One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Shimamaki島牧村
Beech forest, a hundred-great waterfall and a coast with almost no one on it
Shiribeshi region · Otaru's canal, Yoichi whisky, Niseko snow and the Shakotan coast.
Shimamaki is roadless-coast country — its Garo Falls, the 'dragon water', is one of Japan's hundred great waterfalls, deep in beech forest.
Shimamaki is the southwestern corner of Shiribeshi, a village strung along the Sea of Japan under Mt. Kariba, the highest peak in this part of Hokkaido. Behind the coast road the Kariba–Motta Prefectural Natural Park holds deep beech forest and Garo Falls, one of Japan's hundred great waterfalls. Nobody comes here by accident: it is for hikers, shore anglers who cast for sea trout and salmon, and anyone who wants a stretch of coast without a single town in sight.
- Region
- Shiribeshi (後志)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~180 km · 2.8 h summer / 3.3 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~154 km · 2.4 h summer / 2.8 h winter
- Best season in Shiribeshi
- Winter for skiing around Niseko; summer for the Shakotan coast and Yoichi fruit, after checking current trail closures. Otaru works in any season.
Shimamaki 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 Shimamaki
Garo Falls
賀老の滝
A wide, powerful waterfall on the Chihase River deep in beech forest, counted among Japan's hundred great waterfalls. A trail from the parking area leads to the viewing point above the gorge.
Mt. Kariba
狩場山
The highest mountain in southwestern Hokkaido, a long day hike through beech and alpine flowers in summer. From the top the coast and, on clear days, Okushiri Island line up below.
Cape Motta
茂津多岬
The cape at the village's southern end, where the coast road climbs above the sea to a lighthouse standing on one of the highest headlands in Japan.
Getting to Shimamaki
Route 229 is the only way in, following the coast north to Suttsu or south towards Setana. The nearest rail is Oshamambe, where limited expresses on the Sapporo–Hakodate line stop, about an hour away by car. From Sapporo count on three and a half hours or more; New Chitose and Hakodate airports are roughly equal distances.
Shiribeshi region: JR links New Chitose Airport and Sapporo with Otaru. For Niseko, choose your hotel first, then a seasonal airport bus or JR with a local transfer. For Cape Kamui, change at Bikuni to the town bus and check whether it serves your stop on your date.
When to visit Shimamaki
June to early October is the window: the falls trail and the Mt. Kariba route are open, the beech forest is green, and the sea is calm enough for the coast to look its best. Winter brings heavy snow and a long, storm-bound coast; the falls road closes.
What to eat in Shimamaki
The sea does the work here: sea urchin and abalone in summer, Atka mackerel and squid from the coastal boats, and salmon in autumn. Spring water from the Kariba range is bottled and sold locally, and the beech-forest hills give mountain vegetables in May.
Shimamaki in context: the Shiribeshi region
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Shiribeshi is a region of western Hokkaido made up of 20 municipalities, from Otaru and Yoichi on the coast to Kutchan and Niseko inland. In winter, Niseko and Kutchan are bases for skiing within sight of Mt. Yotei. In any season, Otaru's canal, stone warehouses and sushi counters make a day trip from Sapporo.