Hokkaido Places

Town Oshima Subprefecture

Shikabe 鹿部町

しかべちょう

A small fishing and hot-spring town on the Uchiura Bay (内浦湾, also called Funka Bay) coast of the Oshima Peninsula, below the volcano Hokkaido Komagatake. Its symbol is a geyser that has shot hot water about 15 m into the air every 10–15 minutes since 1924.1 Winter fishing for walleye pollock, whose roe becomes tarako, is the town's main industry.2

Population (2020 Census)
3,760
Area
110.63 km²
District
Kayabe District (茅部郡)
Official website
www.town.shikabe.lg.jp

Known for

  • Shikabe Geyser (しかべ間歇泉): Water at about 100 °C erupts every 10–15 minutes, about 500 litres at a time. The town gives the height as about 15 m and the station's website as more than 15 m. It was discovered in 1924 and chosen as Hokkaido Heritage (北海道遺産) on 1 November 2018.178
  • A foot bath beside the geyser: At the Shikabe Kanketsusen Park roadside station (道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園) you can soak your feet while you watch the eruptions. Women from the fishing co-op also cook meals there.1
  • Tarako (たらこ): Winter fishing for walleye pollock (スケソウダラ), whose roe becomes tarako, is described as the town's main industry.2
  • Scallops (ホタテ): Scallops are by far the largest catch, at 5,103 t in FY2024.3
  • Onsen: The town has more than 30 hot-spring sources. Local legend says the spring was found in the 1660s when a wounded deer was seen healing itself in it.29
  • Views of Hokkaido Komagatake (北海道駒ヶ岳): This 1,131 m active volcano is shared with Mori and Nanae.10
  • Home town of pitcher Itō Hiromi (伊藤大海): He pitches for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters, won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and won the 2025 Sawamura Award. A gold postbox marking his Olympic gold was placed in front of the town hall on 16 December 2021.11

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Komagatake: The volcano looks very different depending on where you view it from. Seen from Shikabe it shows rough, steep slopes.10 Part of the town lies within Ōnuma Quasi-National Park.16
  • Hyōtan-numa Park (ひょうたん沼公園), Aza-Honbetsu: A gourd-shaped marsh in the middle of Dekima cape, with a wooden boardwalk and views of Komagatake. Daffodils, azaleas and hydrangeas flower in season. There are four barbecue areas. Open April to November, free. Overnight camping is not allowed.27
  • Shikabe Park (鹿部公園), Aza-Shikabe: About 4.8 ha with a riverside play area, walking paths, athletic equipment, about 300 cherry trees and 10 barbecue corners. Free.25
  • Shamisen Falls (三味線の滝): A waterfall named either for the shamisen-like sound of the falling water or because it falls in three strands, like the three strings of a shamisen.28
  • Fossil forest: A forest about 33,000 years old was found at 出来澗崎 in 1988.3 Access details could not be confirmed.

Onsen

  • Shikabe Geyser: The town explains that water at 113 °C, held under 2.6 atmospheres of pressure in a 26 m pipe, boils as it rises and bursts out more than 15 m high. The town calls it "very rare even in Japan."29 You can watch it from the foot bath at the Michi-no-Eki.1 Japanese Wikipedia says a cap is normally fitted about 10 m above the ground to stop the spray reaching the roads around it.14
  • Shikabe Onsen (鹿部温泉): Six inns and hotels and two public bathhouses, mostly in the southern part of the town's built-up area. Many of them run spring water straight through the baths (掛け流し), often with added water (加水).30 Historic springs include Shika-no-yu (鹿の湯), Yoshi-no-yu (吉の湯) and Kame-no-yu (亀の湯).9
  • Shikabe Community Pool (鹿部コミュニティー・プール): Six 25 m lanes heated with onsen heat, plus a natural-onsen bath you use in your swimsuit. Open mid-June to mid-September (13 June – 13 September in 2026), closed Mondays. Adults ¥330.31

Museums & heritage

  • Hokkaido Heritage: The Shikabe Geyser was selected in 2018.8
  • Shrines and monuments: The Hokutosen song monument stands at the Michi-no-Eki.14 Shikabe and Honbetsu Inari shrines date from the 18th century.3

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Park golf: Shikabe Town Park Golf Course, Miyahama 369, has 18 holes. Open 1 April to the end of November. Visitors from outside the town pay ¥440 a day.32
  • Golf: Shikabe Country Club and Onuma International Country Club.6
  • Shikabe Airfield (鹿部飛行場): A non-public airfield (非公共用飛行場) with an 890 m runway, used by light aircraft, helicopters, including doctor-helicopters, and gliders. Asahi Aviation has run it since 2011. It is not a passenger airport.13
  • Climbing Komagatake: Allowed only within the seasonal limits described under Geography & climate.10

Food experiences

  • Wakuwaku Sunday: Fresh-fish sales and tastings on the fourth Sunday of each month.23
  • Steam cooking: Cook your own food in onsen steam at the Michi-no-Eki steam kitchen.1

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

Shikabe Kanketsusen Park (道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園)

  • Location: 〒041-1402 北海道茅部郡鹿部町字鹿部18番地1, on Hokkaido Route 43 (道道43号大沼公園鹿部線), tel. 01372-7-5655.33 This road was National Route 278 when the station was registered and was renamed Route 43 on 1 April 2017.14 The station is by the sea, around the geyser.
  • Hours (as of September 2026 — check before visiting):
    • 20 March – 30 November: 9:00–17:00 daily.33 The town's facility page lists longer hours of 8:30–18:00 on Fridays, weekends and holidays.1
    • 1 December – 19 March: 10:00–15:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00–17:00 on Fridays, weekends and holidays. These hours have applied since 1 December 2024.34 The town's facility page still shows the earlier winter hours of 9:00–18:00 on Fridays, weekends and holidays.1
    • Closed Wednesdays from early January to 19 March (from 2 January according to the Hokkaido Michi-no-Eki site, from 4 January according to the town), and 30 December – 1 January.331
    • The restaurant is open 11:00–14:00.33
  • Geyser park and foot bath: Adults ¥300, elementary and junior-high students ¥200, preschoolers free. The fee includes the foot bath.115 Paper towels are provided.7
  • Shops & products:
    • Shikabe Shoku to Umaimono-kan (鹿部・食とうまいもの館) sells Shikabe tarako, Shiroguchihama kombu, Funka Bay scallops, other processed seafood and souvenirs.1 Root-kombu dashi and flaked salmon are also sold.7
    • The station fish shop (道の駅のさかな屋) sells fresh fish landed in Shikabe.33
    • Koita no Okazu-ya (こいたのおかず屋) sells local deli dishes.33
  • Food:
    • Hama no Kaasan Shokudō (浜のかあさん食堂) is run by women from the Shikabe fisheries co-op, who cook with local catch.1 It serves the premium tarako set and, from mid-May to mid-July, the sweet-shrimp bowl.715
    • Yamamoto (やま元) serves seafood bowls and Shikabe-don.7
    • Yukemuri-dokoro Shikabe-yaki (湯けむり処しかべ焼き) sells Shikabe-yaki and onsen-egg curry (温玉カレー).715
    • The soft-serve shop sells sesame, strawberry and Hokkaido raw-milk flavours.7
    • Onsen steam kitchen (蒸し釜): 9:00–15:30 from 20 March to 30 November. In winter it is open 10:00–15:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00–15:30 on Fridays, weekends and holidays.15
  • Facilities:
    • Parking for 45 cars, 6 large vehicles and 3 disabled drivers, according to the town. The Hokkaido Michi-no-Eki site lists 40 cars and 6 large vehicles.133
    • 24-hour toilets, including a multipurpose toilet, and Wi-Fi.1
    • EV charging and baby-changing facilities.33
    • A hands-on and training building with a cooking room and seminar room.1
    • A multipurpose plaza and flowerbeds.14
    • No campground or RV park was found.
  • Notes:
    • Registered on 5 November 2015 as Hokkaido Michi-no-Eki No. 117.35 It opened on 18 March 2016, on the site of the geyser park that opened in 1999.149
    • The stamp can be collected 24 hours a day in the toilet corridor, even on closed days.33
    • Groups of 10–20 people wanting to eat at Hama no Kaasan Shokudō should book by phone with the station office a week ahead. Individual tables and dishes cannot be reserved.15
    • The hands-on building offers a local home-cooking experience with the fishing co-op women (浜のかあさん地元料理体験), for groups of 10–20 by reservation.33
    • The Wakuwaku Sunday events are held here.23
    • Other nearby stations: Nanairo Nanae (なないろ・ななえ) in Nanae; Jōmon Roman Minamikayabe (縄文ロマン 南かやべ) and Natowa Esan (なとわ・えさん) in Hakodate; YOU·遊·Mori (YOU・遊・もり) and Tsudōru Plaza Sawara (つど～る・プラザ・さわら) in Mori.35

Getting there & around

  • Rail: Shikabe Station (鹿部駅) is on the Sawara branch (砂原支線) of the JR Hakodate Main Line. It is unstaffed and keeps its old wooden building. Japanese Wikipedia puts it about 5 km from the town centre, with a Hakodate Bus stop, 鹿部駅前, outside.12 The town says the bus into town takes 16 minutes (about 8 km).2 Hakodate Bus route 222 runs from the station to the Michi-no-Eki in about 20 minutes for ¥100.1 Local trains take about 50 minutes from JR Hakodate Station.36 From Sapporo, rail travellers change at Mori or Ōnuma for the Sawara-branch local trains (unverified).
  • Bus: A direct bus from JR Hakodate Station takes about 90 minutes. From Ōnuma Quasi-National Park it takes about 25 minutes.36 The town's Michi-no-Eki page gives about 110 minutes (¥1,900) from JR Hakodate Station and about 57 minutes (¥1,250) from Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station to the Michi-no-Eki stop on Hakodate Bus route 210.1
  • Driving times:
    • Hakodate city: about 60 minutes.36
    • Hakodate Airport: about 50 minutes according to the town's access page, about 60 minutes according to its overview page, or 70 minutes according to the station's website.36215
    • Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station (Hokkaido Shinkansen): about 30 minutes.36
    • Mori, via National Route 278: about 30 minutes.36
    • Sapporo: about 4 hours 30 minutes.36
    • Ōnuma, via Route 43: about 20 minutes.2
  • Roads: National Route 278 runs 136.9 km from the front of Hakodate Station, around the coast through Shikabe, to National Route 5 in Mori.37 Hokkaido Route 43 (Ōnuma-Kōen–Shikabe Line) climbs inland to Ōnuma.14
  • Expressway: The nearest interchange is Ōnuma-Kōen IC on the Dō-ō Expressway, in Mori near the Nanae border. It is reached via the Ōnuma side of Route 43.38 The town gives about 35 minutes by car from Ōnuma-Kōen IC or Mori IC to the Michi-no-Eki.1
  • Nearest airport: Hakodate Airport.36
  • Getting around: A car is the most practical way to get around, because the station is far from the town centre and the sights are spread out.

Practical tips

  • Best seasons:
    • May: the Umaimono Festival.21
    • Spring: cherry blossoms in Shikabe Park.25
    • Third Saturday of August: the Sea and Onsen Festival and fireworks.22
    • Autumn: autumns are long and mild.3
  • Winter: The Michi-no-Eki keeps shorter hours and closes on Wednesdays from January to 19 March.3433 Hyōtan-numa Park is open only from April to November.27 The toilets in Shikabe Park close from December to March because of freezing.25 Snow usually lies from mid-November to late March.3
  • Komagatake: The volcano is active and climbing is restricted. Check the current rules before hiking.10
  • Wildlife: Brown bears and deer live throughout Hokkaido's forests. Take normal bear precautions on trails around Komagatake (general advice; no Shikabe-specific data was found).
  • Tourist information: Shikabe Onsen Tourism Association (鹿部温泉観光協会), 130-1 Aza-Shikabe, tel. 01372-7-3500.3
  • Seeing the geyser: It erupts every 10–15 minutes, so allow at least half an hour at the foot bath.1

More about Shikabe

At a glance
Field Details
Type (種別) Town (町)
Subprefecture (振興局) Oshima (渡島総合振興局)
District (郡) Kayabe District (茅部郡)
Population (人口) 3,760 in the 2020 Census, in 1,619 households.3 3,423 in the resident register on 2026-09-01, including foreign residents (1,868 households).4 The preliminary 2025 Census count is 3,347.2
Area (面積) 110.63 km², about 16.5 km east–west by 19.0 km north–south.3 English Wikipedia gives 110.61 km².5
Density (人口密度) About 34.0 people/km² in 2020 and about 30.9 people/km² in September 2026 (calculated from the figures above).
Municipal history (沿革) A village headman's office (戸長役場) opened in 1879.3 Shikabe Village was created under Hokkaido's second-class municipality system on 1 April 1906.6 It became a town on 1 December 1983, the 156th town in Hokkaido.2 It has never merged with another municipality.
Neighboring municipalities (隣接自治体) Hakodate to the southeast (former Minamikayabe) and southwest. Nanae to the southwest. Mori to the northwest (Sawara area). Uchiura Bay lies to the northeast.3
Symbols (町の木・町の花) Tree: Japanese rowan (ナナカマド). Flower: azalea (ツツジ).2 The flag and emblem date from 4 January 1920, when Shikabe was still a village.6 No town bird was found.
Mascot (マスコット) No official town mascot was found. The Michi-no-Eki uses two mascot characters: Kārusu-kun (カールス君), a piece of pumice, and Izumi-chan (いずみちゃん), who represents the hot springs.7
Official website https://www.town.shikabe.lg.jp/

Name origin

The town says its name comes from the Ainu word shikerpe (シケルペ), "a place where the Amur cork tree grows." The Japanese name of the tree is kihada (キハダ), also called shikoro (シコロ).2 English Wikipedia writes the Ainu word as sikerpe, "place with Phellodendron amurense."5 The town says the word later shifted in pronunciation and became "Shikabe" (鹿部, "deer" + "section").2 The "deer" character echoes the local legend that a wounded deer led to the discovery of the hot spring.9 Japanese Wikipedia notes another old name for the area, 鷹待 ("waiting for hawks"). Wild hawks were plentiful here and were once sent to the shogunate as tribute.6 Japanese Wikipedia's article on Shikabe Station gives a different Ainu derivation: shikape (シカペ), "albatross," because many albatrosses once lived nearby.12

History
  • 1615: 司馬宇兵衛 moved from the Ōma area of Shimokita in Mutsu Province (now Aomori) to harvest kombu. It is the earliest settlement recorded in the town chronology.3
  • 1640: A major eruption of Komagatake sent a tsunami onto the Kayabe coast. The town records "many deaths."3 Japanese Wikipedia puts the death toll from the debris avalanche and tsunami at about 700, and says the same debris avalanche formed Dekimazaki (出来澗崎), a cape in Shikabe.10
  • 1661 or 1666: Itō Gengorō (伊藤源五郎) came from Tsugaru (Aomori) and saw a wounded deer healing itself in a hot spring. The town's onsen page gives both years.9
  • 1735 and 1751: Shikabe Inari Shrine (鹿部稲荷神社) and Honbetsu Inari Shrine (本別稲荷神社) were founded.3
  • 1780: Gengorō formally opened the spring, which later became Shika-no-yu (鹿の湯).9
  • 1856: In another eruption of Komagatake, hot volcanic stones (焦石) rained onto the 留の湯 bathing area and 18 of the 22 bathers there were burned to death.3
  • 1875–1881: A post office opened in 1875, the headman's office in 1879 and a public elementary school in 1881.3
  • 1895: Sulfur was discovered at the Amemasu River (雨鱒川). The mine closed in 1960.3
  • 1901: The inn and public bath Kame-no-yu (亀の湯) opened as 亀遊館.9
  • 1903–1906: A horse-drawn coach service to Ōnuma began in 1903.3 Shikabe Village was created on 1 April 1906.6
  • 1908–1919: Oshima Suiden and Hakodate Suiden built three hydroelectric power stations.3
  • April 1924: Test drilling for hot water struck a geyser, which was named Tsuru-no-yu (鶴の湯).9
  • 1929: A large eruption of Komagatake destroyed or burned 365 houses, killed 2 people and injured 4. In the same year an electric railway opened between Shikabe and Ōnuma.3
  • 1935: The Shikabe fisheries cooperative was founded.3
  • 1945: Shikabe Station opened on 1 June, on the state railway's Hakodate Main Line (the line now called the Sawara branch).12 In the same year an air raid on the village burned 3 houses and killed 20 people.9
  • 1949–1957: Hakodate Juvenile Prison ran a fishing facility in the village.6
  • 1952: The Ōnuma Electric Railway closed and its track was removed.3
  • 1959–1987: The village ran a mink-farming business.3
  • 1972: The Hokkaido Mariculture Center (北海道立栽培漁業センター) opened.3
  • 1983: Shikabe became a town.3
  • 1985: The population peaked at 5,107.3 The town says it rose slightly between 1994 and 2010, as newcomers attracted by the natural setting moved in.2
  • 1986–2021: Daiwa House ran the Shikabe Royal Hotel (鹿部ロイヤルホテル).3
  • 1988: A fossil forest about 33,000 years old was found at 出来澗崎.3
  • 1990–1992: Toyota bought the old airfield, first opened in 1967, in 1990 and renovated it. It opened again in 1992 as Shikabe Airfield.313
  • 1996 and 1998: Small eruptions of Komagatake.3
  • 1999: Shikabe Kanketsusen (Geyser) Park opened.3
  • 2013: The Shikabe Bypass of National Route 278 opened.3
  • 2015–2016: The geyser park was registered as a Michi-no-Eki on 5 November 2015 and opened in its new form on 18 March 2016.14
  • 1 November 2018: The Shikabe Geyser was selected as Hokkaido Heritage.8
  • 2021: A new town hall opened on 6 May.6
  • 2024: The town held events for the 100th anniversary of the geyser's discovery.3
  • 2025: The preliminary census count was 3,347 people.2
  • April 2026: The Michi-no-Eki held a festival for its 10th anniversary.15

The sources consulted do not record any Meiji-era group migrations to Shikabe. The earliest recorded settlers were fishermen from the Shimokita and Tsugaru areas of Aomori.39

Geography & climate
  • Location: Shikabe is on the eastern side of the Oshima Peninsula, at 140°49′E, 42°02′N. It spreads over the foothills of Komagatake and faces Uchiura Bay to the northeast. About 49.6 km² of its 110.63 km² is forest.3
  • Komagatake: The volcano stands 1,131 m high and straddles Mori, Shikabe and Nanae. Its highest point is Kengamine (剣ヶ峯). Entry within 4 km of the crater has long been restricted. Daytime climbing to Umanose (馬ノ背) is allowed seasonally, from June to October.10
  • Ōnuma Quasi-National Park (大沼国定公園): The park covers the volcano and the lakes Ōnuma and Konuma, which were formed when eruptions dammed the valley. It spans Nanae, Shikabe and Mori, covers 9,083 ha and was designated on 1 July 1958.16
  • Rivers and coast: The main rivers are the Orito (折戸川), Shikabe (鹿部川) and Honbetsu (本別川).6 The Shikabe River supplies the town's water.3 There are three fishing ports: Honbetsu, Shikabe and Dekima (出来澗).6
  • Climate: Shikabe is mild by Hokkaido standards. Winter lows are around −14 °C and summer temperatures rarely pass 30 °C. Winds are mostly from the southwest in summer and the northwest in winter. The first snow falls in mid-November and melts by late March. Springs and autumns are long.3 The nearest weather station is the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) station at Mori. It recorded an annual mean of 9.8 °C in 2023, with a high of 33.6 °C in August and a low of −17.1 °C in January. In 2024 the mean was 9.6 °C and snow reached a maximum depth of 56 cm in January. Annual precipitation was about 900–940 mm in 2023–2024 (calculated from the monthly figures).3

Economy & industry
  • Fisheries: Fishing is the town's core industry, and the town has three fishing ports.2 Octopus, flounder and atka mackerel are landed all year. Cherry salmon, kombu and sea cucumber are also important. In winter the pollock fishery for tarako and the scallop landings keep the harbours busy.2
  • FY2024 catch: The total catch was 10,201.9 t, worth about ¥2.49 billion. The main species were:3
    • Scallops: 5,103.1 t, ¥1.09 billion
    • Walleye pollock: 1,772.2 t, down about 61% from 4,530.5 t in FY2021
    • Kombu: 709.9 t, ¥244 million
    • Octopus: 260.0 t, ¥298 million
    • Sea cucumber: 41.1 t, ¥161 million
  • FY2023 peak: The catch was worth ¥3.95 billion, including ¥2.19 billion of scallops.3
  • Jobs (2020 Census): 1,824 people were employed. 580 (31.8%) worked in fishing, down from 891 (39.4%) in 2005. Another 365 (20.0%) worked in manufacturing.3
  • Fisheries institutions: The Hokkaido Mariculture Center (1972) and the Hokkaido Fisheries Training Institute (北海道立漁業研修所, 1997) are both in Shikabe.3
  • Tourism: 573,000 visits were recorded in FY2024, up from 424,300 in FY2020. Almost all were day trips (568,500). Overnight stays numbered only 4,500, and only 4,800 visitors came from outside Hokkaido.3
  • Golf: There are two golf courses, Shikabe Country Club (Daiwa House group) and Onuma International Country Club.6
  • Furusato nozei (ふるさと納税): Donation income (寄附金), which includes furusato nozei, reached ¥1.144 billion in FY2023. That was 24.6% of general-account revenue and more than local tax (¥446 million).3 The furusato-choice portal (ふるさとチョイス), citing Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications data, reports 111,119 furusato nozei donations totalling ¥1,400,088,811 for 2025.17
  • Finances: The town's fiscal strength index (財政力指数) was 0.23 in FY2023.3
  • Population: In 2024 there were 10 births and 64 deaths.3
  • Regional tourism: Shikabe promotes the Komagatake area together with Nanae and Mori through the Kan-Komagatake Regional Tourism Council (環駒ヶ岳広域観光協議会).18

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Shikabe tarako (鹿部たらこ) Seafood product Salted pollock roe, the town's signature product. It is sold at the Michi-no-Eki shop (鹿部・食とうまいもの館).1 Furusato nozei gifts include low-salt tarako (3.5–4% salt), uncoloured mentaiko, flaked mentaiko and Tarakonbu (たらこんぶ), tarako and ma-kombu canned in a lightly sweet seasoning.19
Premium tarako set (プレミアムたらこ御膳) Signature dish A whole Funka Bay tarako on Hokkaido Fukkurinko (ふっくりんこ) rice. Served at the Hama no Kaasan Shokudō restaurant (浜のかあさん食堂) at the Michi-no-Eki.7
Scallops (噴火湾湾口ホタテ) Seafood Scallops from the mouth of Funka Bay, sold at the Michi-no-Eki.1 They are Shikabe's largest catch.3 Gifts include sashimi-grade scallop meat, scallop shigure-ni (しぐれ煮) and scallops simmered with root kombu.19
Shiroguchihama kombu (白口浜真昆布) Seaweed A ma-kombu sold at the Michi-no-Eki.1 The station's website calls it a brand said to be the finest grade of ma-kombu. It says the station's root-kombu dashi (根昆布だし), made with this kombu, won a gold award at Monde Selection 2020.20 The dashi is also a furusato nozei gift.19
Shikabe-don (鹿部丼) and seafood bowls Signature dish Rice bowls made with local giant octopus (水だこ) and other Shikabe seafood, served at the Yamamoto stall (やま元) at the Michi-no-Eki.7
Sweet-shrimp bowl (甘エビ丼) Seasonal dish Shrimp peeled one by one by the fishing co-op women. Available mid-May to mid-July at Hama no Kaasan Shokudō.715
Shikabe-yaki (しかべ焼き) Street snack Fluffy batter filled with Funka Bay scallops and giant octopus, dipped in Shiroguchihama kombu dashi. It was created for the geyser's 100th anniversary and is sold at the Yukemuri-dokoro stall (湯けむり処しかべ焼き).7
Pumice-dried grilled flounder (軽石干し焼き宗八カレイ) Seafood Flounder dried on pumice from Komagatake, then grilled. Sold at the Michi-no-Eki.1520
Onsen-steamed food (温泉蒸し) Food experience Seafood and vegetables steamed in the station's geothermal steam kitchen (蒸し釜).115
Geyser soft-serve (間歇泉ソフト) Sweets The soft-serve shop sells a Kārusu-kun cone (sesame), an Izumi-chan cone (strawberry) and plain Hokkaido raw-milk soft-serve. The Yukemuri-dokoro stall sells Shikamaru shakes (しかまるシェイク) from July to the end of September, in strawberry, ramune and mocha flavours that change during the season.7
Matsumae-zuke, sea urchin, ikura Seafood gifts Shikabe Matsumae-zuke (herring roe, scallop and kombu), salted sea urchin made without additives such as alum, and ikura marinated in soy sauce. All are furusato nozei gifts. The listing describes furijio uni (ふり塩うに), salted Kitamurasaki sea urchin, as originating in Shikabe.19

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Shikabe Umaimono Festival (鹿部うまいもの祭り) May every year Held at the Michi-no-Eki. Gourmet booths, discounted seasonal seafood from Funka Bay and attractions for children, including character shows.21
Shikabe Sea and Onsen Festival & Fireworks (しかべ海と温泉（いでゆ）のまつり＆花火大会) Third Saturday of August The town's largest event. Cutter-boat races in the harbour, a touch aquarium, stage shows, bingo and fireworks. The festival office is at the Shikabe Chamber of Commerce.22 The town's onsen page bills the harbour fireworks as the best in southern Hokkaido (道南一).9 The 42nd festival was filmed by the regional tourism council.18
Shikabe Geyser Wakuwaku Sunday (しかべ間歇泉わくわくサンデー!!) Fourth Sunday of each month, around noon Sales of fresh fish, plus tastings of local products and original dishes made with them.23
Shikabe Town Cultural Festival (鹿部町文化祭) 3 November (Culture Day) Exhibitions, hands-on booths and performances at the Shikabe Central Community Center. The 2026 festival is the 50th.24
Cherry blossoms at Shikabe Park (鹿部公園) Spring About 300 cherry trees. The town calls the park a little-known cherry-blossom spot.25
  • Folk dances: The town supports the teaching of two local dances, Shikabe Kouta (鹿部小唄) and Funkawan Ami-okoshi (噴火湾網おこし), whose name means "hauling up the nets in Funka Bay."26
  • Shrines: Shikabe Inari Shrine was founded in 1735 and Honbetsu Inari Shrine in 1751.3
  • Song monument: A monument by the sea at the Michi-no-Eki carries the lyrics of 「北斗船」 ("Hokutosen"). The song was sung by Toba Ichirō (鳥羽一郎), with lyrics by Hoshino Tetsurō (星野哲郎), who had ties to Shikabe.14
  • Town song: The town's image song, "水平線の見える町" ("A Town Where You Can See the Horizon"), was completed in 1992.3
  • Museums: No town museum was found in the sources consulted.

Ainu heritage

The town's name comes from Ainu (shikerpe, "place of the Amur cork tree"; another account gives shikape, "albatross").2512 The Ainu name of Komagatake is Kayabe Nupuri (カヤベヌプリ).10 Apart from these place names, the sources consulted record no Ainu archaeological sites, cultural facilities or living traditions specific to Shikabe.

Sister & friendship cities

None found. Neither the town's 2025 statistical handbook nor Japanese Wikipedia lists any sister or friendship city.36 Shikabe does cooperate on tourism with Nanae and Mori through the Kan-Komagatake Regional Tourism Council.18

Notable people
  • Morita Kōki (盛田幸妃, 1969–2015): Born in Shikabe. He pitched for the Yokohama Taiyō Whales/BayStars and the Kintetsu Buffaloes, won the 1992 ERA title, and won the 2001 Comeback Award after brain surgery.39 A Shikabe supporters' association for him was formed in 1996.3
  • Itō Hiromi (伊藤大海, born 1997): Born in Shikabe. He is a pitcher for the Hokkaido Nippon-Ham Fighters. He won Olympic gold at Tokyo 2020 and the 2023 World Baseball Classic with Japan, led the league in wins in 2024 and 2025, and won the Sawamura Award in 2025.11

Sources

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

  1. 道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園（施設概要） — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  2. 鹿部町の概要 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  3. 鹿部町町勢要覧 資料編〈2025年版〉(PDF) — 鹿部町企画振興課 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  4. 鹿部町ホームページ（人口世帯数、2026年9月1日現在） — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  5. Shikabe, Hokkaido — Wikipedia EN accessed 2026-09-23
  6. 鹿部町 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  7. ガイド（見る・食べる・買う） — 道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  8. 「しかべ間歇泉」が北海道遺産に選定されました — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  9. 鹿部の温泉 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  10. 北海道駒ヶ岳 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  11. 伊藤大海 (野球) — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  12. 鹿部駅 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  13. 鹿部飛行場 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  14. 道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  15. 道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園 公式サイト — 道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  16. 大沼国定公園 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  17. 北海道鹿部町（自治体情報） — ふるさとチョイス JA accessed 2026-09-23
  18. 環駒ヶ岳広域観光協議会 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  19. 北海道鹿部町のふるさと納税返礼品一覧 — ふるさとチョイス JA accessed 2026-09-23
  20. 鹿部町でしてみたい10のこと — 道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  21. 鹿部うまいもの祭り — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  22. しかべ海と温泉（いでゆ）のまつり＆花火大会 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  23. しかべ間歇泉わくわくサンデー!! — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  24. 第50回鹿部町文化祭 参加者募集 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  25. 鹿部公園 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  26. 文化・芸術・文化財 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  27. ひょうたん沼公園 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  28. うるおいの自然アート — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  29. 間歇泉のしくみ — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  30. 鹿部温泉 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  31. 鹿部コミュニティー・プール — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  32. 鹿部町パークゴルフ場 — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  33. しかべ間歇泉公園 — 北海道の道の駅 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  34. 道の駅しかべ間歇泉公園の営業時間の変更について — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  35. 道の駅一覧（住所一覧） — 北海道の道の駅 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  36. 鹿部町へのアクセス — 鹿部町 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  37. 国道278号 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  38. 大沼公園インターチェンジ — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23
  39. 盛田幸妃 — Wikipedia JA accessed 2026-09-23