).

  • Changing fishery: after herring declined, fishing shifted to inshore kombu and urchin harvesting and to coastal fishing for octopus and flatfish. The town now stresses "growing" fisheries: salmon hatchery releases, stocking of urchin and abalone seed, kombu and scallop farming, and reef building27.

  • Shrinking fleet: the Rishiri Fisheries Cooperative (利尻漁業協同組合) runs its head office in Oshidomari and a branch in Oniwaki. Fishing households fell from 652 in 1989 to 228 in 2025, and cooperative members from 770 to 23513. The town offers support for new fishers36. In 2026 it was recruiting a community-revitalization worker (地域おこし協力隊) to promote "growing" fisheries (育てる漁業推進員)37.

  • Agriculture: farming never became a business here. Past mink, pig, poultry and dairy operations have all disappeared27.

  • Tourism: visitor numbers fell from 270,500 in FY2003 to 135,900 in FY2019. Of the FY2019 visitors, 50,300 came from outside Hokkaido and 64,000 stayed overnight. Visits to the Rishiri Fuji Onsen fell from 90,291 in its first year (FY1998) to 36,580 in FY201938.

  • New products: a closed school was turned into a bottling plant where Rishiri Meisui Factory (利尻名水ファクトリィ) produces the mineral water "Rishiria" (リシリア)39. Since FY2022 the Oshidomari kombu farmers' group has sold "shares" in its kombu ropes to consumers40.

  • Population: the 1955 Census counted 11,234 people8. This fell to 2,458 in 2020 and 2,140 in the 2025 preliminary count23.

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Rishiri kombu (利尻昆布) Seaweed Gives a clear, refined dashi; sold as hana-ori, quick-cooking (早煮) and tororo kombu12. The town notes that kombu harvested around Wakkanai, Rumoi and the Okhotsk coast is also called "Rishiri kombu"14. Sold at the Rishiri Fisheries Cooperative store near the ferry terminal41 and through the kombu-owner program (¥20,000 per share, harvest delivered in late October)40
Sea urchin (ウニ) Seafood Ganze (bafun urchin) in season June–September, eaten as uni-don or grilled whole in the shell (焼きウニ)14. Also sold as lightly salted tsubu-uni, steamed canned urchin and fresh urchin packed in brine12
Abalone (アワビ) Seafood Firm island abalone, harvested October–December; the guts are salted as a delicacy14. Canned soy-simmered abalone and abalone chanja are furusato gifts42
Soi and hirame sashimi, sanpei-jiru (三平汁) Local dish Whole soi rockfish served as sashimi, with the bones made into sanpei-jiru soup14
Hokke and herring Seafood Opened, nuka-salted and "stick" hokke and herring made by the fisheries cooperative42
Kombu ramen and kombu soba (昆布ラーメン・昆布そば) Noodles Noodles with Rishiri kombu kneaded in12. The cooperative store sells its own brand41
Chinmi (珍味) Processed seafood Octopus, hokke, salmon and sand lance delicacies from local processors12. The cooperative also cans soy-simmered octopus42
Rishiria (リシリア) Water Bottled groundwater from Mount Rishiri, sold as natural silica water. Sold by Rishiri Meisui Factory (0120-888-539)39 and as a furusato gift42
Rishiri Fuji Eisen (利尻富士栄泉) Sake Revived junmai ginjō, a limited "special project" furusato gift42
Macaron rusk (マカロンラスク) Sweets "Rishiri-tō" macaron rusks by Chōseidō Terashima (長生堂 寺嶋菓子舗)42
Kombu crafts (利尻昆布細工) and Kombu-ya Jinbei products Crafts and condiments Flower and goldfish figures made of kombu; kombu sauces and "fisherman's dashi" from Kombu-ya Jinbei (昆布屋神兵衛)42
Rishiri-kko furikake Condiment The original rice seasoning of Rishiri Kameichi's lakeside shop at Otatomari, which also serves urchin gunkan sushi43
Furusato nozei (ふるさと納税) Gifts The November 2025 list has 241 items, more than 100 of them from the fisheries cooperative. Other gifts include guided nature-tour vouchers and a sea-kayak tour42. Donations go through the major portals or a call center (011-807-0170)44

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Yūyū Running (利尻島一周悠遊覧人G) Early June (7 June in 2026) A 55 km run around the island with a 10-hour limit; 552 starters in 20264546
Kitami Shrine festival (北見神社例大祭), Oniwaki 28 June, with eve and after-festival Mikoshi processions, Sarutahiko (tengu), herald figures and two-person lion dances; stalls4547
Rishirizan Shrine festival (利尻山神社例大祭), Oshidomari 1 July Closes the island's early-summer festival round; the shrine keeps a mid-Edo votive painting (ema) as a treasure47
Minato Beer Garden (みなとビアガーデン) Mid-July Held at the green park by the ferry terminal; grilled urchin, octopus and scallops, and urchin-gathering47
Hokkai Island Festival (北海島まつり), Oniwaki Late July (26 July in 2026) The town's biggest summer festival; held at Oniwaki port with boat races and fireworks4748
Hokkai Island Festival, Oshidomari 3 August The main street becomes a pedestrian zone with uni-don and seafood stalls and a song show. A 1,733-shell fireworks display over the port was scheduled for 4 August 20264748
Uni Uni Festival (うにうにフェスティバル), Oshidomari 11 August Grilled urchin, mini uni-don and an urchin speed-eating contest4749
Round-Rishiri Cycling (利尻島一周ふれあいサイクリング) Late August (36th edition in 2026) 60.2 km round the island on the cycle path and prefectural road. The town subsidizes the return ferry fare for bicycles on the event day and the day after50
Rishiri Island Salmon Fishing Contest First weekend of October Two-day contest in the town's harbor (Oniwaki area) for the heaviest and most salmon47
Rishirifuji Culture Festival From 3 November Taiko, brass band and lion kagura at the opening, then exhibitions through December45
Rishiri Kankan Matsuri (りしり寒歓まつり) / Yukinko Hiroba (雪ん子広場) Early February (the town calendar says the second Sunday) Winter fairs in Oshidomari (since 1987) and Oniwaki (since 1988) with tire-pulling races, snow park golf and "pickle-stone curling"4547
Rishiri foothills cross-country ski event Second Sunday of March Courses of 4, 8 and 12 km below the mountain45
  • Festival tradition: in the herring years the shrine festivals lasted five days. They went beyond the town centers to outlying shrines, with floats, plays, early cinema, circuses and sumo tours45.
  • Performing arts: the Minamihama lion kagura (南浜獅子神楽), dating from the mid-Meiji era, is a town-designated intangible folk cultural property30.
  • Shrines and temples: the town designated 20 cultural properties on 26 October 197930. They include the Okunoin of the Rishiri mountain deity (奥の院・利意志理山大権現) at Motodomari, Itsukushima Shrine, the grounds of Rishirizan Shrine (1895) and Kitami Shrine (1899), the Kotohira Shrine main hall (1886) and the 1895 bell tower of the temple 大沢寺. The Kitami Shrine grounds also hold the 1924 "Three Views of Hokkaido" monument30. The contract merchant Fujino Kihei founded the shrine that became Kitami Shrine in 18258.
  • Film and music: Fujino Park was a location for the film Kita no Kanaria-tachi (北のカナリアたち)51. The singer-songwriter Hanzaki Yoshiko is the town's tourism ambassador; a free "Hometown Rishiri Island" concert was scheduled for 5 August 202652.

Ainu heritage
  • Population collapse: Rishiri had an Ainu population of about 300 in 1669–70, when they traded with Matsumae ships8. Epidemics followed. Measles in 1803 killed 80–90 Ainu on Rishiri and Rebun, and smallpox in 1805 killed about 130, leaving only 37 Ainu on Rishiri. By 1822 the island's Ainu numbered 116 in 28 households8.
  • Herring labor: around 1810 contract merchants sent Ainu from the Sōya area to open herring grounds on the island. A Mito-domain survey after 1869 counted 44 Ainu, compared with 736 seasonal fishermen8.
  • Traces today: the trading-station site (リイシリ運上屋跡) at Motodomari is a town historic site30. Ainu words survive in the names Rishiri, Oshidomari and Otatomari (see Name origin). Ainu words are also used on purpose at the Yū-ni family campsite: its name is Ainu for "place with hot water", and its cottages and bungalows are named with Ainu words for the town's trees and with Ainu numerals53.
  • No dedicated Ainu cultural facility or living-tradition program was found in the town.

Sister & friendship cities
  • Yakushima Town (屋久島町), Kagoshima Prefecture: listed as a sister city1. The town chronology records a "Rishiri–Yaku" (利尻・屋久) partnership signing in July 1988. Young people from the island ran in Yaku Town's round-town relay in 19948.
  • Aizu-Wakamatsu, Fukushima: in July 2008, on the 200th anniversary of the Aizu domain's northern guard, Rishirifuji, Rishiri and Wakkanai signed a joint declaration of exchange with the city79.

Notable people
  • Ranald MacDonald: American adventurer who landed at Notsuka in 1848 and went on to teach English to Nagasaki interpreters. His landing site is a town historic site830.
  • Kiriyama Sanshirō (桐山三四郎): headman (戸長) of the island's villages from 1881. His 1911 memorial stone is a town cultural property730.
  • Hanzaki Yoshiko (半﨑美子): singer-songwriter and Rishirifuji tourism ambassador52.

Sources

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

  1. 利尻富士町 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  2. 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） — 北海道 総合政策部計画局統計課 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  3. 令和7年国勢調査速報 北海道の人口・世帯数（令和8年5月29日） — 北海道 総合政策部計画局統計課 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  4. 令和8年住民基本台帳人口・世帯数（令和8年1月1日現在）市区町村別 — 北海道 総合政策部計画局統計課 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  5. 住基ネットにおける人口【参考値】令和8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
  6. 令和8年全国都道府県市区町村別面積調（4月1日時点） — 国土地理院 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  7. 利尻富士町の歴史 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  8. 町勢要覧資料編（2016年版、PDF） — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  9. りっぷくん・りっぷちゃん — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  10. 登山情報 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  11. 利尻山登山 — 利尻島観光ポータルサイト りしぷら JA accessed 2026-09-23
  12. 特産品 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  13. 利尻富士町の水産（2026年版、PDF） — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  14. 海の幸 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  15. 姫沼 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  16. オタトマリ沼 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  17. 白い恋人の丘（沼浦展望台） — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  18. 甘露泉水（名水百選 詳細ページ） — 環境省 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  19. 鴛泊港フェリーターミナル — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  20. 利尻空港 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  21. アイヌ語地名リスト P131–140（2007、archived copy） — 北海道 環境生活部アイヌ政策推進室 via Internet Archive JA accessed 2026-09-23
  22. アイヌ語地名リスト P21–30（2007、archived copy） — 北海道 環境生活部アイヌ政策推進室 via Internet Archive JA accessed 2026-09-23
  23. アイヌ語地名リスト P31–40（2007、archived copy） — 北海道 環境生活部アイヌ政策推進室 via Internet Archive JA accessed 2026-09-23
  24. 利尻島 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  25. ポン山 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  26. 文化財 — 利尻富士町教育委員会 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  27. 産業 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  28. 泉の袋澗 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  29. 利尻島内のヒグマ痕跡に関する最新情報 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  30. 利尻富士町の指定文化財・埋蔵文化財（PDF） — 利尻富士町教育委員会 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  31. 南浜湿原 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  32. 概要・計画書 利尻礼文サロベツ国立公園 — 環境省 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  33. 本泊（宗谷地方）平年値（年・月ごとの値） — 気象庁 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  34. 本泊（宗谷地方）観測史上1～10位の値 — 気象庁 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  35. 気候 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  36. 漁業（漁師のなり方・漁業担い手支援事業ほか） — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  37. 利尻富士町 公式サイト トップページ — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  38. 観光関連（観光客入込客数・温泉保養施設入館者数、PDF） — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  39. まちづくり — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  40. 利尻昆布株主（オーナー）を募集します！ — 利尻島観光ポータルサイト りしぷら JA accessed 2026-09-23
  41. 利尻漁業協同組合ストアー — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  42. 利尻富士町ふるさと納税お礼の品一覧（2025年11月6日版、XLSX） — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  43. ㈱ケイプ 利尻亀一店 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  44. ふるさと納税（ふるさと利尻富士応援寄附金） — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  45. イベントカレンダー — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  46. 悠遊覧人Ｇ（第24回大会結果ほか） — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  47. 島カレンダー — 利尻島観光ポータルサイト りしぷら JA accessed 2026-09-23
  48. 第５２回北海島まつりの実施について — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  49. うにうにフェスティバル — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  50. 第36回利尻島一周ふれあいサイクリング2026 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  51. 富士野園地 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  52. 利尻富士町観光大使 半﨑美子 ふるさと利尻島ミニコンサートを開催します — 利尻島観光ポータルサイト りしぷら JA accessed 2026-09-23
  53. キャンプ情報 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  54. ペシ岬 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  55. 鴛泊灯台 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  56. 島の動物図鑑 — 利尻島観光ポータルサイト りしぷら JA accessed 2026-09-23
  57. 夕日ケ丘展望台 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  58. 高山植物展示園 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  59. 利尻富士温泉 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  60. 利尻島郷土資料館 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  61. りしりアート・ビジターセンター（カルチャーセンター&りっぷ館） — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  62. 利尻島サイクリングロード — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  63. まっちゃんの店 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  64. わかさんの店 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  65. 丸田商店 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  66. 道の駅一覧 — 北の道の駅（北海道道の駅連絡会） JA accessed 2026-09-23
  67. 時刻表（稚内～利尻島） — ハートランドフェリー JA accessed 2026-09-23
  68. わっかない — 北の道の駅 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  69. 海の駅おしどまり — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  70. 利尻富士町観光案内所 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  71. 川村商店 — きた・北海道DMO JA accessed 2026-09-23
  72. 運賃表（利尻・礼文航路） — ハートランドフェリー JA accessed 2026-09-23
  73. 交通アクセス — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  74. 【利礼航路】新造船 命名「トロリウス宗谷（Trollius Soya）」進水式 — ハートランドフェリー JA accessed 2026-09-23
  75. アクセス — 利尻島観光ポータルサイト りしぷら JA accessed 2026-09-23
  76. 【終了しました】利尻山鴛泊登山道改修工事におけるヘリコプターによる資材運搬作業について — 環境省 北海道地方環境事務所 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  77. バックカントリーを安全に楽しむために — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  78. 観光協会 — 利尻富士町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  79. ゆかりの地交流都市 福島県「会津若松市」との交流 — 稚内市 JA accessed 2026-09-23