One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Rebun礼文町
The island of flowers, at the northern edge of Japan
Soya region · Hokkaido's northern tip: Wakkanai, Cape Soya and the islands of Rishiri and Rebun.
Rebun, the 'floating island of flowers' — alpine blooms at sea level and hiking trails over turquoise coves at Japan's far northern edge.
Rebun is Japan's northernmost island, a long, low ridge of green hills lying in the Sea of Japan west of Wakkanai and north of Rishiri. Because of the cold climate, alpine flowers that elsewhere grow only on high peaks bloom here at sea level, which is why it is called the island of flowers. It is a walker's island: a network of trails runs along cliffs and over headlands, and the villages live from sea urchin and kelp. Come between June and August and bring boots.
- Region
- Soya (宗谷)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~385 km · 5.9 h summer / 7 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~336 km · 5.2 h summer / 6.1 h winter
- Best season in Soya
- Summer suits flowers and walks, but blooms and ferry conditions vary. Keep room in your plan to adjust.
Rebun 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 Rebun
Momoiwa trail
桃岩展望台コース
The classic short walk on the island, along a ridge above the peach-shaped rock south of Kafuka port, through meadows of alpine flowers with Rishiri's cone across the strait.
Cape Sukai
澄海岬
A small cove on the north-west coast where the water is so clear the rocks on the bottom show from the cliff top. Reached by a steep path from the road end, it is one of the island's best-known views.
Cape Sukoton
スコトン岬
The northern tip of the island, a bare headland with the small Todo Island just offshore and, on clear days, Sakhalin on the horizon. The island's road ends here.
Rebun Alpine Plant Garden
礼文町高山植物園
A town-run garden in the north of the island near Funadomari, growing the island's flora in one place, including Rebun-usuyukiso, an edelweiss found nowhere else, which blooms from June into July.
Getting to Rebun
Rebun has no road or rail link; the ferry from Wakkanai takes about two hours to Kafuka, the island's main port, and there are also sailings between Kafuka and Rishiri. Wakkanai is reached by air from Tokyo and Sapporo or by the Soya Main Line. On the island, buses run the length of the single main road, and many walkers simply hike between villages.
Soya region: Reach Wakkanai by air, JR or intercity bus. Ferries to Rishiri and Rebun leave from Wakkanai port; check the operator's timetable and service status.
When to visit Rebun
June to August, with the flowers peaking from mid-June to July and sea urchin at its best in summer. May can still be cold and windy; September is quiet and clear. Winter ferries run but the trails are closed by snow, and the island is largely shut to visitors.
What to eat in Rebun
Sea urchin is the island's pride, both the northern bafun and the murasaki types, eaten raw on rice in summer. Rebun kelp, harvested in the same months, is a premium dashi kelp, and hokke from the island's waters is thick and oily enough to be famous across Hokkaido.
Rebun in context: the Soya region
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Soya is the region at the northern tip of Hokkaido, made up of one city, eight towns and one village. Cape Soya, in Wakkanai city, is the northern end of Hokkaido's main island, marked by the Northernmost Point in Japan monument; on clear days Sakhalin can be visible across the strait. Wakkanai is also the port for ferries to the islands.