One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Urausu浦臼町
Vineyards over the Ishikari, squirrels in the shrine grove
Sorachi region · Coal country turned wine valley — Hokkaido's quiet middle.
Urausu grows grapes on one of Japan's largest single vineyards, rolling over the hills above the Ishikari River.
Urausu is a small town on the west bank of the Ishikari River between Tsukigata and Shintotsukawa, with the Kabato hills at its back. Its name travels further than its size because the Tsurunuma hills above the town hold one of the largest single vineyards in Japan, planted for a Hokkaido winery. The rest is quiet: a roadside station and lakeside park at Tsurunuma, a shrine grove where Ezo squirrels come down among dogtooth violets in spring, and rice fields to the river.
- Region
- Sorachi (空知)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~100 km · 1.5 h summer / 1.8 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~73 km · 1.1 h summer / 1.3 h winter
- Best season in Sorachi
- Late spring for canola blooms, summer to early autumn for vineyards and melon season.
Urausu 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 Urausu
Tsurunuma vineyard hills
鶴沼のブドウ畑
Rolling hills above the town planted wall to wall with wine grapes, one of the largest contiguous vineyards in Japan. Public roads run through the vines with views over the Ishikari plain to the Sorachi hills.
Michi-no-Eki Tsurunuma
道の駅つるぬま
A roadside station (Michi-no-Eki) on Route 275 next to Tsurunuma Park, with local rice, vegetables and wine, and a pond, campground and lawns behind it.
Urausu Shrine grove
浦臼神社の森
A hillside shrine whose grounds fill with dogtooth violets and blue Ezo-engosaku in late April, when Ezo squirrels come down to feed. A famous spot for photographers for about two weeks a year.
Getting to Urausu
Urausu has no railway. Route 275 runs through the town; from Sapporo it is about 1.5 hours by car. The nearest stations are on the JR Hakodate Main Line across the Ishikari: Naie or Bibai via the river bridges, about 15 to 20 minutes away. Asahikawa Airport is about 1 hour 15 minutes.
Sorachi region: An easy detour off the Sapporo–Asahikawa corridor by car or JR. Wineries are best reached by car.
When to visit Urausu
Late April for the shrine flowers and squirrels, the town's most crowded fortnight. July to September for the vineyards in leaf and the park campground; late September and October for the grape harvest and the wine that comes with it.
What to eat in Urausu
Wine from the Tsurunuma vineyard is the reason to stop, alongside table grapes in autumn. Rice is the main crop on the river plain, and the town also raises beef cattle; farm stands carry the seasonal vegetables.
Urausu in context: the Sorachi region
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Sorachi is the Hokkaido most travelers drive straight through — and that's exactly why it stays wonderful. A century ago this valley powered Japan with coal; towns like Yubari and Mikasa still carry that industrial memory in museums, rail relics and quiet main streets.
Towns near Urausu
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More towns in Sorachi
Other regions: Ishikari · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Kamikawa · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro