One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Atsuma厚真町
Haskap fields, rice paddies and a surf beach on the Pacific
Iburi region · Noboribetsu, Lake Toya and Upopoy: plan a trip through Iburi.
Atsuma leads Japan in haskap berries — the tart blue fruit of the north — and its Pacific beach is a surprising surf spot.
Atsuma is a farming town of low hills and rice paddies just east of Tomakomai, with a strip of Pacific coast at Hamaatsuma where surfers park along the beach. It grows more haskap, the tart blue berry native to this region, than anywhere in Japan, and the fruit is its identity. In 2018 the town was the epicentre of the eastern Iburi earthquake, and the scarred hillsides are still part of the landscape. It suits travelers who want quiet farm country close to the airport, and surfers looking for waves near New Chitose.
- Region
- Iburi (胆振)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~29 km · 24 min summer / 30 min winter
- From Sapporo
- ~83 km · 1.3 h summer / 1.5 h winter
- Best season in Iburi
- Hot springs work across the seasons. Check current event dates for Lake Toya fireworks and allow more time for winter transfers; outdoor paths and transport can be affected by weather.
Atsuma at a glance
Drive estimates: straight-line × 1.35, at 65 km/h (summer) / 55 km/h (winter). How we calculate
What to see in Atsuma
Haskap fields
ハスカップ畑
Rows of low bushes across the town's farmland carry deep-blue berries from late June into July. Pick-your-own farms open for the short harvest, and the fruit ends up in jam, juice, wine and sweets sold around town.
Hamaatsuma beach
浜厚真海岸
A long, open Pacific beach with consistent surf and a car park right on the sand, one of the busiest surf spots in Hokkaido because it is so close to Sapporo and the airport. Hamaatsuma station on the Hidaka Line is a short walk inland.
Onuma campground
大沼野営場
A town-run campground on a small forest lake in the hills, with a lakeside woodland and a quiet, unfussy feel. It is the kind of place locals use on a weekday evening.
Rice country and the quake landscape
田園と地震の風景
Atsuma's paddies produce one of Iburi's better-known rice brands, and the road through them passes hillsides stripped bare by the 2018 landslides, now slowly greening. It is a sobering and honest piece of Hokkaido, and the farm stands along the way are the town's recovery in action.
Getting to Atsuma
New Chitose Airport is about 30 to 40 minutes by car via the Hidaka Expressway or Route 235, and Sapporo about 1.5 hours. Hamaatsuma station on the JR Hidaka Line, the short line from Tomakomai to Mukawa, is the town's only railway stop, with a handful of local trains a day; the town centre is inland along Route 235 and the Atsuma river.
Iburi region: Plan rail journeys to Shiraoi, Noboribetsu or Toya, then check the final local connection. Noboribetsu Station is not in the hot-spring town, and Toya Station is not on the Toyako Onsen lakefront. Check bus or hotel pickup times before booking accommodation; a rail journey alone does not get you to the ryokan door.
When to visit Atsuma
Late June to July for the haskap harvest, the only time the fresh berries are around. Summer and early autumn for the beach, when the water is warmest and the surf is steady. September brings rice harvest and golden paddies; winter is quiet, with light snow for Hokkaido.
What to eat in Atsuma
Haskap is everywhere: fresh for a few weeks, then as jam, juice, ice cream, wine and sweets year-round. Atsuma rice is well regarded in Hokkaido and appears on tables across the region. The coast contributes hokki clams and flounder, and the hills raise beef and pork.
Atsuma in context: the Iburi region
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Iburi is a region of southwestern Hokkaido, not a single town. It includes Noboribetsu, Lake Toya, Shiraoi, Muroran and Tomakomai. Use it as the part of your Hokkaido trip for hot springs, volcanic scenery and learning about Ainu culture at Upopoy in Shiraoi.