One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Otobe乙部町
White cliffs, a sea pool and two trees bound as one
Hiyama region · Historic Esashi on the Japan Sea coast, and the island of Okushiri.
Otobe's coast hides Shirafura — chalk-white cliffs straight out of Dover — and a pair of sacred katsura trees bound as one.
Otobe is a small coastal town north of Esashi where the Japan Sea road runs between cliffs and sea. Its best-known sight is Shirafura, a wall of chalk-white cliff rising straight out of the water, and further along the shore is Genna-dai, a swimming beach built as a sheltered pool in the sea. Inland, in the national forest, two giant katsura trees grow joined by a single branch and have become a place people visit to wish on relationships. It suits a slow day of driving and stopping.
- Region
- Hiyama (檜山)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~202 km · 3.1 h summer / 3.7 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~203 km · 3.1 h summer / 3.7 h winter
- Best season in Hiyama
- Summer suits coastal and island walks. If you are going for a festival or seafood, check event dates and seasonal availability first.
Otobe 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 Otobe
Shirafura cliffs
シラフラ
A long wall of white rock on the shore north of the town center, best seen from the beach below at low tide or from the headland above. Nothing else on this coast looks like it.
Genna-dai marine park
元和台海浜公園
A swimming area enclosed by breakwaters so the sea inside stays calm and shallow, known locally as the sea pool. Family-friendly in July and August, with a roadside station beside it on Route 229.
Enkatsura twin katsura trees
縁桂
Two enormous katsura trees deep in the national forest, linked by a branch that grew from one trunk into the other. A short forest walk leads to them, and they are counted among Japan's giant trees.
Takise coast
滝瀬海岸
A stretch of shoreline near Shirafura with a rock arch you can walk through at low tide and cliffs pressing right down to the water. Good at sunset, when the whole coast faces the light.
Getting to Otobe
Otobe is on Route 229 about twenty minutes north of Esashi by car, so roughly two hours from Hakodate via Route 227. Hakodate Airport is the nearest airport and Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto the nearest shinkansen station; there is no railway on this coast. From Sapporo the coastal drive takes around four hours.
Hiyama region: Reach Esashi from Hakodate by car or bus; ferries to Okushiri Island leave from Esashi, with sailings that vary by season.
When to visit Otobe
July and August for the sea pool and the beaches. May to October for the cliffs, the coast walk and the forest path to the katsura trees. Winter storms off the Japan Sea make the coast dramatic but not a place to linger.
What to eat in Otobe
Squid, flatfish and hokke come off the boats along this coast, with sea urchin in summer. The valley behind the town grows rice and vegetables, and the roadside station at Genna-dai is where the local catch and produce meet.
Otobe in context: the Hiyama region
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Hiyama is a region of seven towns in southwestern Hokkaido, including coastal towns, inland Imakane and offshore Okushiri Island. Esashi grew as a port in the herring trade, and you can walk past old merchant houses and the harbour and learn about local culture such as festivals and the Esashi Oiwake folk song.