Hokkaido Places

City Sorachi Subprefecture

Utashinai 歌志内市

うたしないし

Japan's least-populous city. This former coal town peaked at about 46,000 people in 1948 and now has about 2,400. Since the mines closed it has rebuilt itself around Swiss-chalet architecture, a hot spring fed from an old mine shaft, and a hilltop known for seas of clouds.

Population (2020 Census)
2,989
Area
55.95 km²
Official website
www.city.utashinai.hokkaido.jp

Known for

  • Japan's smallest city by population. Utashinai became the least-populous city in Japan at the 1975 census. In 1981 it became the first Japanese city to fall below 10,000 residents, and since November 2007 it has had fewer than 5,0006.
  • Coal-mining heritage. Mining began at the Sorachi mine in 1890. At its peak the city produced about 700,000 tonnes of coal a year, and the population reached 46,171 in July 1948. The last mine, Sorachi, closed in 19956.
  • Nanko (なんこ). This miners' dish of horse intestines simmered in miso is the city's signature food9.
  • A Swiss/Tyrolean look. Public buildings, including the roadside station and the Tirol no Yu hot-spring lodge, were built in Swiss style under the "Training Camp Utashinai Swiss Land" plan (トレーニングキャンプ歌志内スイスランド計画)10.
  • Tirol no Yu (チロルの湯). A sodium-bicarbonate hot spring that flows at 650 litres a minute from the entrance of a former coal mine11.
  • Kamoi-dake (かもい岳). The mountain has a sea of clouds at dawn and the Kamoidake International Ski Area (かもい岳国際スキー場)1213.
  • Hiwabetsu Roman-za (悲別ロマン座). A former miners' hall used as a setting for Sō Kuramoto's 1984 TV drama Kinō, Hiwabetsu de (昨日、悲別で)14. It is now a component property of the Japan Heritage story "Tan-Tetsu-Kō" (炭鉄港)15.
  • Cherry-blossom cycling road. A 10 km trail on the bed of the old JR Utashinai Line, lined with cherry trees in early May16.

Sights & activities

Nature & scenery

  • Kamoi-dake sea of clouds (かもい高原の雲海). You can drive to the summit. Clouds are most likely at dawn and in the early morning, and more common in spring and autumn12. The Kamui-dake East Observatory (神威岳東展望台) is near the top16.
  • Cherry-blossom cycling road. About 10 km along the old JR Utashinai Line, from Memorial Park to the cycling rest house at the former Yakeyama Station in Sunagawa. Cherries bloom in early May and the leaves turn in autumn16. Replica station signs have been put up at five former station sites in the city18.
  • Utashinai Park (歌志内公園) is near the city centre16.

Onsen

  • Tirol no Yu (チロルの湯), Aza-Nakamura 78-3.
    • Water: sodium-bicarbonate spring (ナトリウム–炭酸水素塩泉), rising at 650 L a minute from an old mine entrance. It feels slightly slippery and is known as a bijin-no-yu ("beauty bath")1142.
    • Baths: outdoor bath, sauna, bubble bath, single-person tsubo-yu pots, and a black-silica rest area42.
    • Day bathing: 6:00–8:00 (morning bath) and 10:00–22:00. Adults ¥500, elementary-school children ¥30042.
    • Lodging: 10 Japanese-style and 2 Western-style rooms. Adults pay ¥6,000–6,500 with no meals and ¥9,800–10,300 with dinner and breakfast43.
  • Unkai no Sato Kamoidake (雲海の里かもい岳). A hotel next to the ski area with a Finnish sauna you can pour water on, a large bath and a medicinal bath. Day bathing cost ¥50044. Day bathing and hotel stays have been suspended since 29 Mar 2026 while the facility is improved. Reopening will be announced on its website24.

Museums & heritage

  • Kyōdokan Yume-Tsumugi (郷土館ゆめつむぎ), Aza-Honchō 1027-1. Open 10:00–17:00. Closed Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday) and 30 Dec–4 Jan. Admission is free41.
  • Komorebi-no-Mori Memorial Hall (こもれびの杜記念館), Aza-Honchō 74-4. This is the former Sorachi Coal Mine Club. The Western-style main building and the sukiya-style annex have been restored. It opens early May to late September, and you must book through the museum at least a week ahead (tel. 0125-43-2131)16.
  • Hiwabetsu Roman-za (悲別ロマン座). The former Sumitomo Kami-Uta Mine Hall (旧住友上歌砿会館), a welfare hall for mine workers1614. It is listed as a component of Japan Heritage Story #068, "Tan-Tetsu-Kō"15.
  • Other mining sites. You can see the entrance of the old Sumitomo Utashinai mine from the pavement, but do not enter the private land around it. There is also a historic-site plaza in the Kami-Uta district16.

Outdoor & seasonal activities

  • Kamoidake International Ski Area (かもい岳国際スキー場), Aza-Utakami 95-9.
    • Lifts: two, No. 1 (1,002 m) and No. 2 (584 m).
    • Runs: Bambi (600 m, 12–18°), 1st Slope (1,400 m, up to 27°), a race course (1,200 m, 17–29°), a training slope and a 2nd slope.
    • Off-piste: when there is enough snow, a West powder area for advanced riders opens. It costs ¥2,900 on top of a lift ticket and has a free shuttle back45.
    • Prices for 2025–26: a one-day ticket was ¥6,000 for residents and ¥8,000 for non-residents46.
    • The season usually runs from early December to late March13.
  • Kamoidake Village (かもい岳ビレッヂ). Cottages with an auto-campground. A park-golf course is nearby16. These are listed on the 2022 guide map; whether they still operate is unverified.

Food experiences

  • Try nanko-nabe at the Tirol no Yu restaurant. Lunch is 11:30–14:00 (noodles only 14:00–14:30) and dinner is 17:00–20:0032.
  • Pick up Kamoi Kogen honey at the Tirol no Yu shop34.

Roadside stations (Michi-no-Eki)

Utashinai Tirol no Yu (道の駅うたしないチロルの湯)

  • Location: Aza-Nakamura 72-2, Utashinai, beside Prefectural Road 114 (Akabira–Naie Line). It is the front entrance to the Tirol no Yu hot-spring complex226. Mapcode: 179 016 09522.
  • Hours: Station and shop: 9:00–18:00 (April–October) and 10:00–16:00 (November–March). Restaurant/café: 10:00–18:00 and 11:00–16:00 in the same periods22. Closed on Mondays (the next day if Monday is a holiday) and 30 Dec–4 Jan47. Hours are sometimes shortened; in March 2026, for example, several weekdays ran 10:00–15:0048. (as of September 2026 — check before visiting)
  • Shops & products: After the April 2025 renewal the shop sells house plants, gardening supplies and aroma products49. The official Michi-no-Eki site still lists its food and souvenir information as "in preparation"22. Kamoi Kogen honey is sold at the Tirol no Yu shop next door, not in the station itself34.
  • Food: A café was added at the 2025 renewal49. For a full meal, the Tirol no Yu restaurant next door serves nanko-nabe, tempura and tonkatsu set meals, tendon, ramen and ankake yakisoba32. No soft-serve or other signature menu is documented.
  • Facilities:
    • Parking: the city lists 86 spaces47; the official Michi-no-Eki site lists 8 large and 65 standard22.
    • Covered parking for disabled drivers that can be used in snow, and road-heated walkways to the toilets.
    • Toilets with warm-water bidet seats, an accessible toilet and an ostomate toilet.
    • Wi-Fi, a nursing room and diaper-changing table.
    • Credit-card and other cashless payment.
    • A tourist information terminal with weather and traffic information.
    • Direct access to the Tirol no Yu hot spring and lodging2247.
    • The official site does not mention EV charging or 24-hour toilets (unverified).
  • Notes:
    • Registered on 17 April 1998 as Hokkaido Michi-no-Eki No. 5622.
    • The stamp can be used 24 hours a day, including on closed days22.
    • The building is one of the city's Swiss-style public buildings10, and historical photographs of Utashinai are on display inside47.
    • It reopened on 8 April 2025 under a new designated manager2249.
    • Nearby Michi-no-Eki: Star Plaza Ashibetsu (道の駅スタープラザ芦別) in Ashibetsu, House Yarubi Naie (道の駅ハウスヤルビ奈井江) in Naie, and Takikawa (道の駅たきかわ) in Takikawa50.

Getting there & around

  • Rail: Utashinai has had no railway since the JR Utashinai Line (Sunagawa–Utashinai, 14.5 km) closed on 25 April 198821. The nearest stations are Sunagawa on the Hakodate Main Line and Akabira on the Nemuro Main Line. By car, the ski area is about 18 minutes from JR Sunagawa Station and 13 minutes from JR Akabira Station51.
  • Buses: Hokkaido Chuo Bus runs the Utashinai Line from Takikawa Station via Sunagawa City Hospital to Akabira (Shōwa / Miyashita-chō)52. The city says the trip takes about 60 minutes from Takikawa Station via Sunagawa and about 20 minutes from Akabira Station53.
  • By car:
    • Expressway: the nearest exit on the Dō-Ō Expressway is the ETC-only Sunagawa SA Smart IC, about 12 minutes from the ski area51. The Naie-Sunagawa IC is about 20 minutes from the city53.
    • Roads: the main routes are Prefectural Roads 114 (Akabira–Naie) and 115 (Ashibetsu–Sunagawa)6. The main east–west road links to National Routes 12 and 3853.
  • Travel times:
    • From Sapporo by car: the city gives about 60 minutes53, while the ski area and the Japan Heritage portal give 1 hour 20–22 minutes5154.
    • From Sapporo by train and bus via Sunagawa: about 2 hours 30 minutes54.
    • From Asahikawa: about 50 minutes via the Takikawa IC53.
  • Airports: New Chitose Airport is about 90 minutes by car and Asahikawa Airport about 80 minutes12.
  • Getting around: Bus service within the city is thin, so a car is the practical way to reach Kamoi-dake, the ski area and the outlying heritage sites.

Practical tips

  • Best seasons. Go in early May for the cherry tunnel on the cycling road37. Visit in spring or autumn and arrive at dawn for the Kamoi-dake sea of clouds12. Early July brings the SYOTTEKE festival38, and early December to late March is ski season13.
  • Check closures before you go.
    • The Michi-no-Eki is closed on Mondays47.
    • Tirol no Yu closes for 2–3 days each June and November for maintenance11.
    • The Unkai no Sato Kamoidake hotel and spa have been suspended since March 202624.
    • Late in the 2025–26 season the ski area announced opening days one at a time on its blog40. It then closed from 22 to 27 March and ended the season on 28–29 March55.
  • Heritage visits. The Komorebi-no-Mori Memorial Hall needs a booking at least a week ahead through the local museum16.
  • Winter driving. The city gets about 10 m of snow a year27. Allow extra time on mountain roads and fit winter tyres from November to April.
  • Cycling. The cycling road crosses prefectural roads at several points, so watch for traffic16.
  • Wildlife. As elsewhere in Hokkaido's mountain forests, watch for brown bears and Ezo deer, especially on early-morning drives to Kamoi-dake (general caution).
  • Tourist information. Contact the city's Industry Division (産業課), tel. 0125-42-321512.

More about Utashinai

At a glance
Field Details
Type (種別) City (市)
Subprefecture (振興局) Sorachi (空知総合振興局)
District (郡) None (cities are not part of a district)
Population (人口) 2,989 (2020 Census, 令和2年国勢調査)1; 2,430 in 1,539 households (resident register, 31 Aug 2026)2. The 2025 Census preliminary count was 2,4513. English Wikipedia gives 3,019 for 31 Dec 2020, citing city population statistics rather than the census4
Area (面積) 55.95 km²5
Density (人口密度) About 43 per km² (2,430 ÷ 55.95 km²)
Municipal history (沿革) Split from Nae Village (奈江村, now Sunagawa) as Utashinai Village on 1 Jul 1897. Second-class village in 1906, first-class village in 1919, town (歌志内町) on 1 Apr 1940, city on 1 Jul 1958. In 1949 part of its area went to the new town of Kamisunagawa. Merger talks with neighbours in 2003–04 and 2006–08 ended without a merger6
Neighboring municipalities (隣接) Ashibetsu (east and south), Akabira (north), Sunagawa and Kamisunagawa (southwest and west)7
Symbols (市の木・花・鳥) Tree: Japanese rowan (ナナカマド). Flower: azalea (ツツジ). Bird: Japanese bush warbler (ウグイス)8
Mascot (シンボルキャラクター) Horun-kun (ホルンくん), a sheep in Swiss-style costume, chosen through a public contest in 19988
Official website (公式サイト) https://www.city.utashinai.hokkaido.jp/

Name origin
  • Official explanation. The city says its name comes from the Penke-Utashunai River (ペンケウタシュナイ川), which flows west through the city. In Ainu the name means "a stream with a lot of sand" (砂のたくさんある沢)8.
  • Ainu form. The place-name scholar Yamada Hidezō, as cited on Wikipedia, gives the source as ota-us-nay (オタウㇱナイ, "sand beach – attached to – river"). He suggests it contracted to Otashinai and that Japanese settlers then pronounced it Utashinai or Utashunai. Penke means "upper". A matching Panke-Utashunai ("lower") river flows further downstream17. English Wikipedia glosses ota-us-nay as "river connected to a sandy beach"4.
  • How the kanji were chosen. The area had no official place name until the railway came. After Benjamin Lyman's survey of the Sorachi coalfield it was called the "Otashinai coal mine". When the line opened in 1891, the terminus was given the phonetic kanji 歌志内 ("Utashinai"). The station at the other end was named Sunagawa (砂川, "sand river"), a translation of the same Ainu name. Both station names later became municipality names18.

History
  • Ainu era. The area is thought to have been Ainu living and hunting ground6.
  • Edo period. In the early 1800s the area belonged to the Kami-Kabata trading post (上カバタ場所) of western Ezo. From 1831 it belonged to the Ishikari post (イシカリ場所). Control passed back and forth between the Matsumae domain and the shogunate, and from 1859 until the Meiji Restoration the area was guarded by the Shōnai domain (庄内藩)6.
  • 1869. Became part of Sorachi District (空知郡), Ishikari Province6.
  • 1890. Hokkaido Colliery & Railway (北海道炭礦鉄道, "Hokutan") opened the Sorachi mine (空知炭鉱). The city counts this as its founding year (歌志内開基)6.
  • 5 July 1891. The railway from Sunagawa opened, together with Utashinai Station18.
  • 1 July 1897. Utashinai Village split from Nae Village. At first it covered what is now Utashinai, Akabira and Ashibetsu6.
  • 1897. Hokutan built the Sorachi mine's staff lodge. It later became the company's guest club and survives today as the Komorebi-no-Mori Memorial Hall16.
  • Early 1900s. Ashibetsu split off in 1900 and Akabira in 1922. Utashinai Shrine was founded in 19006.
  • Miners from Tohoku. Many miners came from northeastern Honshu, including Akita. They brought nanko with them, which is why it is eaten here today19.
  • Mine disasters. Gas explosions killed 76 people at Kami-Utashinai in 1924, 70 at Sumitomo's Saka mine in 1929, 24 in 1940, and 14 at Sumitomo's Utashinai mine in 19596.
  • 1940–1958. Utashinai became a town in 1940. The population peaked at 46,171 in July 1948. In 1949 part of its area went to the new town of Kamisunagawa, and on 1 July 1958 it became a city6.
  • Mine closures. Sumitomo's Shin-Utashinai mine closed in 1953, Hokutan's Kamui mine in 1963, Sumitomo's Utashinai works in 1971, Kami-Utashinai in 1988, and the Sorachi mine (空知炭鉱) in 19956.
  • 1964. To replace mining jobs, the city attracted Orient Leather. The company, now the saddle and leather-goods maker Somes Saddle (ソメスサドル), opened its Sunagawa factory in 199520 and moved its registered head office there in 20196.
  • 1973. Kamoidake Onsen opened6.
  • 1975. Utashinai became Japan's least-populous city6.
  • 25 April 1988. The JR Utashinai Line closed21.
  • 17 April 1998. The Michi-no-Eki Utashinai Tirol no Yu was registered22, and Horun-kun was created the same year8.
  • Late 2000s. In 2006 the Sorachi coal towns were found to have taken improper long-term loans (ヤミ起債) from a regional fund. In 2007 the city's only high school closed and the population fell below 5,000. In 2009 the national government placed the city under financial-soundness supervision (財政健全化団体)6.
  • 2019. The operator of the ski area and the Kamoidake hotel went bankrupt. Both closed at the end of February and reopened in 20206. The Chuo Bus Yakeyama route, which had replaced the rail line, ended the same year18.
  • 2021. The population fell below 3,000 in March. In April the primary and junior high schools merged into Utashinai Gakuen, a combined compulsory-education school6.
  • 2025. The city was certified as a national special zone for small-scale wine production6. The Michi-no-Eki reopened on 8 April under a new operator22.
  • 2026. The 40th Namahage Festival was cancelled23. The Kamoidake hotel closed temporarily from 29 March24. Tirol no Yu closed for works from 1 to 14 September and reopened on 15 September2526.

Geography & climate
  • Setting. Utashinai lies in the mountain foothills at the northeast edge of the Ishikari Plain, near the centre of Hokkaido. About 75% of the city is forest7.
  • Town layout. The Penke-Utashunai River runs east to west through a narrow valley. The town is spread along the flat land and slopes on both banks7. The river flows through Sunagawa to join the Ishikari River17.
  • Mountains. Mountains of around 600 m separate the city from Ashibetsu to the east and south, and Mt. Akabira and Kamoi-dake mark the northern boundary with Akabira7.
  • Peaks. Mt. Penke (辺毛山, ペンケ山, 811 m) is the highest point of both Utashinai and Kamisunagawa and has no trail67. Other peaks are Nishiyama (西山, 543 m), Kamoi-dake (神威岳, 467 m) and Mt. Akabira (赤平山, 364 m)6.
  • Parks. No national or quasi-national park lies within the city.
  • Climate. The climate is inland. The city says average annual snowfall over the past 10 years has been about 10 m, and that storm and flood damage is rare27. There is no JMA temperature station in the city.
  • Nearest weather station. The closest one is in neighbouring Ashibetsu (91 m elevation). Its 1991–2020 averages are an annual mean of 7.4 °C, a January mean of −6.4 °C (daily minimum −11.3 °C), an August mean of 21.4 °C (daily maximum 26.9 °C), 1,142 mm of precipitation, 666 cm of snowfall a year and a mean deepest snow cover of 81 cm28. The city is higher and gets more snow.

Economy & industry
  • The coal past. Coal was the main industry until the mines closed, with output of about 700,000 tonnes a year at its height6.
  • Industrial park. The city is selling plots in the Monju industrial estate (文珠団地), marketed on its access to Sapporo and the Dō-Ō Expressway6.
  • Health and welfare. The Sorachi Subprefecture describes Utashinai as a town of "health and welfare" (健康と福祉の里). It points to tourism around Tirol no Yu and Kamoi-dake and to the city's day-service and nursing facilities for older people29.
  • Wine. The city began test-growing grapes around 2016 on former mining land. It handed the vineyard to a local private company around 2021. In 2025 it was certified as a national special zone that cuts the minimum annual production for a winery licence from 6,000 to 2,000 litres. The company planned to start making wine from autumn 20256. The grower listed by the city is L'atelier du sol (ラトリエ デュ ソル), which grows Sauvignon Blanc and Pinot Noir30. (Whether its winery has opened is unverified.)
  • Small producers. Local businesses include Yoshida Apiary (吉田養蜂園), which makes Kamoi Kogen honey; Kimura Butcher (木村精肉店); Peach and Flower (ピーチアンドフラワー), which makes additive-free pet treats31; and Kato Juseki-en (加藤樹石苑), a gemstone and fossil polisher30.
  • Population. 1,358 residents, or 55.88%, were aged 65 or over at the end of August 20262. Between the 2015 and 2020 censuses the population fell by 596, from 3,585 to 2,9891.
  • City finances. Recovering from the loan scandal and the 2009 financial-soundness designation left the city with tight finances6.

Local specialties
Specialty Category Details & where to get it
Nanko (なんこ) / nanko-nabe (なんこ鍋) Signature dish (ご当地グルメ) Horse intestines simmered until tender and flavoured with miso. It is often cooked with konnyaku, bamboo shoots, onion and burdock, and every family has its own recipe9. Miners from Akita ate horse meat in the Edo period. In Hokkaido's coalfields the dish switched to horse intestine19. You can order the nanko-nabe set meal at the Tirol no Yu restaurant32, and it is sold at stalls during the SYOTTEKE festival33
Kamoi Kogen honey (かもい高原はちみつ) Sweets / honey Made by Yoshida Apiary in acacia and mixed-wildflower (百花蜜) varieties31. It has been sold at the Tirol no Yu shop since 13 Nov 2024. Acacia costs ¥4,500 for 450 g and ¥1,800 for 150 g; wildflower costs ¥3,300 for 450 g34
Utashinai wine Wine A furusato nozei gift set pairs 2007 and 2008 vintages labelled "Penke Utashunai" (ペンケ・ウタシュナイ), made from Utashinai-grown grapes31
Lamb jingisukan (ジンギスカン) Meat Thick-cut (7 mm) lamb from Kimura Butcher, a local butcher of 60 years; available as a furusato nozei gift31. The 2022 city guide map shows the shop, Niku no Kimura (肉の木村), with a "歌志内名物ナンコ" sign16
Ezo deer (エゾシカ) products Game meat Ezo deer curry by Rindō (りんどう) and hunter-direct venison loin, both furusato nozei gifts31
Pet treats Brand product Additive-free dog and cat treats from Peach and Flower, including chicken, venison jerky and apple chips. They are among the city's most popular furusato nozei gifts31
Ornamental stones (観賞石) Craft Kato Juseki-en (加藤樹石苑) at Aza-Nakamura 58 polishes Hokkaido rhyolite and ammonites. The city calls owner Katō Sonomi Japan's only female stone polisher30
Junpei no Isu (純平の椅子) Craft Handmade chairs of natural wood, offered only as furusato nozei gifts30

Furusato nozei (ふるさと納税) donations can be made through Furusato Choice, Rakuten, Satofull, ANA and JAL35.

Culture & festivals
Event When Highlights
Utashinai Namahage Festival (歌志内なまはげ祭り) February, usually the first Sunday, 17:00–18:00 A local version of the namahage ritual from Akita's Oga Peninsula. Masked demons in straw capes parade at the Community Center car park, then visit shops and homes to wish them business success and safety36. The 40th festival, planned for 8 Feb 2026, was cancelled because the general election fell on the same day23
Cherry blossoms on the cycling road Early May Ezo mountain cherries (エゾヤマザクラ) form a tunnel of blossom along the old railway line37
Utashinai Citizens' Festival "SYOTTEKE" (うたしない市民祭り「SYOTTEKE」) Early July (6 Jul in 2025) Held at the car park of the Community Center "Utamin" (うたみん). A coal mikoshi (portable shrine) weighing about 1 tonne is paraded, along with children's mikoshi. There is also taiko drumming, bands, yosakoi dancing, fireworks, and food stalls that serve nanko3833
Tirol Green Faire (チロル グリーンフェア) Spring 2026 (25–26 Apr) A house-plant and gardening fair at the Michi-no-Eki, with repotting service and pop-up craft stalls39
Winter events at Kamoi-dake Winter Snowboard and ski events, for example the "UTARI SOX 2026" banked slalom on 8 Mar 202640

  • Shrines. Utashinai Shrine (歌志内神社) was founded in 19006. The guide map also shows Nakamura Hachiman Shrine (中村八幡神社)16.

  • Museums. Kyōdokan Yume-Tsumugi (郷土館ゆめつむぎ) stands on the site of the old Utashinai Station. Its displays include:

    • a Taishō-era miners' row-house diorama and film, "Life in the Coal Mine" (炭鉱の生活)
    • a pitch-dark mine-tunnel room that the museum describes as unique in Japan
    • material on the Utashinai Line, which it calls Hokkaido's second railway after the Temiya–Horonai line
    • a corner on Akutagawa Prize winner Takahashi Kiichirō, with the actual prize on display

    Admission has been free since April 20224118.

  • Literature and film. Kunikida Doppo's Sorachigawa no kishibe (空知川の岸辺) and Takahashi Kiichirō's Tomoko (友子) are set in Utashinai6. Sō Kuramoto's TV drama Kinō, Hiwabetsu de made the Hiwabetsu Roman-za famous14.

Ainu heritage

Little Ainu history has been recorded for the area. There is no Ainu cultural facility in the city. The main traces are place names:

  • The city's own name comes from ota-us-nay (sand-beach river)17.
  • Kamoi-dake (神威岳) comes from the Ainu Kamuy nupuri, which the Japanese Wikipedia article glosses as a mountain with many wild animals such as bears and wolves6.
  • The highest peak, Mt. Penke (辺毛山), is named after Penke-so-oma-p (ペンケソーオマプ), an old name for the upper reaches of the Panke-Utashinai River6.
  • Before the 1941 renaming of districts, local aza names included Ainu-derived forms such as Sakushi (サクシ) and Rūkushi (ルークシ)6.

Visitors interested in Ainu culture usually go to Upopoy in Shiraoi.

Sister & friendship cities

None found. Utashinai used to be a sister city of Yamada City (山田市) in Fukuoka Prefecture, another coal town. The partnership ended in 2006, when Yamada merged into Kama City (嘉麻市)6. The year the partnership began is unverified.

Notable people
  • Saburi Shin (佐分利信): film actor, born in Utashinai6.
  • Takahashi Kiichirō (高橋揆一郎): Akutagawa Prize-winning novelist with links to the city. The local museum has a memorial corner for him641.
  • Shōji Utae (正司歌江): comedian and singer, a member of the trio Kashimashi Musume6.
  • Sasaki Tomio (佐々木富雄): alpine skier who competed at the 1968 Grenoble Winter Olympics6.
  • Wakasa Shigeyuki (若狭繁行): ski jumper6.

Sources

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

  1. 令和２年国勢調査結果（人口等基本集計）をお知らせします — 北海道歌志内市 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  2. 人口 — 北海道歌志内市 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  3. 令和７年国勢調査の人口概数 — 北海道歌志内市 JA accessed 2026-09-23
  4. Utashinai, Hokkaido — Wikipedia EN accessed 2026-09-23
  5. 令和8年全国都道府県市区町村別面積調（4月1日時点） — 国土地理院 JA accessed 2026-09-23
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