One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Higashikagura東神楽町
The airport town at the foot of the mountains
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Higashikagura holds Asahikawa's airport and a lakeside forest park — the flower-bed-lined gateway to the Furano–Biei corridor.
Higashikagura is the small town south of Asahikawa that holds the region's airport, so many visitors pass through without noticing it. It is worth a pause. Rice paddies run flat to the Chubetsu River, the town plants flower beds along its main roads every summer, and a forest park with a pond sits at the edge of the hills. With Biei twenty minutes south and Asahidake an hour east, it is a convenient first or last night for anyone flying in or out.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~161 km · 2.5 h summer / 2.9 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~154 km · 2.4 h summer / 2.8 h winter
- Best season in Kamikawa
- Choose dates around the flowers, autumn foliage or winter scenery you want to see. Check local conditions and seasonal transport before booking.
Higashikagura 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 Higashikagura
Higashikagura Forest Park
東神楽森林公園
A wooded park with a pond, campground and walking paths at the foot of the hills east of town. Quiet, family-friendly and a short drive from the airport.
Flower-lined roads
花のまちの道路
Each summer the town plants long beds of flowers along its main streets and around the airport approach, part of a decades-old 'flower town' program.
Chubetsu River and the paddies
忠別川と田園
The river that drains Asahidake runs along the town's edge, with a levee path for walking and cycling and flat rice fields on both banks looking up to the Daisetsu range.
Getting to Higashikagura
Asahikawa Airport is inside the town, with buses to Asahikawa, Biei and Furano. There is no railway; JR Asahikawa station is about 30 minutes by car or bus. Route 237 runs through town toward Biei, and Sapporo is about two hours by car via the Doo Expressway.
Kamikawa region: Asahikawa Airport and Asahikawa Station are useful entry points. Plan the onward journey separately: reaching a railway station is not the same as reaching a flower farm, the Blue Pond or a mountain ropeway. Check seasonal bus services and the last return departure.
When to visit Higashikagura
June to August, when the flower beds are at their best and the paddies are green. Early October for the yellow rice fields before harvest. Winter is fine for transit, since the airport handles snow well, but the town itself is quiet.
What to eat in Higashikagura
Rice is the main crop, grown with water from the Chubetsu River and sold under the town's name. Vegetables and edible flowers come from local farms, and there are farm shops and cafés near the airport road.
Higashikagura in context: the Kamikawa region
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Kamikawa is a large inland region of Hokkaido that includes Asahikawa, Furano, Biei and gateways to Daisetsuzan National Park. It is also the name of Kamikawa town, where Sounkyo Onsen is located. This page helps you choose between the region's sightseeing areas; use the town guide below if Sounkyo is your destination.
Towns near Higashikagura
Read next
More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro