One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Kamikawa上川町
Sounkyo and the cliffs of Daisetsuzan
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Kamikawa town holds Sounkyo — Daisetsuzan's great gorge of columnar cliffs, ropeway alpine views, waterfalls and a winter ice festival.
Kamikawa town is the northern gateway to Daisetsuzan National Park, and its heart is Sounkyo, a hot-spring town wedged into a gorge of columnar basalt cliffs on the upper Ishikari River. The Kurodake ropeway climbs from the resort toward the alpine zone, waterfalls drop straight off the canyon walls and in winter the frozen river hosts an ice festival. The town also reaches east over Mikuni Pass toward the Tokachi side. Come for serious mountains and one of Hokkaido's best-known onsen.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~199 km · 3.1 h summer / 3.6 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~200 km · 3.1 h summer / 3.6 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.
Kamikawa 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 Kamikawa
Sounkyo Gorge
層雲峡
A canyon of columnar basalt walls along the Ishikari River, with the hot-spring town at its centre. The cliffs glow with autumn colors in late September and October.
Ginga and Ryusei Falls
銀河の滝・流星の滝
Two tall waterfalls dropping side by side off the gorge wall just downstream of the onsen, the thin white Ginga and the heavier Ryusei. A short walk up to the lookout shows both.
Kurodake Ropeway and the alpine trails
黒岳ロープウェイと高山の登山道
The ropeway and chairlift from Sounkyo reach the flank of Mt. Kurodake, from which trails lead onto the Daisetsuzan plateau. Snow lingers into July and colors turn first in September.
Sounkyo Ice Fall Festival
層雲峡氷瀑まつり
From late January into March the riverbed beside the onsen fills with ice sculptures and frozen towers lit up at night, with fireworks on some evenings.
Getting to Kamikawa
Asahikawa Airport is about 1.5 hours by car to Sounkyo. Route 39 runs from Asahikawa through the gorge, and the Asahikawa–Monbetsu expressway ends near town. JR Sekihoku Main Line trains stop at Kamikawa station, from where buses reach Sounkyo in about 30 minutes. Sapporo is roughly three hours by car.
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 Kamikawa
Late September and early October for autumn colors, which start on the peaks and work down the gorge. July and August for alpine hiking. Late January to March for the ice festival, when the onsen town is at its most atmospheric.
What to eat in Kamikawa
Ramen is the surprising local specialty, with a row of shops in the town centre and a soy-based broth of its own. Mountain vegetables in spring, trout from the cold rivers and beef raised on the highlands show up on onsen menus, along with sake brewed with Daisetsuzan water.
Kamikawa in context: the Kamikawa region
Click a town to open its page
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 Kamikawa
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More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro