Hello everyone!
This is the Industry Promotion Division of Oketo Town Hall.
We will share the charms of Oketo Town, Hokkaido, with viewers of the Cool Japan video series, so thank you for joining us!

For this first post, we’d like to introduce what kind of town Oketo is and highlight its attractions.
Oketo Town in Tokoro District, Hokkaido, is a peaceful town surrounded by beautiful nature in eastern Hokkaido, with a population of 2,669 as of January 31, 2023.

You’ll find plenty of opportunities to meet warm-hearted locals and feel the town’s community spirit.
Oketo’s climate features large temperature differences between day and night and relatively little snowfall and rainfall.

Access to Oketo is easiest by combining plane and car.
From Memanbetsu Airport (Oozora-cho), it takes about 1 hour and 30 minutes by car, making for a pleasant drive through nature.
By bus, take Hokkaido Kitami Bus (Memanbetsu Airport line) from Memanbetsu Airport (Oozora-cho) to Kitami Bus Terminal (Kitami City), then transfer to the Rikubetsu line at Kitami Bus Terminal to reach Oketo; the total trip takes about 1 hour and 40 minutes.

Next, here are some of Oketo’s sights and things to enjoy that show different faces through the seasons.

● Lake Oketo and Kanoko Dam
Lake Oketo is an artificial lake created by the Kanoko Dam.
The lake’s shoreline stretches 13.4 km and is home to many wild birds and native plants, making it a notable scenic spot.
You can also enjoy fishing at Lake Oketo. In summer you can catch yamabe (landlocked salmon) and amemasu (rainbow trout), and from late December to mid-February you can try wakasagi (pond smelt) fishing. Since no rental fishing gear is available, please bring your own rods and tents.

● Rainbow Falls
Downstream from Kanoko Dam, the Kanokozawa area unfolds with magnificent natural beauty.
One highlight is Rainbow Falls, which plunges 13 meters and looks like a painting.
Trees and flowers surround the falls, making it a popular spot for photographers.
In winter, Rainbow Falls is lit up and icefall tours are held.

● Okecraft Center "Shinrin Kogeikan"
Okecraft is Oketo’s local craft brand.
The craft movement began in 1983 by combining the local bent-wood bucket tradition called oke with Oketo’s name and the idea of craft.
Twenty-four individual workshops in Oketo produce everyday tableware and other items.
Okecraft products are also available for purchase on the website.
At the Shinrin Kogeikan, you can see and buy Okecraft pieces and other locally made products such as plant-dyed textiles, and you can observe the production process and tour the facility.

Okecraft is also a popular gift choice for Oketo’s hometown tax donation program.
Wooden items made from Ezo spruce, like paired bowls and smoothly finished cutlery, showcase a warm wooden texture.
Please check the various hometown tax websites for details.

● Oketo Katsuyama Onsen Yuuyu
Oketo Katsuyama Onsen Yuuyu is a facility offering lodging, hot springs, dining, and sightseeing all in one.
There are four cottages available, and a free BBQ area adds a camping feel.
Inside the facility you’ll find a restaurant and a café corner; weekday lunch specials are recommended.
For day-trip visitors, the facility offers hot spring water flowing directly from the Katsuyama Onsen source.
Enjoy the large communal bath, reclining baths, an open-air bath, a pottery bath, and a dry-style sauna.
The area around the facility is also rich in attractions, including Lake Oketo.

● Minamigaoka Ski Area
In winter, the ski area is another enjoyable option.
Minamigaoka Ski Area offers affordable lift tickets: 1,040 yen for adults and 520 yen for children (junior high school age and under) for a day pass.
With runs ranging from beginner to advanced, skiers of all levels can have a great time.

Come experience Oketo Town’s natural charms and local hospitality for yourself.

We will continue to share information about Oketo Town on this account.
Thank you and we look forward to your interest!

Tomakomai City's unexplored area "Shichijo Otaki"

Shichijo Otaki is located in the national forest of the Maruyama district near the border between Tomakomai City and Chitose City, and is a spot where you can see a large waterfall 16m high and about 2.3m wide up close!

Shichijo Otaki, with its deep green trees and majestic waterfall, is a spectacular view.

In order to enter the national forest where Shichijo Otaki is located, you need an application for approval from the Eastern Iburi Forest Management Office, so please check with the Eastern Iburi Forest Management Office below for details.

【Eastern Iburi Forest Management Office】
Address: 3-4-1 Hinode-cho, Shiraoi-cho, Shiraoi-gun, Hokkaido
TEL：0144-82-2161

Nice to meet you, Omu Town Tourism Association!
Hokkaido Omu Town faces the Sea of Okhotsk.
The sunrise from the horizon is also a symbol of the town.

In COOL JAPAN VIDEOS's first post, we will introduce you to Omu Town and the highlights of Hokkaido Omu Town where you can enjoy delicious food.

There are no trains Omu Town, so you can get there by car, rental car, or bus.
It takes about 4 hours 30 minutes ~ 5 hours 30 minutes by expressway from Sapporo.
If you are traveling by air, please use Asahikawa Airport or Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport.
It takes about 3 hours by car from Asahikawa Airport Omu Town and about 1 hour Omu Town from Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport.

The climate weather in Omu Town is cool throughout the year, especially from January to March, when drift ice docks in the Sea of Okhotsk, so the temperature is low.
In winter, the temperature may drop to minus 20 degrees Celsius on some days, so be careful about the cold when visiting.

Next, we will introduce the representative sightseeing spots of Omu Town.
The recommended base for sightseeing in Omu Town is "Roadside Station Oumu" in the center of Omu Town city.
You can also sell Omu Town specialties, look for souvenirs, and enjoy local gourmet foods such as "Dattan Soba".
Dattan soba Dattan Soba is also called "bitter soba noodles" and contains about 100 times more "rutin", which is a type of polyphenol and the source of bitterness, about 100 times more than normal soba noodles, but now it is easy to eat because we have planted a variety called "Manten Kirari" that softens the bitterness and retains the nutrients.
Rutin has a powerful antioxidant effect, so it can be expected to prevent weekly illness and improve blood sugar and blood pressure, making it a soba noodle that has been attracting attention due to the health boom in recent years.

There is also an observation deck modeled after an airship 24 meters above the ground, and it is also a spot where you can enjoy the beautiful scenery of Obu.

Located about 12 minutes by car from downtown Omu Town, Cape Hinode is a superb view point of sunrise.
On the small hill of the cape, there is also the all-glass "Cape Hinode Observatory La Luna", and there are binoculars that can be used free of charge at the observatory. "La Luna" means "moon" in Italian.
It is said that it was named "It seems that the moon floats above the cape."
You can enjoy the scenery of the Sea of Okhotsk in summer and the panoramic view of over 180 degrees in front of you during the drift ice season in winter.

There is "Omu Town Cape Hinode Campsite" about 7 minutes on foot from Cape Hinode.
It consists of a free site and bungalows, and is bustling during the summer camp every year.
You can spend a comfortable time surrounded by nature.

There is also Hotel Cape Hinode around this campsite where you can take a day trip, so please use it when sightseeing Omu Town.

Here, we will deliver information on Omu Town's specialties and recommended gourmet food!
The specialty of Hokkaido Omu Town is delicious seafood nurtured by rich nature.
Among seafood, fresh scallops, hairy crabs, and salmon are gaining popularity.
Since you can fully enjoy the bounty of the sea, processed products are also recommended as souvenirs!

Hokkaido Omu Town's hometown tax payment offers thank-you goods that take advantage of these rich nature and local specialties such as delicious marine products.
The popular "saltwater sea urchin Ezobahun sea urchin" 2023 has already ended is grown by eating the nutrient-rich Rishiri kelp that grows in Obu, and is characterized by its rich taste.
In addition, the mineral-rich scallops caught in Omu Town, where scallop fishing is popular, can be grilled, fried, and of course sashimi.

Omu Town, the breeding and production of "Angus beef" is also thriving.
In general cattle barn, they are raised on high-calorie food, but Angus cows are raised on large pastures and are characterized by relatively low fat and a lot of redness.
As a gift in return for hometown tax payment, "Angus beef set frozen" is also available, so please enjoy it.

Please experience the charm of Omu Town in your own way, such as superb scenery rich in nature, gourmet food, and outdoor activities.
In the future, COOL JAPAN VIDEOS will continue to deliver fascinating Omu Town information.
Thank you very much!