Hokkaido Places

Village Tokachi Subprefecture

Sarabetsu 更別村

さらべつむら

Sarabetsu is a farming village of about 3,000 people in southern Tokachi. It is roughly 10–15 minutes by car from Tokachi-Obihiro Airport.12 Its farms average more than 50 ha each, among the largest in Japan. The village says it grows more kintoki and Ōtebō beans than anywhere else in the country.134 Visitors come for the FIA-certified Tokachi Speedway, a plum orchard of about 1,000 trees, and the frost that coats trees along the Sarubetsu River on the coldest winter mornings.567

Population (2020 Census)
3,080
Area
176.9 km²
District
Kasai District (河西郡)
Official website
www.sarabetsu.jp

Known for

  • Very large farms. In 2025 the village's 188 farms worked an average of 53.4 ha each. They owned 7.5 tractors each on average.1 The village says its farm size per household and its tractor ownership are both the largest in Japan.1
  • Beans. The village says it is Japan's top producer of kintoki (金時豆, red kidney beans).4 It makes the same claim for Ōtebō (大手亡) white beans.3 The roadside station sells both, along with azuki beans.18
  • Tokachi Speedway (十勝スピードウェイ). This 5.1 km circuit opened in 1993. It is FIA-certified and has a 10,000-seat main stand.5 The Tokachi Tourism Federation calls it Hokkaido's only FIA-certified race course.19 It hosted the Tokachi 24-hour race from 1994 to 2008.20
  • The Mama-chari Endurance Race (全日本ママチャリ耐久レース). Teams race ordinary shopping bicycles around the circuit. The race began in 1999.20 More than 200 teams from around Japan take part each year.19 The 2025 race was a 6-hour event on 11 August.21
  • Plums (すもも). The Sumomo no Sato orchard has about 1,000 plum trees, which flower in May.6 The fruit goes into drinking yogurt, liqueur and a plum soft-serve sold at the roadside station.22
  • Frost flowers (霧氷). On mornings below −20 °C, vapor rising from the Sarubetsu River freezes onto trees in the Seo area.7 The village says photographers come from all over Japan to shoot it.1
  • Michi-no-Eki Sarabetsu "Pipopa" (道の駅さらべつ). Its Donguri no Mura potato chips are a long-seller, with orders coming from fans all over Japan.23
  • Yachikamba (ヤチカンバ). A shrubby birch that the village calls an Ice Age relic.24 The Kami-Sarabetsu colony became a Hokkaido Natural Monument in 1963.1 The Ministry of the Environment lists the site, the Sarabetsu Wetland (更別湿原), as Important Wetland No. 042.25

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Frost flowers at Seo (勢雄地区の霧氷). On early mornings below −20 °C, vapor from the Sarubetsu River freezes onto the trees. The best season runs until early February. The site is about 10 minutes from the airport or from Sarabetsu IC.7
  • Sumomo no Sato (すももの里). A plum orchard next to Donguri Park. Look for its sign from Route 236.51 The village's flower course says it has about 1,000 trees that bloom in late May.6 The village's overview booklet says early May, and the Pipopa website says about 700 trees.118 Check blossom reports before you go.
  • Rapeseed and flax fields (菜種・亜麻の花畑). About 12 ha of yellow rapeseed blooms from late May to mid-June. Then about 4 ha of pale blue-violet flax flowers from late June to mid-July. The flax looks best on sunny mornings.6
  • Peony field (シャクヤクの花畑). Beside the Furusato-kan at Sarabetsu 189-1. It flowers white, pink and red in late June and can be seen from the national highway.6
  • Yachikamba colony (ヤチカンバ群生地). A shrubby birch that looks like a white birch. It is an Ice Age relic and a Hokkaido Natural Monument.24
  • Straight roads and windbreaks. Many parallel straight roads run for more than 10 km.30 Kashiwa oak windbreaks turn a vivid color in autumn. Their dead leaves stay on the branches until new leaves come out in spring.1

Onsen

  • Fukushi no Sato Onsen (福祉の里温泉). Inside the Elderly Health and Welfare Center at Sarabetsu 190-1.52
    • Hours: 13:00–22:00 (reception until 21:00).
    • Closed: Mondays (open when Monday is a holiday) and 31 December – 3 January.
    • Fees (from April 2026): ¥500 for adults, ¥200 for junior high students, ¥100 for elementary pupils.
    • Water: a sodium chloride cold mineral spring.
    • Baths: main bath, jet bath, lie-down bath, sauna and open-air bath.52
    • It opened in 1994 and welcomed its millionth bather in 2012.1

Museums & heritage

  • The "deep history" course. The village suggests a driving tour of three sites:27
    • the "Sarabetsu birthplace" marker at Seo East 1-sen, where Yamada Kaichirō lived;
    • the site of the Itaratarak post station, near South 9-sen on the Sarabetsu–Makubetsu road;
    • the memorial stone at the old Kami-Sarabetsu Station on the closed Hiroo Line.
  • No village history museum was found.

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Sarabetsu Country Park (さらべつカントリーパーク). An auto-campground on 30 ha of lawn at Kōwa 541-62.53
    • Sites: 5 camper-van sites, 58 individual tent sites and an unlimited free tent area.
    • Buildings: 5 cottages (6–8 people), 5 mini-cottages and 5 trailer houses.
    • Facilities: laundry, hot showers, an RV dump station, park golf, a mountain-bike course and an outdoor stage.53
    • Open all year, with some facilities closed in winter. Bookings open six months ahead.53
    • Fees per night: ¥1,000 per adult upkeep fee, ¥2,000 per individual site, ¥15,000 per cottage. Stays from November to March are 20% cheaper.54
  • Donguri Park Plum Country (どんぐり公園プラムカントリー). A park golf course on Route 236, 2 km from the village center toward Hiroo.55 It has 54 holes on about 30,000 tsubo (about 10 ha) and is certified by the Japan Park Golf Association.19 The Plum House (プラムハウス) rest house has reception hours of 8:00–17:00, and the park also has an inflatable dome (ふわふわドーム).55 A café for rest and light meals is attached to the course.19 In 2025 the course was open from late April to late October.49
  • Rural Park Big Playground (農村公園大型遊具広場). Opened in autumn 2014 and one of the largest in Tokachi.56
    • More than 30 play features, including five slides, plus seven fitness stations for adults.
    • Water play in summer.
    • Parking for 63 cars. About 3 minutes from Sarabetsu IC.
    • Barbecues and drones are not allowed.56
  • Family Park Sarabetsu (ファミリーパークさらべつ). A fishing pond at Seo 519.57
    • Fishing pond: ¥2,000 for 4 hours, with rod rental and bait. You can take your catch home free.
    • Fly and lure pond: ¥1,800 for 4 hours or ¥2,500 a day, catch-and-release. Closed from December to early April.
    • Hours: 8:00–18:00. Closed Thursdays (open on holidays).57
  • Sarabetsu Pony Farm (さらべつポニーファーム). Horse riding by reservation, 10:00–16:00, closed Fridays.58
    • Pony walk: ¥1,000 per lap.
    • Riding: ¥3,000 for 20 minutes.
    • Lesson: ¥5,000 for 40 minutes.58
  • Tokachi Speedway (十勝スピードウェイ). At Kōwa 477.5
    • Open 9:00–17:00. Entry on normal days is ¥1,000 for adults and free for elementary and junior high students.5
    • Layouts: Grand Prix course (5,091.45 m), Clubman course (3,405.87 m) and Junior course (1,700 m).20
  • Activity Center Andoor (アクティビティセンター・アンドア). At Sarabetsu South 2-sen 92-10.59
    • Rents road bikes, cross bikes and e-bikes (¥2,000 for 4 hours, ¥3,500 for 8 hours) and folding bikes.
    • Also has lockers, showers, baggage storage and simple lodging with a kitchen.
    • Weekdays 8:30–17:30. Weekends and holidays by reservation only.59

Food experiences

  • Restaurant Potato (レストラン「ポテト」) at Pipopa. Butadon sets, Jingisukan and local udon. See Roadside stations below.45
  • Oshokujidokoro Asahi (御食事処あさひ). A Japanese-style diner in the village center. It is known for crispy ankake yakisoba, ginger-pork set meals and omu-chāhan (fried rice wrapped in omelette).60
  • Rāmen Futatsu de Jūbun desu yo (拉麺 二つで十分ですよ。). A self-taught ramen fan opened this shop in 2018. The name is a line from Blade Runner. It serves four ramen: dark soy, light soy, mixed soy and miso, listed at ¥700.61
  • Shokudō Wagaya (食堂わがや). Set meals and butadon, with table and tatami seating. Open for weekday lunch.27
  • e-tonne (エトネ). A café in the village center serving seasonal dishes. It also sells homewares.6
  • The village lists 16 places to eat, including a pizzeria, a Chinese restaurant and a bakery.62

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

Michi-no-Eki Sarabetsu (道の駅さらべつ)

  • Location. Kōwa 464-1, Sarabetsu (河西郡更別村字弘和464番地1).22
    • It stands where the Sarabetsu–Makubetsu Line (道道更別幕別線) crosses the Oda–Toyokoro Line (尾田豊頃線), at the entrance to Tokachi Speedway. It is not on National Route 236.22
    • About 14 km from Tokachi-Obihiro Airport and about 10 km from Sarabetsu IC on the Obihiro–Hiroo Expressway.22
    • Phone: 0155-53-3663.22
  • Hours (as of September 2026; check before visiting).22
    • Shop: 9:00–18:00 (April–October), 9:00–17:00 (November–March).
    • Restaurant: 9:30–17:00 (April–October), 9:30–16:00 (November–March).
    • Closed 29 December – 3 January.
  • Shops & products.
    • The main building is the "Pipopa" tourism and products hall (観光と物産の館ピポパ).22
    • Best-sellers include Tokachi Kōfukukō Beef Curry, Tsubu-tsubu Denpun starch, sumomo drinking yogurt, plum liqueur and Donguri no Mura potato chips.22
    • Seasonal potatoes and asparagus, kintoki, Ōtebō and azuki beans, local udon, starch, local cheese, and plum jam and cider.18
    • The online shop lists Sara-nō Keema, corn soup, plum jam and plum-jam cookies, plum ice cream, JA Sarabetsu Wagyu Beef Curry, azuki tsubuan and canned sweet corn.39
    • Weekend Fresh Vegetable Market (土日新鮮野菜市場). Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00–16:00, from early June to early November. Local farmers sell potatoes, leafy greens and less common vegetables such as goya and yacon. It is closed on public holidays, unless the holiday falls on a Saturday.22
  • Food. Restaurant Potato (レストラン「ポテト」).22 Its menu page does not currently list prices.45
    • Oya-buta set (親豚セット): butadon and soy-sauce ramen. It is the station's top pick.4522
    • Jingisukan set meal: lamb in a local butcher's marinade, served on a hot plate.45
    • Ko-buta set (子豚セット): mini butadon with udon or soba.45
    • Napoli Special (ナポリスペシャル): spaghetti Napolitan with a hamburger steak and eggs from a village poultry farm.45
    • Sarabetsu-mura fresh udon: burdock tempura or tsukimi (raw egg).45
    • Curry rice made with Tokachi Kōfukukō Beef Curry.22
    • Sumomo-jam soft-serve: the plum-jam topping costs ¥50 extra.45 It is sold all year and has many repeat customers.22
  • Facilities.
    • Parking: 65 cars and 7 large vehicles.22
    • Toilets with heated seats, accessible toilet, Wi-Fi, nursing room with a diaper table, café, farm stand and park.22
    • Credit cards and other cashless payments are accepted.22
    • The building is non-smoking. It serves as an information hub for Sarabetsu and southern Tokachi, and is certified under Hokkaido's "Kita no Michishirube" (北の道しるべ) scheme.63
    • 24-hour toilets and EV charging are not listed on the official station page (unverified).
  • Notes.
    • Registered on 27 August 1999 as Hokkaido roadside station No. 64.22
    • The name "Pi-Po-Pa" imitates the sound of a telephone keypad, a nod to its role as an information hub.22
    • The stamp can be pressed only during opening hours.22
    • A 20th-anniversary thanks festival was held in 2019.1
    • Nearby: Tokachi Speedway, Sarabetsu Country Park, Family Park Sarabetsu, Fukushi no Sato Onsen and the frost-flower viewpoint.22

Getting there & around

  • Rail. There is no railway. The JNR Hiroo Line closed on 2 February 1987.28 The nearest JR station is Obihiro. The trip from Sapporo to Obihiro takes 2 h 9 min to 2 h 52 min.2
  • Bus. Tokachi Bus takes about 70 minutes from Obihiro to Sarabetsu.2 Its routes run north to Nakasatsunai and Obihiro, and south to Chūrui (Makubetsu), Taiki and Hiroo. These routes replaced the Hiroo Line. Tokachi Bus has an information office in Sarabetsu.16
  • Air. Tokachi-Obihiro Airport is about 10 minutes away by car. Flights to Tokyo Haneda take about 1 h 30 min.2
  • By car.2
    • From Obihiro: about 40 minutes via National Route 236.
    • From Sapporo: about 3 h 18 min by expressway via Chitose-Eniwa JCT and Obihiro JCT to Sarabetsu IC.
    • From Asahikawa: about 3 hours.
    • From Kushiro: about 2 h 25 min via Route 38.
    • From Tomakomai: about 3 h 13 min.
  • Expressway. Sarabetsu IC on the Obihiro–Hiroo Expressway opened in 2013. The road was extended south to Chūrui-Taiki IC in 2015.1
  • Ferries. Ferries arrive at Tomakomai from Ōarai (18 h), Sendai (15 h), Nagoya (40 h) and Hachinohe (7 h), and at Tomakomai-East from Akita (12 h). Tomakomai is then about 3 h 13 min away by car.2
  • Getting around.
    • A car is by far the easiest option.
    • The village bus and a shared taxi (introduced in October 2021) run mainly for residents.1
    • Road bikes and e-bikes can be rented at Activity Center Andoor.59

Practical tips

  • Brown bears. On 17 July 2026 a bear injured a person in the Kōnan (更南) area. One bear was culled on 18 July.29
    • The village asks people to avoid going out alone and to take care early in the morning and in the evening.
    • Report sightings or tracks to the Industry Division (0155-52-2115).29
  • Winter cold. The village has recorded −29.0 °C.32 Frost flowers need mornings below −20 °C, so dress for extreme cold if you go out to photograph them.7 The village is a designated heavy-snow area. Allow extra time on the long straight farm roads in winter.16
  • When to go.
    • May: plum blossoms.
    • Late May to mid-July: rapeseed, flax and peonies.
    • Summer: circuit events and camping.
    • October: the Harvest Festival.
    • January to early February: frost flowers.6507
  • Tourist information.
    • Sarabetsu Tourism Association (更別村観光協会): Furusato-kan, Sarabetsu 189-1. Phone 0155-52-2211.19
    • Pipopa also acts as the area's information hub.63
  • Closing days.
    • Fukushi no Sato Onsen: Mondays.52
    • Family Park Sarabetsu: Thursdays.57
    • Pony Farm: Fridays, and reservations are required.58
    • Pipopa: 29 December – 3 January.22
  • Camping. Sarabetsu Country Park is open all year and takes bookings six months ahead.53 Winter stays (November–March) are 20% cheaper. Cancellation fees apply to cottages from the day before your stay.54
  • Harvest Festival. Parking is free, and a shuttle bus runs from the village office from 9:30 to 14:00.50

More about Sarabetsu

At a glance
Field Details
Type Village (村)
Subprefecture Tokachi (十勝総合振興局)
District Kasai District (河西郡)
Population 3,080 at the 2020 Census (1,519 men, 1,561 women; 1,311 households). That was 3.3% fewer than the 3,185 counted in 2015.8 The preliminary 2025 Census count is 3,001, down another 2.6% (1,352 households).9 The village's own overview booklet lists 2,997 for 2025.1 Resident register: 3,042 on 31 August 2026, including 37 foreign residents (Hokkaido's Juki-net reference figure).10 Hokkaido's 1 January 2026 register count was 3,052 people in 1,365 households.11 The village homepage showed 3,041 people in 1,373 households as of 1 August 2026.12
Area 176.90 km² (GSI, 1 April 2026).13 The village gives the same figure. The village measures 25.3 km east–west and 14.7 km north–south.14
Density About 17.2 people/km² (August 2026 register ÷ GSI area). The 2020 Census figure was 17.4/km².8
Municipal history Most of today's village belonged to Makubetsu Village (幕別村) until 1926. That year it was moved to Taishō Village (大正村, now part of Obihiro).151 Residents found the arrangement inconvenient and campaigned for their own village. Sarabetsu Village was created on 1 September 1947 by splitting from Taishō. In April 1948 it took in the Seo (勢雄) and Kyōwa (協和) areas of Makubetsu Town.151 In 2003 it joined merger talks with Makubetsu and Chūrui (忠類村). It left in 2004 after about 60% of residents backed independence in a survey.1
Neighboring municipalities Obihiro (north), Makubetsu (east), Nakasatsunai (west), Taiki (south).1416
Symbols Tree: kashiwa oak (柏). Flower: lily of the valley (鈴蘭). The two go together because lily of the valley grows in kashiwa woods.17 Both were chosen in 1972 for the village's 25th anniversary.1 The emblem wraps the name 更別 in leaf shapes based on potato and clover leaves. It was set by ordinance in 1948.1 No village bird was found.
Mascot Don-chan (どんちゃん), an acorn character created in 1985 to promote local products. The acorn comes from the village tree. The idea is that the village, like a small nut, will grow into a big tree.1
Official website https://www.sarabetsu.jp/ (Japanese)

Name origin
  • The village's explanation. The name comes from the Ainu Sara-petsu (サラ・ペツ), "land where reeds and thatch grass grow thick". Before settlement, the Sarabetsu and Satcharubetsu river basins were a wide grassland.151 The Tokachi Tourism Federation gives the same meaning.19
  • "River with a reed marsh". Japanese Wikipedia gives the Ainu form as Sar-pet (サㇽペッ), "reed-marsh river".16 The same Ainu name lies behind the Sarubetsu River (猿別川). This 61 km river rises near the Sarabetsu–Taiki boundary and joins the Tokachi River in Makubetsu.26
  • Why 更別 and not 猿別. Japanese Wikipedia quotes a 1973 Japanese National Railways publication. It says people upstream disliked the character 猿 ("monkey") in 猿別, so they wrote the name as 更別.16
  • Yamada Shūzō's view. The place-name scholar Yamada Shūzō weighed two ideas. Either a reed bed here gave the name sar-pet, or the area simply took the name of the Sarubetsu River and wrote it as 更別 to tell it apart from the lower reaches. He leaned towards the second.16
  • Other local names. Names such as Satcharubetsu (サッチャルベツ) and Itaratarak (イタラタラキ) also look Ainu in origin. No reliable meanings were found for them (unverified).

History
  • Paleolithic era. People lived here about 20,000 years ago. Their traces turned up at the Seo site (勢雄遺跡), found in 1975.1
  • Before settlement. The river basins were grassland and marsh. The higher ground was thick kashiwa oak forest.1 The village's history records no Edo-period trading post or Ainu settlement inside today's boundaries (see Ainu heritage).
  • First settler. The village dates its start to May 1905. That month, Yamada Kaichirō (山田嘉一郎) began clearing land beside the Seo River.1 A marker at Seo East 1-sen shows the "birthplace of Sarabetsu".27 Japanese Wikipedia gives an earlier date. It says nine households led by the Tamaki family of Totsukawa, Nara Prefecture, arrived in 1890.16 The village's own history does not mention this.
  • Group settlement. Organised groups came from Shimane Prefecture in 1917. More came from Ehime, Yamagata and Aomori in 1920. By the early Shōwa era there were more than 150 settler households.1 Settlers from Ishikawa Prefecture brought the dance that became the Succhoisa Odori.1
  • Oak for fuel and railways. Early settlers sold kashiwa oak as firewood, charcoal, mine props and railway sleepers.17
  • Post station. Before the railway came, the Itaratarak post station (イタラタラキ駅逓) was a key stop. It offered lodging and fresh horses.27
  • 1926. Most of the area moved from Makubetsu Village to Taishō Village.1
  • 1930. The Hiroo Line reached Taiki on 10 October 1930. Sarabetsu and Kami-Sarabetsu stations opened that day.28
  • 1947–1948. The village became independent on 1 September 1947. Seo and Kyōwa joined in April 1948.15
  • 1963–1964. The Yachikamba became a Hokkaido Natural Monument (1963). The Nippon Gōdō Kanzume cannery opened a Sarabetsu plant (1964).1
  • 1979–1980. The first Furusato Festival was held (1979). 1 September became Village Foundation Day (1980).1
  • 1987. The JNR Hiroo Line closed on 2 February 1987.28 Tokachi Bus now runs the replacement service.16
  • 1993–1999. Tokachi International Speedway opened on 5 May 1993. It cost about ¥10 billion.20 The Country Park also opened in 1993. Fukushi no Sato Onsen followed in 1994 and the Furusato-kan in 1997. Michi-no-Eki Sarabetsu "Pipopa" opened in 1999. In 1997 the village signed a sister pact with Yamoto, Miyagi.1
  • 2003–2006. The first International Tractor BAMBA race was held in 2003. The village left merger talks in 2004. The Emperor and Empress visited on 9 September 2006.1
  • 2009–2010. The speedway's former operator went bankrupt with debts over ¥10 billion. MSF bought the circuit and renamed it Tokachi Speedway in 2010.20
  • 2011. After the Great East Japan Earthquake, the village sent money, goods and staff to its sister city, Higashimatsushima.1
  • 2013–2015. The Obihiro–Hiroo Expressway reached Sarabetsu IC (2013), then Chūrui-Taiki IC (2015). A mega-solar plant opened at the speedway in 2015.1
  • 2017–2025. In 2017 the village marked its 70th anniversary, and the Tokachi Sarabetsu Necchū Shōgakkō (十勝さらべつ熱中小学校) opened. It declared a zero-carbon goal in 2021. The "Super Village" digital plan followed in 2022. Furusato nōzei donations passed ¥300 million in 2023. In 2025 the village installed Starlink for disasters and reported a food self-sufficiency rate of 7,348%.1
  • 2026. On 17 July a brown bear injured a person in the Kōnan (更南) area. One bear was culled the next morning.29

Geography & climate
  • Location. Southern Tokachi, 35 km south of Obihiro, at about 42°39′N 143°11′E.14
  • Landform. The village lies east of the Hidaka Mountains. The land slopes gently down to the northeast and is mostly flat. Farmland covers 66% of the area.1 Japanese Wikipedia describes it as an alluvial fan and a plateau covered in volcanic ash.16
  • Land use (2025). The village covers 17,690 ha in the fixed-asset records:1
    • fields: 12,277 ha;
    • forest: 1,060 ha;
    • wild land: 443 ha;
    • residential land: 344 ha;
    • ranch land: 312 ha;
    • other: 3,254 ha.
  • Rivers. The Sarubetsu River (61 km) flows northeast across the Tokachi Plain.26 The Sarabetsu, Satcharubetsu and Satcharobetsu rivers flow from south-west to north-east across the village and join it at the village's north-eastern edge.16 The Itaratarak River once ran through reed and thatch plains, and still flows clear among the fields.1
  • Scenery. Straight roads more than 10 km long cross the village east–west and north–south.30 Kashiwa oak woods survive as windbreaks, and the Hidaka range is visible across the fields.1
  • Parks. No national, quasi-national or prefectural natural park was found in the village.
  • Climate. The JMA Sarabetsu weather station gives these 1991–2020 averages:31
    • annual mean: 5.8 °C;
    • January mean: −8.7 °C, with an average daily low of −15.4 °C;
    • August mean: 19.1 °C;
    • annual precipitation: 1,137.9 mm;
    • sunshine: 1,828.6 hours a year.
  • Records. The highest temperature was 38.0 °C on 26 May 2019. The lowest was −29.0 °C on 17 February 1978.32
  • Recent years. The village's own tally shows annual snowfall of 122–366 cm in 2016–2025. The annual mean temperature rose from 5.6 °C in 2016 to 7.9 °C in 2025.33 The village is a designated heavy-snow area.16

Economy & industry
  • Workforce. The 2020 Census counted 1,803 working residents. Of these, 45.1% worked in farming and other primary industries, 8.5% in manufacturing and construction, and 46.4% in services.1
  • Farms. The number of farms fell from 325 in 1990 to 188 in 2025. Over the same period, average farm size grew from 32.3 ha to 53.4 ha. Farmers owned 1,402 tractors in 2025, or 7.5 per farm.1 The mayor's message in the same booklet puts the average farm at 50.7 ha, "about ten Tokyo Domes or more".1
  • Crops. Planted areas in 2025 totalled 11,019 ha:1
    • beans: 2,253 ha;
    • wheat: 2,173 ha;
    • forage crops: 2,120 ha;
    • potatoes: 1,969 ha;
    • sugar beet: 1,833 ha.
  • Beans. The village describes itself as the top producer in Japan of kintoki beans (by both area and harvest) and of Ōtebō beans.43
  • Dairy and beef. The village had 4,290 dairy cattle on 32 farms in 2025. In 1990 it had 7,376 on 138 farms. Milk output was 26,328 t in 2025. There were also 1,378 beef cattle on 27 farms. The village ranch has 112.3 ha of pasture.1
  • Food self-sufficiency. The village reported a rate of 7,348% in 2025.1
  • Food processing.
    • Hokkaido Air Water Agri (北海道エア・ウォーター・アグリ) runs a food plant in the village. The plant was built in 2005 by Nichiro and came to the Air Water group in 2016.13
    • Jinno Denpun Kōjō (神野でんぷん工場) makes potato starch in a plant founded in 1947.34
    • Sarabetsu Cheese Kōbō (さらべつチーズ工房) makes the aged cheese Rakuka.35
    • Family Park Sarabetsu farms trout and salmon. It ships to Tokyo fish markets as well as within Hokkaido.36
  • Commerce. In 2021 the village had 33 shops and wholesalers with 146 workers.1
  • Energy.
    • The Sarabetsu Solar Park (さらべつソーラーパーク) started in 2013.1
    • ORIX built a mega-solar plant at the speedway in 2015. It has 87,868 panels on 42.4 ha.20
    • The village made a zero-carbon declaration in 2021.1
  • Tourism. Hokkaido counted 109,700 tourist visits to Sarabetsu in FY2025, 2.4% fewer than the year before.37
    • Visitors from outside Hokkaido: 3,600.
    • Overnight stays: 10,500.
    • Busiest month: August, with 24,600 visits.
    • No foreign overnight guests were recorded in FY2025.
    • In FY2025, 15,176 people used the Furusato-kan and 29,562 used the Fukushi no Sato Onsen center.1
  • Population and aging. The village says its population is falling only slowly. It credits support for families with children and subsidies for new and rental housing. The Hanazono Plum Town housing lots went on sale in FY2025.1 The March 2026 register by age shows 32.6% of residents aged 65 or over and 12.1% under 15 (calculated from the village's table).1
  • Revitalization.
    • The "Super Village" plan (2022) uses national digital-garden-city grants.1
    • Its services include Hyaku-waku (ひゃくワク, a subscription service since 2024) and "Suisui" in-village transport. A shared taxi has run since 2021.1
    • Furusato nōzei donations passed ¥300 million in 2023.1
    • The FY2026 general budget of ¥6.28 billion includes ¥500.1 million in expected donations.1
    • Donors of ¥10,000 or more receive local products.38

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Kintoki and Ōtebō beans (金時豆・大手亡) Beans The village claims Japan's top output of both.43 Pipopa sells kintoki, Ōtebō and azuki beans.18 Its online shop lists a sweet bean paste (tsubuan) made from 100% Sarabetsu azuki, ¥936.39 JA Sarabetsu makes kintoki breads: a glacé bread with rum- and brandy-soaked beans, and a crème d'amande.4
Potatoes (じゃがいも) Crop The village's signature crop. The fields bloom white and pink in early summer.1 A 10 kg box of Sarabetsu-grown May Queen potatoes is a furusato nōzei gift.40
Sarabetsu-mura no Nama Udon (さらべつむらのなまうどん) / Sarabetsu-san Udon (さらべつさんうどん) Noodles Fresh udon made from 100% local Kitahonami wheat. Sold at Pipopa, Yamada Shōten, Yamajō and Poppy Mart (Kami-Sarabetsu). Served at Oshokujidokoro Asahi and at Pipopa.4122 A pack costs ¥360 in Pipopa's online shop.39
Tsubu-tsubu Denpun (つぶつぶでんぷん) Potato starch A large-grain katakuriko starch. It is settled naturally in groundwater from the Hidaka range and dried slowly at low heat. Made by Jinno Denpun Kōjō, whose 1947 plant is recognised as industrial heritage by the Japan Society for Industrial Archeology.34
Donguri no Mura Potato Chips (どんぐりのむらポテトチップス) Snack Thin, lightly salted chips made from Hokkaido potatoes. Pipopa's long-seller.23 From ¥192.39
Tokachi Kōfukukō Beef Curry (十勝幸福行ビーフカレー) Curry Won an excellence award at the Hokkaido Processed Food Fair. Pipopa's restaurant uses it for its curry rice.22 JA Sarabetsu Wagyu Beef Curry is also sold.39
Sara-nō Keema (さらのうキーマ) Curry A keema curry developed by Sarabetsu Agricultural High School with Hokkaido Air Water Agri. It contains Ōtebō beans, local corn and plum jam. A hot version is also available.3
Plum products (すもも加工品) Fruit Sumomo drinking yogurt in 150 ml and 500 ml bottles.42 Plum liqueur.22 Plum jam (100 g, ¥780), plum-jam cookies and a plum ice cream, "Sumomo to Milk", in Pipopa's online shop.39 The village also lists plum dressing and plum cider.1 Additive-free Pure Dry Sumomo dried plums from the bakery Pan-sha.43 Plum cheesecake from Okashi no Nishiyama, made with Rakuka cheese.44 Plum-jam soft-serve at Pipopa; the jam topping costs ¥50 extra.45
Rakuka (酪佳) Cheese A long-aged Gouda made with house-cultured lactic bacteria at Sarabetsu Cheese Kōbō. It has been served in first class on international flights. A version smoked over kashiwa oak chips is also sold.35
Farmed fish and shiitake (養殖魚・生しいたけ) Fish, mushrooms Family Park Sarabetsu raises Dolly Varden (オショロコマ), yamabe, rainbow trout and coho salmon in spring-fed ponds. Coho farming is rare in Hokkaido.36 It also grows fresh shiitake year-round, sold mainly at Pipopa.46
Sarabetsu Wagyu (さらべつ和牛) Beef The station's site calls this local beef rare. It is a highlight of the autumn Harvest Festival.1819
Butadon and Jingisukan (豚丼・ジンギスカン) Local dishes Pipopa's restaurant serves the Oya-buta set of butadon (pork rice bowl) and soy-sauce ramen. Its Jingisukan set meal uses lamb in a local butcher's marinade.45
Tokachi Sweet Corn (十勝スイートコーン) Canned vegetable Canned whole-kernel corn. Handy for camping.47
Souvenirs (お土産) Goods Don-chan pin badge, ¥400, sold at Pipopa, Yamajō, Andoor and other shops and eateries in the village.48
Furusato nōzei (ふるさと納税) Program Top-ranked gifts include:40 Asakuma corn soup; "Kita no Shibare Buta" (北の凍れ豚) sliced pork; 10 kg of Sarabetsu May Queen potatoes. Donations can be made through Furusato Choice, Rakuten and Satofull.38

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Sumomo no Sato Festival (さらべつすももの里まつり) May. In 2025: an orchard walk from 1 to 25 May, and a "Flowers and Flavors Day" on 10 May. Held while the plum trees are in bloom. Plum products, food stalls, a lottery and games.4919
Tokachi Speedway Birthday Festival (十勝スピードウェイ誕生祭) 5 May (Children's Day) An anniversary event at the circuit.49
Hokkaido Clubman Cup (北海道クラブマンカップ) May–October (five rounds in 2025) Hokkaido's club racing series at Tokachi Speedway.49
Weekend Fresh Vegetable Market (土日新鮮野菜市場) Early June to early November, Saturdays and Sundays, 9:00–16:00 Local farmers sell vegetables picked that morning at Pipopa.22 The village's 2025 schedule gave early June to late October.49
All-Japan Mama-chari Endurance Race (全日本ママチャリ耐久レース) August. In 2025: 11 August, 9:00–15:00 (6 hours). Teams race shopping bicycles, and some riders put on comic performances.21 The Tokachi Tourism Federation still lists it as a late-July event.19
Donguri-mura Bon Odori (どんぐり村の盆踊り) Obon (12 August in 2025) Bon dancing on the street in front of the village office.491
Sarabetsu Shrine Autumn Festival (更別神社秋季祭典) 1 September A mikoshi procession and a shrine festival to pray for a good harvest.1
Kami-Sarabetsu Hōnen Odori and shrine festival (上更別豊年踊り・上更別神社秋季祭典) 1–2 September Harvest dancing on the 1st and the shrine's autumn festival on the 2nd.1
Sarabetsu Harvest Festival (さらべつ大収穫祭) October. In 2026: Sunday 18 October, 10:00–14:00. Held at a special venue by the Furusato-kan. Free entry, held rain or shine. A free shuttle runs from the village office.50 Stalls sell farm produce, Sarabetsu Wagyu and big-pot local dishes.19 It began in 2013 as the successor to the Furusato Festival.1
Village performing-arts show and exhibition (村芸能発表会・展示会) November Stage shows by local groups. Exhibits by schools, nurseries and culture clubs.1
sara Illumi (saraイルミ) December–February Lights on the trees of the Rural Park (農村公園).1 The 2025 schedule lists it as "Tokimeki Illumination" (ときめきイルミネーション), planned from early December to mid-February.49
  • Succhoisa Odori (スッチョイサ踊り). In the late 1940s and early 1950s, farmers in Seo, Heiwa and Asahi danced this to pray for a good harvest. A 1986 survey traced it to settlers from Ishikawa Prefecture, whose dance changed over time in Sarabetsu. It is now a registered village folk art, and children learn it at school camps and exchange events.1
  • Sarabetsu Kashiwa Taiko (さらべつかしわ太鼓). A drumming group founded in 1991 as a new local art. Its youth section plays a drum carved from a large kashiwa oak trunk.1
  • Songs. The village song dates from 1948 and the "Sarabetsu Ondo" dance song from 1972.1
  • International Tractor BAMBA (国際トラクターBAMBA). This event was first held in 2003. Its committee won a gold prize in Hokkaido's "Beautiful Village" contest in 2011. In 2012 it received the Minister of Agriculture's award for community building.1 It is not on the 2025 event schedule, so its current status is unverified.49
  • Furusato-kan (ふるさと館). The Sarabetsu Tourism Association has its office here, and the Harvest Festival is held beside it.1950

Ainu heritage

The village's name, and river names such as Sarubetsu, come from Ainu words.1526 Beyond that, the village's official history records little about Ainu life inside its boundaries. It moves straight from the Paleolithic Seo site to settlement in 1905. No Ainu heritage site, chashi (fort) or cultural facility in the village was found in the sources checked.1 For Ainu history in the wider plain, see the Tokachi overview.

Sister & friendship cities
  • Higashimatsushima, Miyagi Prefecture (宮城県東松島市). Friendship sister city.1
    • Children's exchanges with the former Yamoto Town began in 1991. Since then, children have visited each other's towns in turn.
    • The two signed a sister pact in 1997, for Sarabetsu's 50th anniversary.
    • Yamoto merged with Naruse to form Higashimatsushima in 2005, and the pact was renewed that year.
    • A mutual disaster-aid agreement followed in 2006. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami, Sarabetsu sent donations, supplies and staff.
    • A 20th-anniversary cultural exchange event was held in 2026.1

Notable people
  • Hiromi Ōtsu (大津広美). Speed skater from Sarabetsu. She competed at the 2006 Turin Winter Olympics.1 Japanese Wikipedia says she finished fourth in the women's team pursuit.16

Sources

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

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