Hokkaido Places

Town Kushiro Subprefecture

Shiranuka 白糠町

しらぬかちょう

Shiranuka is a Pacific-coast town of about 6,700 people, squeezed between two separate parts of Kushiro City. Its fields grow the shiso used in the Tantakatan shochu brand, and its port lands shishamo and willow octopus. In FY2025 it received the second-largest furusato nozei donations of any municipality in Japan.

Population (2020 Census)
7,289
Area
773.13 km²
District
Shiranuka District (白糠郡)
Official website
www.town.shiranuka.lg.jp

Known for

  • Furusato nozei: in FY2025 the town received ¥22.33 billion from 1,276,246 donations. Only Izumisano (Osaka) received more12. It was also second nationally in FY2024, with ¥21.17 billion13.
  • Shiso and Tantakatan (鍛高譚): shiso grown in the Tantaka district is the base of Tantakatan, a shiso shochu launched in 1992 by Godo Shusei (合同酒精), now part of Oenon Holdings148. The town markets itself as "the shiso-scented town" (紫蘇香るまち)15.
  • Shishamo: shishamo run up both the Charo and Shoro rivers around November. The town says it is the only town where they spawn in two rivers16. The fishery cooperative made 11 November "Shiranuka Shishamo Day" in 20167.
  • Willow octopus (ヤナギダコ): in 2025 octopus was the port's biggest catch by value, at ¥379 million17.
  • Italian-style cheese: Shiranuka Rakukeisha (白糠酪恵舎) was founded in 2001 by 14 dairy farmers and three other investors. Its mozzarella is its best-known cheese18.
  • Ainu culture: the Humperimse (フンペリムセ, whale dance) is said to have originated at Lake Pashikuru19. The town's Ainu dance group is a recognized holder of the nationally designated Ainu Traditional Dance7. The Urespa Chise (ウレシパチセ) Ainu culture center moved into a new building in 2018720.
  • Early Hokkaido history: 50 men of the Hachiōji Sennin Dōshin settled here in 1800. In 1857 the shogunate mined coal at Sekitan-misaki (石炭岬, "Coal Cape"), the first coal mining in Hokkaido9.
  • Michi-no-Eki Shiranuka Koitoi: one of Japan's first roadside stations (registered 1993). It moved to a new building in April 2025 with an ocean-view sauna and an RV park21.

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Koitoi Beach (恋問海岸): a sandy Pacific beach about 10 km long beside the roadside station65, with viewing decks on the station's second floor63.
  • Pashikuru Nature Park (パシクル自然公園): reed beds and alder woods around the lagoon on the Onbetsu border, with interpretive signs and telescopes34. The town says the lagoon is good for clamming (シジミ) in summer and ice fishing for smelt (ワカサギ) in winter66. The park is closed in winter; the town's notice gives 1 May as the reopening date67.
  • Shoro Dam and Green Lake Shoro (庶路ダム): a 48.5 m concrete dam completed in 2004 for flood control and to supply industrial water to the Kushiro-Shiranuka industrial park. Japanese Wikipedia and the roadside station both describe it as the only dam in Kushiro Subprefecture. The lake's English name was chosen by public contest6863. It is known for autumn color along the dam and the Shoro River gorge69. Fudō Falls (不動の滝) is on the Shoro River at the northern foot of Takinoue-yama8.
  • Koitoi Nature Observation Park (恋問自然観察公園): a small wetland inside the Kushiro-Shiranuka industrial park, with a boardwalk and a log observation tower. Lily of the valley, rugosa rose and Siberian crabapple grow here70.
  • Misaki no Mori Higashiyama Park (岬の森東山公園): a hilltop park on the east side of the town center with views over the town, the fishing port and the Pacific6563.
  • Tantaka shiso fields (鍛高): just before the September harvest, the fields turn purple beneath Tantaka-yama71.
  • "Atsushi's Thousand Cherry Trees" (あつしの千本桜): an avenue of cherry trees about 3 km long at Kami-Shoro. In 2025 the town announced peak bloom in early May72.
  • Sekitan-misaki (石炭岬): the headland just east of the port. The rocky shore around it gave the town its name, and a chashi site sits on top2361.

Onsen & bathing

  • Ocean-view sauna at the roadside station: an auto-löyly sauna with an outdoor cooling area, ¥800, 11:00–18:4573.
  • Shiranuka no Yu (しらぬかの湯): a public bath built and donated by Okamoto Co. in 20167. It is part of the town's heated-pool complex, Sun Arena Shiranuka (サンアリーナしらぬか, Higashi 2-jō Kita 3-chōme), with a 25 m pool and a gym. The town lists the complex as open 10:00–22:00, closed Mondays (Tuesday after a holiday). The bath costs ¥500 for adults, ¥150 for ages 6–12 and ¥80 for under-6s (fees from 1 October 2024)74.

Museums & heritage

  • Urespa Chise and the Ainu Museum Pokoro: see Ainu heritage.
  • Shiranuka Line remains: the line ran up the Charo valley to Kami-Charo and Hokushin30.
  • Books: the town sells its town history (町史) and the "Sōsho Shiranuka" local-history booklets, including volumes on the Hachiōji Dōshin and the Shiranuka coalfield28.

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Odoroki no Mori (驚きの森): in the town's youth travel village at Kami-Charo. It offers all-you-can-eat blueberry picking in August (billed as the only one in eastern Hokkaido), a maple-sap festival in early April (4–5 April 2026), and a treehouse (currently open for viewing only). About 70 bird species and many Ezo flying squirrels live in the forest75.
  • Park golf: Shiranuka Park Golf Inn Charo (しらぬかパークゴルフインチャロ) is certified by the International Park Golf Association. A dog run was added beside it in 20217.

Food experiences

  • Farm Restaurant Cuore (クオーレ): run by the Charo sheep farm since 2015 in a 100-year-old farmhouse. Signature dish: roast lamb with seasonal vegetables. Open March–December, closed Mondays; cranes can sometimes be seen on the way44.
  • Restaurant Hamanasu (レストランはまなす): open since 1966. Its "All-Shiranuka Mille-feuille" sandwiches venison and lamb patties with Rakukeisha mozzarella, and it stocks about 400 wines. Closed Wednesdays76.
  • 38-ban Ramen (38番ラーメン): a truckers' favorite on Route 38 since 1984, known for miso katsu ramen. Open 11:00–14:30, closed Monday and Tuesday77.
  • Odoroki no Mori Labo: blueberry, maple and vanilla soft-serve, plus blueberry parfaits78. The operator lists weekends and holidays, 11:00–14:00; the town page says 11:00–15:00. The 2026 season ended on 23 September7578.
  • Fishery cooperative shop: opened on 26 April 2026 at Shiranuka fishing port, selling fish and shellfish processed by the cooperative. The town's page gives the address as Misaki 1-chōme 2-24 in its details box and 2-42 in the announcement text. Open 9:00–16:00, closed Wednesdays. The cooperative's products are still sold at the roadside station too32.

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

Michi-no-Eki Shiranuka Koitoi (道の駅しらぬか恋問)

  • Name: Japanese Wikipedia uses 道の駅しらぬか恋問21. Since the 2025 move the station calls itself 道の駅しらぬか 恋問館 (Koitoi-kan), and the Hokkaido roadside-station association lists it as しらぬか恋問館7965.
  • Location: Koitoi 3-chōme 2-1, Shiranuka (〒088-0562), on National Route 38 facing Koitoi Beach and the Pacific. It is about 700 m toward the town center from the old site. By bus, use the Koitoikan (恋問館) stop on the Kushiro Bus [36] Shiranuka Line5021.
  • Hours: the main building and direct-sales shop are open 9:00–19:00. Restaurants are open 10:00–19:00 (last orders 18:30), and most have a weekly closing day. The station closes 30 December–3 January. Toilets and the stamp are available 24 hours (as of September 2026 — check before visiting)7965.
  • Shops & products: the Koitoi Market (恋問市場, 9:00–19:00) recommends Tantaka Ramune (red- and green-shiso flavors), Rakukeisha milk jam and venison sausages. It also sells local vegetables and eggs (potatoes, kikurage, shiitake, Chinese yam, pumpkins, tomatoes, eggplant, peppers, asparagus) and souvenirs from eastern Hokkaido80. The station's homepage also names Rakukeisha cheese and Makiba venison79. Rakukeisha stopped making its milk jam on 29 July 2026, so it is on sale only while stocks last81.
  • Food82:
    • Roo Kitchen (ルーキッチン): venison dumplings and meat pies, fried willow-octopus skewers. Closed Thursdays.
    • jiri: sweets made with Shiranuka cheese. Closed Wednesdays.
    • Kono Butadon (この豚丼): pork bowls with Akan pork. Closed Tuesdays.
    • Koipan (こいぱん): bakery with local ingredients, take-out only.
    • Hōryū (寳龍): Sapporo miso ramen. Closed Fridays.
    • Donburinosuke (どんぶり之助): seafood rice bowls. Closed Mondays.
    • The official Hokkaido roadside-station site also recommends octopus ramen, a cheese omelette, Koitoi bread and Shiranuka venison buns65.
  • Facilities: parking for 169 cars, 25 large vehicles, 3 priority spaces, 2 EV-charging spaces, 11 motorcycles and 10 bicycles, plus 24-hour toilets11. The RV park has 12 spaces at ¥2,500 per night, with electricity ¥600 and a dump station ¥5001183. Coin showers cost ¥200 for 7 minutes and are open 24 hours, as is the coin laundry83. There are an ocean-view sauna, the Kokko Park kids' play area, a dog run (closed in winter), indoor and outdoor viewing decks, tourist information, free Wi-Fi and a heart-shaped "love comes true" postbox116321.
  • Notes:
    • One of 103 stations in Japan's first round of Michi-no-Eki registrations (22 April 1993). The first building opened in 199221.
    • The old building closed on 28 February 2025. The new one opened on 29 April 202521.
    • The old station was known for its fishery-cooperative seafood counter and for pork bowls at its restaurant, Moonlight (むーんらいと)21.
    • In 2013 the old Koitoi-kan installed a heart-shaped postbox, which the town calls the first in Japan7.
    • The station says it placed 10th in Hokkaido in the magazine Hokkaido Jalan's "2026 Michi-no-Eki ranking"84.

Getting there & around

  • Rail: JR Nemuro Main Line (根室本線) stations are Shiranuka, Nishi-Shoro and Shoro. Furuse Station closed in 20208. Most Ozora limited expresses stop at Shiranuka. It is about 19 minutes to Kushiro, about 1 hour 15 minutes to Obihiro, and from 3 hours 41 minutes to Sapporo29.
  • Bus: Kushiro Bus route [36] runs from Shiranuka High School or Onbetsu Station via Shiranuka Station to Kushiro Station. On weekdays, the main route runs 11 buses toward Kushiro and 10 back85. Town buses run community routes and reservation-only buses up the Charo and Shoro valleys. The town's page says their operation was contracted to Kushiro Bus until 31 March 2026; the operator after that date was not confirmed86. The Hokkaido Bus "Kushiro Tokkyū New Star" links Sapporo and Kushiro via Shiranuka8.
  • Road: Shiranuka IC and Shoro IC on the Dōtō Expressway (道東自動車道). National Route 38 runs along the coast. Routes 392 and 274 go inland toward Honbetsu and Tokachi89.
  • Air: Kushiro Airport is on the eastern edge of the town8.
  • From Sapporo: 3 h 41 min by the fastest limited express29. By car, via the Dōtō Expressway, the trip takes roughly 4 hours (unverified).

Practical tips

  • Best seasons: late July for the shrine's sea procession and August for fireworks and blueberries. September brings purple shiso fields, mid-October autumn color at Shoro Dam, and November the shishamo season495175715516.
  • Weather: sea fog often covers the coast from May to July, when it can be cool even in summer9. Winter is sunny with little snow but cold, and nights below −20 °C have been recorded36.
  • Brown bears: the town posts sightings. In June–August 2026, bears were seen crossing roads in the Charo, Shoro and Nuibetsu areas, and several were caught. Carry a bell, don't go into the woods alone, and turn back if you find droppings or deer carcasses87.
  • Deer: the town describes itself as one of Hokkaido's main Ezo deer habitats88. Drive carefully at dusk and at night.
  • Restaurants: many close one or two weekdays, and Cuore closes from January to February, so check hours first4482.
  • Free Wi-Fi: available at the roadside station, Urespa Chise, Misaki no Mori Higashiyama Park and Pashikuru Nature Park89.

More about Shiranuka

At a glance
Field Details
Type Town (町)
Subprefecture Kushiro (釧路総合振興局)
District Shiranuka District (白糠郡)
Population 7,289 at the 2020 Census (3,414 men, 3,875 women; 3,457 households), down 9.7% from 8,068 in 20151. The 2025 Census preliminary count was 6,615, a further 9.2% fall2. The resident register counted 6,693 on 31 August 2026, including 183 foreign residents3. The town's own register figure for 31 July 2026 was 6,704 people in 3,827 households4
Area 773.13 km² (GSI, 1 April 2026)5. The town measures 38.6 km east–west and 50.5 km north–south6
Density About 8.7 people/km² (August 2026), calculated from the figures above. The 2020 Census figure was 9.4/km²1
Municipal history A village office (戸長役場) opened in 1884; the town counts this as its founding (開基). Shiranuka Village was formed on 1 April 1915 from the old Shiranuka and Shoro villages, and became a town on 1 November 195078. The Otanoshike (大楽毛) area was transferred to Kushiro City in 1948 according to the town, or 1949 according to Japanese Wikipedia78. In 2005 a referendum rejected a merger with Kushiro City, Akan and Onbetsu, and the town left the merger council7
Neighboring municipalities Kushiro (on three sides: the city proper to the east, the Onbetsu area to the west and the Akan area to the north), plus Urahoro, Honbetsu and Ashoro in Tokachi98
Symbols Tree: Japanese rowan (ナナカマド). Flower: pot marigold (キンセンカ). Both were adopted on 28 September 19746. No town bird is listed8
Mascot Koita-kun (コイタくん), a willow octopus born in Shiranuka, and Meika-chan (メイカちゃん), a flying squid from Kyushu. They are described as mascots of the roadside station's Koitoi-kan shop who "fell in love on the Koitoi shore"10. The new station's website, after the 2025 move, still presents them as its characters beside its heart-shaped postbox11
Official website https://www.town.shiranuka.lg.jp/

Name origin
  • Shiranuka: from Ainu. Most theories point to the rocks and reef off Sekitan-misaki, east of the town center; a few older ones refer to the tide instead. The Hokkaido government's Ainu place-name list gives several readings22:
    • sirar-ika-p, "place where (the tide) crosses the rocks": Yamada Hidezō. He noted that old maps show a reef in the sea off the cape.
    • sirar-ukaw, "rocks piled up": Nagata Hōsei. This was taken to mean the big rock at the tip of the cape.
    • sirar-ika, "(the tide) overflows the reef": Chiri Mashiho. Chiri stressed that sirar means only "rock" and has no meaning of "tide".
    • sirar-ka, "on the rock shelf": a station-name guide.
    • Older interpretations such as "where the tide floods in".
  • The town's own version: shirari (rocky shore) + ka (above, or crossing over), meaning "the edge of the rocky reef" where waves break into spray. The town also records a legend about a large rock shaped like a sea lion (トド) at the mouth of the Okunep River236.
  • Koitoi (恋問): from koy-tuye, "waves break (through)". It describes waves breaking through the dunes where streams meet the sea. The town notes that this meaning is very different from the image of the kanji (恋問, "love" and "ask")24.
  • Pashikuru (馬主来): paskur, "crow". In one legend, Ainu fishermen lost in fog found the shore by following the crows calling here25. The town newsletter gives an elder's version: a young man bringing oyster spat by boat was guided through the fog by crows and cried "pa-sir-kur" ("found the shadow of land"), which the elder took to be the original form of the name19.
  • Charo (茶路): caro, "mouth". Ashoro Ainu crossed here on their way down to the sea, so the name probably marked the "mouth" of an important route26.
  • Shoro (庶路): the origin is disputed. Readings include so-ri-oro, "place of the high waterfall", and so-oro, "at the waterfall"22.
  • Sashiushi (刺牛): sas-us-i, "place where kelp grows thickly"27.

History
  • Ainu era: the town notes that Ainu place names and chashi (fortified site) remains throughout the town show long Ainu settlement9. In August 2011, a survey including Ibaraki University found an oyster-shell bed about 6,000 years old at Lake Pashikuru. It dates from the warm Jōmon period19.
  • 1632: the Matsumae domain opened the Shiranuka trading post (白糠場所)9.
  • 1669: during an Ainu uprising, 13 Japanese (Wajin) were killed at Shiranuka and 15 at Onbetsu7.
  • 1799–1800: a post station (通行屋) opened in 1799. In 1800, Hara Hanzaemon (原半左衛門), a leader of the Hachiōji Sennin Dōshin (八王子千人同心), a shogunal guard unit from Hachiōji near Edo, arrived with 50 men to guard and farm the area and build roads. His brother took another 50 to present-day Tomakomai287.
  • 1857: the shogunate mined coal at Sekitan-misaki, the first coal mining in Hokkaido9. Japanese Wikipedia dates the start of mining to 18568.
  • Meiji era: the area became Shiranuka District of Kushiro Province in 1869. A post office opened in 1875, and the village office opened in 18847. An army remount depot branch opened in 1900, and the area became known for horse breeding79. The railway reached Kushiro in 1901 (Shiranuka Station opened on 20 July 1901) and Obihiro in 1905729. Farm settlement grew from the late Meiji era into the Taishō era9. The sources consulted do not say which prefectures the settlers came from.
  • 1915: Shiranuka Village was formed from Shiranuka and Shoro villages. The Shakubetsu area was split off7.
  • Coal era: the Meiji Mining Shoro mine opened in 1938 and the Shin-Shiranuka mine in 19477. A US air raid in 1945 killed five people7. On 30 October 1960, a gas explosion at the Shoro mine killed 18 workers8.
  • 1950: Shiranuka became a town8.
  • 1964–1970: both mines closed in 1964, and the area's remaining mines closed one after another by 1970. Most miners left for the Pacific-belt industrial cities97. The population peaked at 22,795 in 19679.
  • Shiranuka Line (白糠線): this JNR branch line opened on 7 October 1964 and reached Hokushin (北進) in 1972. It never reached its planned terminus at Ashoro. It closed on 23 October 1983, the first line abolished under the 1980 JNR reconstruction law, and town buses replaced it307.
  • 1971–1976: the Kushiro-Shiranuka Industrial Park (釧路白糠工業団地) was developed97.
  • 1993: the roadside station was registered21.
  • 2004: Shoro Dam was completed7.
  • 2005: after the merger referendum, Kushiro, Akan and Onbetsu merged without Shiranuka on 11 October 2005. Shiranuka was left between two parts of the new Kushiro City8.
  • 2015–2016: Shiranuka IC opened on 29 March 2015 and Shoro IC on 12 March 20168. The town began offering furusato nozei gifts in October 201531.
  • 2018: Shoro Gakuen, the first nine-year compulsory school in Kushiro Subprefecture, opened. So did a new building for the Urespa Chise Ainu center, a hydrogen-use demonstration project (billed as Japan's first), and Kobe Bussan's biomass power plant7.
  • 2020–2022: Furuse Station closed in 20207. From September 2021 a red tide seriously damaged sea urchins and other catches8. In 2022 the town declared itself a "Zero Carbon City". The same year, Japan's first technical school for geothermal and other drilling engineers opened, and Shiranuka Gakuen (白糠学園) opened as a combined elementary and junior high school7.
  • 2025–2026: tsunami evacuation towers were completed at Shiranuka and Nishi-Shoro in July 20258. The roadside station moved on 29 April 202521. A fishery cooperative processing plant and shop opened at the port on 26 April 202632.

Geography & climate
  • Location: about 30 km west of central Kushiro and about 90 km east of Obihiro. The east and west ends of the town both border separate parts of Kushiro City. The town center is on the coast near the Charo River mouth and Shiranuka Port8.
  • Landforms: mountains and hills rise to Mt. Akan-Fuji (阿寒富士, 1,476 m). Other peaks are Ukotakinupuri (747 m), Takinoue-yama (568 m) and Tantaka-yama (鍛高山, 395 m)33. Farm hamlets are spread along the Charo, Shoro and Wattenbetsu (和天別) rivers. The towns of Shiranuka, Shoro and Nishi-Shoro are on the coast, and about 92% of residents live in these urban areas9.
  • Rivers: the Charo River (茶路川) is 71.4 km long and drains 353.7 km². The Shoro River (庶路川) is 66.8 km long and drains 328.4 km²33. All the town's rivers flow to the Pacific8.
  • Lakes: Lake Pashikuru (パシクル沼) is a brackish lagoon on the Onbetsu border. It fills until it breaks through to the sea34. Lake Koitoi (コイトイ沼) is in the east. Green Lake Shoro is the lake behind Shoro Dam8.
  • Land use: the town's figures give 27.8% forest, 5.0% farmland and 4.9% pasture33. The sources consulted do not describe any national or quasi-national park land in the town.
  • Kushiro Airport: part of the runway lies inside Shiranuka. The terminal is in Kushiro City8.
  • Climate (JMA Shiranuka station, 1991–2020 normals): annual mean temperature 5.8 °C. January averages −6.2 °C and August 17.8 °C. Annual precipitation is 1,119.1 mm, total snowfall 298 cm, average peak snow depth 51 cm and sunshine 1,949.2 hours35. The record high is 35.5 °C (15 August 2007) and the record low −29.2 °C (17 February 1978)36. The town's older normals give 5.7 °C and 1,149.2 mm33. Winters are dry and sunny with relatively little snow for Hokkaido. Sea fog is common on the coast from May to July9.

Economy & industry

  • Structure: dairy farming and fishing are the main industries. Food processing, power generation, forestry and plywood (the maker 札鶴ベニヤ has its head office here) also matter8. At the 2015 Census, 3,894 residents had jobs: 13.8% in primary industries, 31.2% in secondary and 55.0% in tertiary9.

  • Fishing: the Shiranuka Fishery Cooperative has 82 members and 84 boats. In 2025 it landed 1,851 t worth ¥1.31 billion17:

    Species Catch (t) Value (¥ million)
    Octopus 600.7 379
    Chum salmon (autumn run) 219.1 267
    Surf clam (ほっき) 273.7 155
    Whelks (つぶ) 223.4 146
    Crab 24.4 146
    Shishamo 29.9 81

  • Yellowtail: salmon catches collapsed in the 2010s while yellowtail catches rose sharply. Large, bled yellowtail are now branded "Gokkan Buri" (極寒ブリ)837. The town began testing scallop farming in 20227.

  • Farming: dairy is the core. In 2014, 13 dairy farms set up a joint feed (TMR) center7. Other farm products are shiso, sheep and baby-leaf greens (grown since 2012)15387.

  • Furusato nozei: after FY2024 (¥21.17 billion) and FY2025 (¥22.33 billion), the town is one of Japan's largest recipients1312. The town's total revenue rose from ¥7.8 billion in FY2015 to ¥16.0 billion in FY20199. Its salmon roe won the overall grand prize in ESSE magazine's "Furusato Grand Prix 2019", and the town won Rakuten's furusato nozei award three years in a row (2019–2021)7.

  • Energy: the town counts more than 80 solar power plants, large and small. Tax revenue from them pays for its "Taiyō no Te" (太陽の手, "Hand of the Sun") child-support package39. It includes free medical care up to age 18, free daycare and school lunches, ¥100,000 in local vouchers for each birth, and school-entry grants. Other energy projects are the Eurus Shiranuka Solar Park (2014), Kobe Bussan's biomass power plant (2018) and the 2018 hydrogen demonstration7.

  • Tourism: visitor numbers jumped from 438,000 in FY2024 to 800,200 in FY2025, which coincided with the new roadside station's first year. Only about 7,300 of them stayed overnight40.

  • Population: in 2015, 37.0% of residents were 65 or older, up from 6.7% in 19759. The 2025 Census preliminary count shows the population still falling by about 9% every five years2.

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Tantakatan (鍛高譚) Shochu Shiso shochu launched in 1992 and made by Godo Shusei in Asahikawa from shiso grown in Tantaka148. The label reads "北海道白糠町特産しそ使用" (made with shiso from Shiranuka)15
Shiso products Drinks, condiments Tantaka Ramune soda, shiso soy sauce and a dressing made with green shiso15. Tantaka Shan-Merry, a non-alcoholic sparkling drink, has been sold since 20067
Shishamo (ししゃも) Seafood Caught off Shiranuka around November, when the town says the females' roe is ripe and the males' flesh is firm16. The fishery women's group has sold "Kurokami Shishamo" (黒上ししゃも) since 20127
Willow octopus (柳だこ) Seafood Firm, sweet and chewy. Sold boiled for sashimi, and the head and roe (たこまんま) are processed too41. Kitakaro's "Hokkaido Kaitaku Okaki" rice crackers came out in a Shiranuka willow-octopus flavor in 20147
Tōdai tsubu (灯台つぶ) Seafood A whelk named for its lighthouse-shaped shell tip. The town says it tastes like soft, slightly sweet abalone. Grilled whelk is a festival favorite42
Gokkan Buri (極寒ブリ) Seafood Wild yellowtail over 7 kg, landed by the Shiranuka cooperative and bled on board. The name was trademarked in 2023, and a processing plant opened in September 202337
Tako-tsubu Steak Don (白糠タコつぶステーキ丼) Local dish A new local rice bowl of octopus and whelk created in 20157
Rakukeisha cheese (白糠酪恵舎) Dairy Italian-style cheeses: mozzarella, soft and hard types. The dairy also makes whey-cured mackerel (ホエイ鯖) and whey ice cream. The shop is at Charo Higashi 1-sen. The dairy's own site gives 9:00–16:30, closed on irregular days and at New Year; the town's page still says 9:00–17:001843
Charo sheep-farm lamb (茶路めん羊牧場) Meat Mutō Kōji settled in Shiranuka as a shepherd in 1988 and keeps about 700 sheep of 11 breeds38. His Farm Restaurant Cuore serves the lamb (see Sights)44
Ezo venison (鹿肉) Meat High-protein, low-fat venison sold as game meat. Makiba (馬木葉) is a listed supplier45
Koma-odori Monaka (駒おどり最中) Sweets Bean-paste wafers named after the town's Koma-odori dance. Sold since 1952 at Kyōka Torashin (郷菓 とら信), a sweet shop on Humming Road founded in 194846
Maple and walnut syrup Sweets Made from Itaya maple and Japanese walnut sap collected only in February–March and boiled down to 1/40–1/50 of its volume. Produced by North Berry Land at Odoroki no Mori47
Salmon roe (いくら) Furusato nozei gift Won the overall grand prize in ESSE's "Furusato Grand Prix 2019"7

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Shiranuka Road Race (白糠町ロードレース大会) Late March–early April 3, 5 and 10 km courses, with more than 500 runners48. The 40th race was held in 20197
Minato in Shiranuka Tairyō Matsuri (港in白糠大漁まつり) Late June Harbor festival (listed by Japanese Wikipedia; not confirmed by the town)8
Shiranuka Itsukushima Shrine Grand Festival (白糠厳島神社例大祭) Late July (24–26 July in 2026) Portable shrines parade through the town. On the last day the bearers carry the mikoshi into the sea on the beach east of the port. Children for the children's mikoshi are recruited from the public49. In 2019 the festival was chosen for DyDo Drinco's "Festivals of Japan" series7
Koitoi Summer Fes (恋問サマーフェス) Marine Day (20 July in 2026) Special event at the roadside station, with a prize draw for hairy crabs50
Minato in Shiranuka Fireworks (港inしらぬか花火大会) August (22 August 2026, the 12th) 10,000 fireworks at a special venue in Shiranuka fishing port, with food stalls, dance and comedy shows51. The display was revived in 2015 after a 20-year gap7
Furusato Matsuri Icharpa (ふるさと祭イチャルパ) August Ainu memorial rite for ancestors52. The 48th was held on 2 August 2026 at Urespa Chise53
Humpe (Whale) Matsuri Icharpa (フンペ祭イチャルパ) September Ainu rite based on the whale legend52
Coming Paradise (カミングパラダイス) Early September Street festival on Humming Road, closed to traffic for stalls, a flea market, children's games and stage shows. The town says it is usually held in early September; its page for the 33rd festival gives 5–6 September54. The 25th was held in 20177. Japanese Wikipedia gives mid-September8
Gurutto Shoro Dam Autumn-Leaves Walk (ぐるっと庶路ダム紅葉ウオーク) Mid-October (18 October 2026, the 21st) Walk at your own pace around the dam lake in autumn color55
Shishamo Matsuri (ししゃも祭) November Ainu prayer for safe and plentiful shishamo fishing52
Shiranuka Shishamo Day (白糠ししゃもの日) 11 November A limited-quantity shishamo sale at the roadside station (held on 8 November in 2025)56
Shiranuka Marugoto Taiken Marché (しらぬかまるごと体験マルシェ) February, in Sapporo Promotional market in Sapporo. The 9th was held on 19–20 February 2026 at DO-BOX EAST, in the Hokkaido Shimbun building57
  • Itsukushima Shrine (厳島神社): marked its 120th anniversary in 2017. The sea procession that year used a new mikoshi, the first in 33 years7.
  • Shiranuka Koma-odori (白糠駒踊り): the town's own folk performing art (郷土芸能)46. It marked 100 years in 2019 and was performed at the "Hokkaido Day" of the 2010 Shanghai Expo7.
  • "Taiyō no Te" (太陽の手) monument: a monument to pioneers, raised in 1966. Since 2011 it has held a roll of 203 honored citizens7.
  • Humming Road (ハミングロード): the main street in front of the station. In 1991 it became Japan's first designated district for good-quality advertising landscape (広告景観優良地区)7.

Ainu heritage
  • Dance and ritual: the Shiranuka Ainu Culture Preservation Society (白糠アイヌ文化保存会) was founded in April 198458. It was later added as a holder of Ainu Traditional Dance (アイヌ古式舞踊), a nationally designated Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property. The town dates this to 1995; a Japanese Wikipedia biography of Shitaku Yae gives 1994759. The dance was designated in 1984 and added to UNESCO's intangible heritage list in 200960.
  • Humperimse (whale dance): in the legend, people at Pashikuru shared a whale stranded on the shore and danced in thanks. A whale-shaped monument, put up by the town in January 1996, marks the site where the dance is said to have begun. The Shiranuka Ainu Association holds its whale festival rite in front of it every September1961.
  • Shiranuka Ainu Association (白糠アイヌ協会): founded in April 1975 as a branch of the Hokkaido Utari Association and reorganized in April 201458. It holds the "three great Ainu festivals" each year (see the festivals table)52.
  • Urespa Chise (ウレシパチセ, "house where we raise one another"): an Ainu culture center for workshops and exchange. It moved from Wattenbetsu to the foot of Higashiyama Park, beside the Ainu memorial, and reopened there in April 20182061. Address: Higashi 3-jō Kita 1-chōme 2-27. Open Tuesday–Sunday 10:00–18:00, free entry (closed Mondays and 29 December–3 January)20.
  • Ainu Museum Pokoro (アイヌミュージアム ポコㇿ): exhibits on Ainu life, including a 1:60 diorama of a kotan (village) with projection mapping, a reconstructed chise house with its altar and raised storehouse, ceremonial and everyday clothing, films of the three festivals, and embroidery by Mamiya Kiyoko62. The roadside station says it reopened after renovation in April 2024 and is about 35 minutes away by car63. Its address and hours were not confirmed.
  • Chashi sites: the town's Ainu culture site describes three fortified-hill (chashi) sites around the town center: Saka-no-oka, Shirieto (above the Okunep River, next to the Ainu memorial where the August rite is held) and Sekitan-misaki61.
  • Living traditions: the town's "Urespa Shirarika" videos show traditional marek (マレク) hook fishing and dishes such as chitatap64. Since 2013, the town newsletter has run a long series on the town's Ainu place names23.
  • Taiwan links: in 2016 the Ainu association signed a friendship agreement with an Indigenous weaving association in Wulai, New Taipei City7.

Sister & friendship cities
  • Xiamen, Fujian, China: in 2001 the town signed friendship ties with Xiamen's Xinglin District (杏林区) and Xiamen University7. Japanese Wikipedia gives the date as 25 September 2001 and describes the partner simply as Xiamen City8.
  • Wulai District, New Taipei City, Taiwan: friendship exchange agreement signed in 20177.
  • Honbetsu (domestic): comprehensive exchange and cooperation agreement signed in 20137.

Notable people
  • Shitaku Yae (四宅ヤエ, 1904–1980): born in Shiranuka. She kept the Shiranuka dialect of Ainu, yukar epics and songs alive, and her recordings have been published and used as language-teaching material59.
  • Koshino Tadanori (越野忠則, born 1966): judoka from a Shiranuka fishing family. He won the 1991 world title and an Olympic bronze medal at 60 kg in Barcelona in 199290.
  • Itō Gōichi (伊藤郷一, 1900–1987): born in Shiranuka Village. He served seven terms in the House of Representatives91.

Sources

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

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