One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Chippubetsu秩父別町
Broccoli fields, roses and a bell tower
Sorachi region · Inland central Hokkaido: coal heritage, wineries and seasonal fields.
Chippubetsu grows some of Japan's best broccoli and keeps a rose garden of hundreds of varieties at the foot of its landmark tower.
Chippubetsu is a small farm town on Route 233 between Fukagawa and the Rumoi hills, settled by tondenhei soldier-farmers in the 1890s. It grows some of the most highly regarded broccoli in Japan, and it has a landmark you cannot miss: a tall commemorative tower with a bell that rings over the fields. At its foot is a rose garden of hundreds of varieties, and the town also has a hot spring and a roadside station named for the bell. Ideal as a half-day stop on the way to the coast.
- Region
- Sorachi (空知)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~153 km · 2.4 h summer / 2.8 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~125 km · 1.9 h summer / 2.3 h winter
- Best season in Sorachi
- Canola usually in mid to late May, the coal museum from spring to autumn (closed in winter); winery visits depend on each winery.
Chippubetsu 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 Chippubetsu
Centennial Tower
開基百年記念塔
A tall tower built for the town's centenary, with an observation deck and a large bell that sounds over the plain. From the top the view runs over broccoli and rice fields to the Shokanbetsu range.
Rose Garden Chippubetsu
ローズガーデンちっぷべつ
A town rose garden at the foot of the tower with several hundred varieties in formal beds, arches and borders. Two blooms a year, in late June and again in September.
Michi-no-Eki Kane-no-naru-machi Chippubetsu
道の駅鐘のなるまち・ちっぷべつ
The roadside station (Michi-no-Eki) on Route 233 at the edge of town, with broccoli in every form in season, local rice and a park beside it. The town hot spring is nearby.
Getting to Chippubetsu
Chippubetsu has no railway; the nearest station is Fukagawa on the JR Hakodate Main Line, about 15 minutes away by car or bus. Route 233 runs through the town and the Fukagawa–Rumoi Expressway has a Chippubetsu interchange. Sapporo is about 2 hours by car, Asahikawa Airport a little over an hour.
Sorachi region: Between Sapporo and Asahikawa by JR or car. Sights are spread out, so check the last leg from the station; anyone tasting wine should not drive.
When to visit Chippubetsu
Late June and September for the roses, July to October for broccoli at its best. September also brings the rice harvest and the clearest views from the tower. Winter is deep snow and the hot spring.
What to eat in Chippubetsu
Broccoli is the town's crop and the reason its name is known to Japanese chefs; it is sold fresh at the roadside station and cooked into everything from curry to croquettes. Rice from the plain and seasonal vegetables from the same farms fill the rest of the stand.
Chippubetsu in context: the Sorachi region
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Coal mining shaped many Sorachi towns, and places such as Yubari and Mikasa still keep that history in museums, rail relics and quiet main streets.
Towns near Chippubetsu
Read next
More towns in Sorachi
Other regions: Ishikari · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Kamikawa · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro