One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Shibetsu士別市
Suffolk sheep country at the head of the Teshio River
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Shibetsu (the Kamikawa one) is Japan's Suffolk sheep capital — lamb pastures on 'Sheep and Cloud Hill' and some of the best mutton dinners anywhere.
Shibetsu lies in the upper Teshio valley about an hour north of Asahikawa, a farming town with wide fields of rice, sugar beet and pasture. It is best known for its Suffolk sheep, raised on grassy hills above town and served as lamb in a way most of Hokkaido, with its mutton-heavy jingisukan, does not. The town is also a winter testing ground: car makers run cold-weather tracks here. Come for the sheep hill, the quiet dam lake to the east and a taste of the far north's farm life.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~221 km · 3.4 h summer / 4 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~204 km · 3.1 h summer / 3.7 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.
Shibetsu 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 Shibetsu
Sheep and Cloud Hill
羊と雲の丘
A grassy hill above the town where Suffolk sheep graze in summer, with a lookout over the Teshio valley and a restaurant serving the town's lamb.
Lake Iwaonai
岩尾内湖
A long dam lake on the upper Teshio River in the mountains east of town, with a lakeside campground. The forested shore is quiet even in high summer.
Tsukumo Suigo Park
つくも水郷公園
A large park on the Teshio riverside with ponds, walking paths and a lot of open lawn. The town's easiest place for a stroll or a picnic.
Getting to Shibetsu
Asahikawa Airport is about 1.5 hours by car. The Doo Expressway ends near town at the Shibetsu-Kenbuchi interchange, and Route 40 continues north. JR Soya Main Line trains, including the Sapporo–Wakkanai limited expresses, stop at Shibetsu station. Sapporo is about 2.5 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 Shibetsu
June to September, when the sheep are out on the hill and the lake campground is open. Autumn colors reach the Iwaonai valley in October. Winter is long and severe; the town is a place to pass through rather than linger in January.
What to eat in Shibetsu
Suffolk lamb is the reason to eat here, grilled or roasted rather than in the usual mutton jingisukan. The valley grows rice, sugar beet and a lot of soybeans, and local sweets use beet sugar and beans.
Shibetsu 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 Shibetsu
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More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro