One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Furubira古平町
A herring-heritage port under a sea-stack cliff
Shiribeshi region · Otaru's canal, Yoichi whisky, Niseko snow and the Shakotan coast.
Furubira is a herring-heritage port under sea-stack cliffs, still landing uni and salmon on the Shakotan coast.
Furubira is the fishing town between Yoichi and Shakotan on the peninsula's north coast, where the road squeezes between the sea and the cliffs and the great rock of Setakamui rises from the water. It was a herring port, and the fishing culture never left: the July shrine festival still walks tengu through fire, and uni and salmon still land at the quay. A public hot spring and a campground make it a base for the whole coast without Shakotan's summer crowds.
- Region
- Shiribeshi (後志)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~134 km · 2.1 h summer / 2.4 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~83 km · 1.3 h summer / 1.5 h winter
- Best season in Shiribeshi
- Winter for skiing around Niseko; summer for the Shakotan coast and Yoichi fruit, after checking current trail closures. Otaru works in any season.
Furubira 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 Furubira
Setakamui Rock
セタカムイ岩
A tall sea stack standing off the coast west of town, named in Ainu legend for a dog that turned to stone waiting for its drowned master. The Route 229 lookout above it is the classic view.
Kotohira Shrine festival
琴平神社例大祭
Each July the town's shrine festival culminates in the tengu fire-walk, when masked figures stride through a blaze while the whole town watches. It is among the best known on the peninsula.
Furubira Onsen
古平温泉
The town's public hot-spring bath, a place to soak with the coast road behind you and the Sea of Japan close at hand. Simple, and the natural end to a day on this shore.
Getting to Furubira
Route 229 runs through town, about an hour from Otaru and 20 minutes short of Bikuni in Shakotan; the Tomaru Pass road crosses to Kamoenai in summer. Buses from Otaru along the coast stop here. No railway; Sapporo is about two hours by car and New Chitose Airport about two and a half.
Shiribeshi region: JR links New Chitose Airport and Sapporo with Otaru. For Niseko, choose your hotel first, then a seasonal airport bus or JR with a local transfer. For Cape Kamui, change at Bikuni to the town bus and check whether it serves your stop on your date.
When to visit Furubira
June to August for sea urchin and the calm coast, with the fire festival in July as the peak. Autumn brings salmon into the port. Winter is storm season on this shore, and the tunnels on Route 229 are what keep the road open.
What to eat in Furubira
Sea urchin in summer and salmon in autumn are the town's catch, with squid, Atka mackerel and abalone alongside. Herring, the fish that built the port, still appears as dried fillets and in local dishes. The harbour front is where to eat it.
Furubira in context: the Shiribeshi region
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Shiribeshi is a region of western Hokkaido made up of 20 municipalities, from Otaru and Yoichi on the coast to Kutchan and Niseko inland. In winter, Niseko and Kutchan are bases for skiing within sight of Mt. Yotei. In any season, Otaru's canal, stone warehouses and sushi counters make a day trip from Sapporo.