One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Shimokawa下川町
A forestry town that learned to live on its trees
Kamikawa region · Lavender, patchwork hills and the roof of Hokkaido.
Shimokawa is a forestry town that became a sustainability pioneer — tower-ice climbing in winter, handmade udon and forest walks in summer.
Shimokawa is a small town in the hills east of Nayoro, surrounded on every side by forest. It has spent decades turning that forest into a way of life, with town-managed woodlands, wood-fired heating and a reputation as one of Japan's sustainability pioneers. For visitors that translates into forest walks, a curious hill-top wall built from local stones, a town hot spring and a winter festival of ice candles. Hand-stretched udon is the unlikely local specialty. A gentle, unhurried place off the main routes.
- Region
- Kamikawa (上川)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~256 km · 3.9 h summer / 4.7 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~239 km · 3.7 h summer / 4.3 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.
Shimokawa 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 Shimokawa
Ice Candle Festival
アイスキャンドルミュージアム
In February the town lights thousands of ice candles, made by freezing water in buckets, along its streets and in the central park. The glow on the snow is the town's signature image.
Shimokawa Great Wall
万里長城
A long wall of fieldstones built by townspeople over years on a hill above town, with walking paths and cherry trees. An odd but well-loved local project.
Gomi Onsen
五味温泉
The town-run hot spring in the forest south of the centre, known for its naturally carbonated water. Forest trails start nearby in the surrounding woods.
Getting to Shimokawa
Asahikawa Airport is about two hours by car. Route 239 runs through town from Nayoro toward the Okhotsk coast. There is no railway; JR Nayoro station on the Soya Main Line is about 20 minutes away by car or bus. Sapporo is about 3.5 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 Shimokawa
February for the ice candle festival, which is the thing to see. June to September for forest walks, camping and the hot spring in green season. October for autumn colors in the hills, which come early this far north.
What to eat in Shimokawa
Hand-stretched udon is the town's specialty, made in a local workshop and sold across the region. Tomatoes from greenhouses become juice, the forests yield mountain vegetables and honey, and sweets use wood-fired ovens.
Shimokawa 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 Shimokawa
Read next
More towns in Kamikawa
Other regions: Ishikari · Sorachi · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro