One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Rishiri利尻町
The quieter side of the volcano island
Soya region · Hokkaido's northern tip: Wakkanai, Cape Soya and the islands of Rishiri and Rebun.
Rishiri town shares the perfect volcano island — uni fishing coves, a pond that mirrors the peak, and the seaweed that flavors Japan's finest dashi.
Rishiri town covers the south-western half of Rishiri Island, the near-perfect volcanic cone that rises out of the Sea of Japan west of Wakkanai. Its two settlements, Kutsugata and Senhoshi, are working fishing villages that live from sea urchin and Rishiri kelp, and the town sees fewer visitors than the ferry-port side of the island. Come for rocky shores at the foot of the peak, a drive up to a mid-mountain lookout, and the chance to pull your own urchin from the water in summer.
- Region
- Soya (宗谷)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~362 km · 5.6 h summer / 6.6 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~315 km · 4.8 h summer / 5.7 h winter
- Best season in Soya
- Summer suits flowers and walks, but blooms and ferry conditions vary. Keep room in your plan to adjust.
Rishiri 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 Rishiri
Senhoshi Misaki Park
仙法志御崎公園
A park on the island's southern tip where lava from the volcano meets the sea in a jumble of black rock. Tide pools, clear water and a straight-up view of the peak; seals are kept in a sea pool in summer.
Mikaeridai lookout
見返台園地
A viewpoint partway up the Kutsugata side of the mountain, reachable by road, with the west coast and Rebun spread out below and the summit close overhead. The Kutsugata climbing trail starts here.
Kutsugata Cape Park
沓形岬公園
A grassy cape beside Kutsugata harbour with a campground, a view across to Rebun and sunsets over the sea. The town's hot-spring facility is in Kutsugata as well.
Kamui Coast Park
神居海岸パーク
A small cove on the west coast where, in summer, the town lets visitors scoop sea urchin from the shallows with a net and eat it on the spot.
Getting to Rishiri
The ferry from Wakkanai to Oshidomari in the neighbouring town takes about an hour and 40 minutes, and in summer some sailings call at Kutsugata in Rishiri town itself. Rishiri Airport, also in the neighbouring town, has flights from Sapporo. A road circles the island in about 60 kilometres, and the island bus runs it in both directions.
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 Rishiri
June to September, when the kelp and urchin seasons run, the ferries are steady and the mountain trail is open. July and August are peak, with the urchin experience and campgrounds busy. Autumn is clear and quiet; winter brings heavy snow and the island largely closes.
What to eat in Rishiri
Rishiri kelp, grown in the cold current around the island, is the top grade of dashi kelp in Japan and the base of Kyoto cooking. Sea urchin fattened on that kelp is the summer luxury, eaten raw. Hokke, octopus and other fish from the same water fill the rest of the menu.
Rishiri 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.