One of Hokkaido's 179 towns
Uryu雨竜町
Gateway to the high moor they call the northern Oze
Sorachi region · Inland central Hokkaido: coal heritage, wineries and seasonal fields.
Uryu guards the trailhead to Uryunuma — a high moor of ponds and cotton grass that alpine hikers call a miniature Oze.
Uryu is a rice town on Route 275 north of Shintotsukawa, and it guards the road up to Uryunuma, a high moor of ponds and cotton grass on a plateau in the Shokanbetsu range. Hikers call it the Oze of the north, and from late June to October it is the main reason people come. Down in the valley are a roadside station, farm stands and paddies, with the Ishikari River and Takikawa just across the plain. It suits walkers first, and anyone driving Route 275 second.
- Region
- Sorachi (空知)
- From New Chitose Airport
- ~138 km · 2.1 h summer / 2.5 h winter
- From Sapporo
- ~104 km · 1.6 h summer / 1.9 h winter
- Best season in Sorachi
- Canola usually in mid to late May, the coal museum from spring to autumn (closed in winter); winery visits depend on each winery.
Uryu 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 Uryu
Uryunuma Wetland
雨竜沼湿原
A high moor on a plateau at the head of the Pankeuryu valley, with hundreds of ponds, cotton grass in July and day lilies through summer. A boardwalk loop from the gate park, about two hours' climb up and a full day round trip.
Minami-Shokanbetsu-dake
南暑寒岳
The peak above the moor, reached by continuing past the wetland on a further climb. From the summit the moor lies below like a map, with the Sea of Japan beyond the range on clear days.
Michi-no-Eki Den'en-no-Sato Uryu
道の駅田園の里うりゅう
A roadside station (Michi-no-Eki) on Route 275 with local rice, vegetables and information for the moor trail. The last easy stop before the mountain road.
Getting to Uryu
Uryu has no railway. Takikawa station on the JR Hakodate Main Line is about 20 minutes away across the Ishikari River by car or bus. Route 275 runs through the town; Sapporo is about 1 hour 45 minutes by car, Asahikawa Airport about an hour. The road to the Uryunuma gate park is a further 30 minutes of mountain driving, open only in the snow-free months.
Sorachi region: Between Sapporo and Asahikawa by JR or car. Sights are spread out, so check the last leg from the station; anyone tasting wine should not drive.
When to visit Uryu
Late June to early July for the first flowers and lingering snow patches on the moor, July for cotton grass and day lilies, late September for grass turning red and gold. The trail closes with snow in October. The valley's rice harvest is September.
What to eat in Uryu
Rice is the crop of the valley floor, and the town's rice goes out under its own name. Melons grown in the foothills, seasonal vegetables and mountain vegetables in spring are sold at the roadside station and the farm stands along Route 275.
Uryu in context: the Sorachi region
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Coal mining shaped many Sorachi towns, and places such as Yubari and Mikasa still keep that history in museums, rail relics and quiet main streets.
Towns near Uryu
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More towns in Sorachi
Other regions: Ishikari · Shiribeshi · Iburi · Hidaka · Oshima · Hiyama · Kamikawa · Rumoi · Soya · Okhotsk · Tokachi · Kushiro · Nemuro