One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Otoineppu音威子府村
Hokkaido's smallest village, famous for black soba
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Otoineppu, Hokkaido's smallest village, is famous for jet-black soba and a high school that turns out woodcraft artists.
Otoineppu is the smallest village in Hokkaido by population, deep in the Teshio valley where the river turns west toward the Japan Sea. Its name is known across the island for two things: a dark, almost black soba made with the whole buckwheat husk, and a public high school specializing in woodcraft that has produced generations of artists. The spot where the name 'Hokkaido' was first proposed lies on the riverbank here. A village hot spring with its own railway halt and endless forest complete the picture.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~297 km · 4.6 h summer / 5.4 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~265 km · 4.1 h summer / 4.8 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.
Otoineppu 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 Otoineppu
Birthplace of the name Hokkaido
北海道命名之地
A monument on the Teshio riverbank marking where the explorer who surveyed the island in the 1850s conceived the name 'Hokkaido'. Reached by a short walk from the road.
Teshio River Onsen
天塩川温泉
A village-run hot spring on the riverbank with its own tiny station on the Soya Main Line. The Teshio flows past just beyond the trees, and the surrounding forest is silent.
Woodcraft and the village art
木工芸と村のアート
The village's woodcraft school and a former school building turned art centre show carved and built works from local wood. Sculptures appear along the roads too.
Getting to Otoineppu
Asahikawa Airport is about 2.5 hours by car. Route 40 runs through the village and Route 275 branches off toward the Okhotsk coast. JR Soya Main Line trains, including Wakkanai limited expresses, stop at Otoineppu station. Sapporo is roughly four 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 Otoineppu
June to September for the river, the forest and the onsen in comfortable weather. Late September and October for autumn colors along the Teshio valley. Winter brings some of the deepest snow in Hokkaido and very cold nights; the onsen is the reward.
What to eat in Otoineppu
Otoineppu soba, dark and strong-flavored because the buckwheat is milled with its husk, is the village's product. Mountain vegetables, river fish and a little dairy make up the rest of a very small local table.
Otoineppu 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 Otoineppu
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More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro