| Admission | Free |
| Opening Hours | - |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-3633-2246 |
| Notes | Shinto shrine, sightseeing spot, no parking (though can park across the street), photography spot |
| Location / Getting There | Located at the southern end of the town of Kimobetsu. The temple is just past Kimobetsu River on the left (coming from Sapporo), and just past Aspeila Shopping Market. 323 Kimobetsu, Abuta District, Hokkaido 044-0201 |
In 1891, there was a drought in the late spring. On July 3rd Ōtsuki Mamoru and Hitoshi Otokichi travelled to Mt. Shiribetsu and attended a fasting prayer rain ritual for three days. On the evening of the 5th of July it started to rain. The plants and trees revived and the landscape flourished again. To give thanks, a small shrine was constructed as a thank you. This shrine was at the present location. In February 1945, the current shrine was established. In August 1952 the shrine burned down but was reconstructed. In September 2000, renovations were done to the large roof and work was done on the main gold foil metal fittings.
The land area of Kimobetsu Shrine is large with the shrine itself sitting at the top. What makes this shrine such a great place to visit is its views of Mt. Yotei and especially Mt. Shiribetsu (the mountain that was the scene of the fasting prayer over a hundred years ago). Mt. Shiribetsu is right across from the shrine and is definitely impressive. Kimobetsu Shrine is great to visit during late autumn. At this time the trees are changing colors and there is snow on the mountains. Alternatively, April is also a good month to visit after the snow has melted and the trees are blooming again. The shrine and surrounding buildings is a pleasant spot to walk around in the peace and quiet of the countryside. Don’t forget to bring your camera!
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥750 - ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 17:30 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0136-33-2671 |
| Notes | Seating 96, no smoking |
| Location / Getting There | Nakayama Pass is located on route 230 and is directly between Sapporo & Niseko. It is about a one hour drive from both. 345 Kawakami, Kimobetsu-cho, Abuta District, Kimobetsu, 044-0223 Hokkaido |
On the drive from Sapporo to Hirafu, Rusutsu and Toya, there is a rest stop at the top of Nakayama Pass. The rest stop is a good stop to take a break, buy a souvenir, grab a quick local snack, or enjoy the magnificent view looking out at Mt. Yotei. On the ground floor in the main building here you can pick up some small take away food. This includes ageimo (potato deep fried in batter), fried chicken, imomochi (sticky potato cake) and ice-creams. If you are looking for something more substantial, there is a great restaurant on the next floor up. Cheap and delicious, this restaurant has large glass windows with fantastic views.
The restaurant is affordable and the food here is really really good! If you want something more filling it is worth it. There is a huge range of lunches available. You can find ramen, soba noodles, tempura, a butadon (pork on rice), and some good black curries. The menu is displayed with large photos on the wall, too easy. With plenty of seating, you can find a seat anytime. Apart from the restaurant, there is a small photo gallery on the next floor up, with panoramic views of the mountain. Local photographers have some beautiful work of the surrounding landscape. Take a seat, have a coffee and take it all in.
| Opening Hours | 8:30 - 17:30 Restaurant & stores |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 0136-33-2671 https://ageimo.com/ |
| Notes | Rest stop, sightseeing spot, restaurant, take out food, souvenirs, restrooms |
| Location / Getting There | Nakayama Pass is located on route 230 and is directly between Sapporo & Niseko. It is about a one hour drive from both. 345 Kawakami, Kimobetsu-cho, Abuta District, Kimobetsu, 044-0223 Hokkaido |
Nakayama Pass is also known as Nakayama Toge (toge meaning ‘mountain pass’ in Japanese). This mountain pass acts as a rest stop, shopping spot, restaurant, and sightseeing spot. The pass offers striking views of Mt. Yotei. Mt. Yotei being an active stratovolcano located in Shikotsu-Toya National Park. The pass is on the national highway route 230. The pass sees a lot of traffic coming and going as the highway is the link between Sapporo and all the southern districts, mainly Hirafu (Niseko), Lake Toya, Makkari, and Rusutsu. It is also the entrance to the Nakayama Toge ski field.
There is a huge parking area with entrances on both sides. There are a couple of buildings at the pass. It is here you can find a large souvenir store to pick up something on your way through. There are a couple of small take away stores as well. Nakayama Pass is probably best known for its ‘Ageimo’. Ageimo is a potato deep fried in batter (a little dry but popular). These come on a stick and cost ¥350. They also have fried chicken, imomochi (sticky potato cake) and ice-creams. There is also coffee. On the top floor is a small gallery and restaurant with panoramic views over the valley of Kimobetsu.
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 23:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-1594-7011 011-594-7010 used clothing section https://mandai-sf.jp/ |
| Notes | Second hand store, large parking space available, online shopping available, wheelchair access, car needed |
| Location / Getting There | It is a 30 minute drive from Sapporo, or a 17 minute drive from Jozankei (hot springs). Located on Route 230, Ishiyama dori (road). Across from McDonalds on the way to Jozankei, on the right hand side. 2 Chome-2-8 Inaho 2 Jo, Teine Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 006-0032 |
Mandai Sapporo is a huge second hand store. Their claim to this store is that you can ‘buy anything’ here, and they’re certainly not far off. It can be found on the main road (Ishiyama Dori) between Sapporo and the onsen town of Jozankei. It is recognizable by the two giant, classic movie poster murals out the front. One being ‘The Wolf Man’ and the other being ‘Amazing Stories’. With ample parking it in easy place to drop into. Once inside, there is an eclectic array of goods and products in bizarre little nooks and crannies. This store is especially interesting for those interested in Japanese goods, manga, and figurines.
So, what can you buy here? Almost anything. They have all kinds of second hand clothing from shoes all the way up to hats and accessories and everything in between. They have instruments, appliances, sporting gear, especially for winter sports and fishing. They have DVD’s, games for Playstations and Nintendo. You can find some real old school games here too, so good for collectors! Manga figures, manga, playing cards and replica air guns are also here. There is also an adult section with manga, movies and toys (not second hand luckily). The layout is maze like and this place is definitely an interesting spot to peruse.
| Pricing Guide (Avg. cost per person) | ¥1000 |
| Opening Hours | 11:00 - 2:00 |
| Closed | - |
| Contact | 011-1215-0020 |
| Notes | Hamburger restaurant, seating 17, beer served, parking available for 3, open until late |
| Location / Getting There | Located in Sapporo. It is an 8 minute walk from Nakajima park. From Nakajima Koen subway station take exit 1, turn left, walk up the street, and the restaurant is on the right 8 Chome-515 Minami 8 Jonishi, Chuo Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 064-0808 |
Route Nine Hamburger is an American style hamburger restaurant located in Sapporo near the city center. This burger joint is a throwback to those old 60’s diners. Counter seating, booths, and a checkered floor. It is full of Americana, which adds to the atmosphere while you are chowing down on one of their burgers. The menu here has fifteen different burgers on it. Most are your typical Western style burgers such as the classic cheeseburger, double burger, or chicken burger. Others have a more Japanese feel to them. There is an ‘ebi’ (shrimp) burger and a teriyaki burger.
All the burgers have a set meal option which is recommended. These meals come with a side of fries or onion rings, and also includes a drink. Drinks range here from juices and soft drinks, (and being open until two in the morning) to beer. Route Nine not only has burgers, but as with your good old burger restaurants, they have hotdogs as well. They also serve up a sirloin steak, fish & chips, buffalo wings, tacos, and loco moco. With reasonably easy access and open until early morning, this is not a bad place for lunch, or a late dinner.
| Opening Hours | 10:00 - 19:00 |
| Closed | Wednesdays |
| Contact | 011-846-4557 https://www.eaglejp.co.jp/ |
| Rental Prices | ¥4700 - ¥30,500 per day (depending on bike class) *Credit card and valid drivers license needed Hourly rate also available. |
| Bike storage for winter | ¥20,000 from November to April |
| Notes | Motorbikes, snowmobiles, trikes, buggies, rental, new & second hand for sale, riding gear, parking available |
| Location / Getting There | Eagle Motorcycle is a 20 minute drive from central Sapporo. Located in Shiroishi. Drive east onto Ebetsu road, Eagle Motorcycle is on the left. For public transport, take the Tozai subway (orange) line to Nangojusan-chome station. Exit 3, turn right and 10 minute walk to Ebetsu road, and turn left. 12 Kita-1-15 Hondori, Shiroishi Ward, Sapporo, Hokkaido 003-0027 |
Touring around Hokkaido on two wheels is heaven. If you are looking for motorbikes, quad bikes, trikes, snow mobiles, or even snow blowers, Eagle Motorcycle is THE place! All these bikes, whether they be cruisers, sports bikes, tour bikes, trail bikes, or snow mobiles, are for sale or for rental. They have a huge selection plus a tonne of second hand bikes. They also have a garage for repairs, storage during winter, plus they can get your bike of choice ready for registration and on the road! The staff here are friendly and are keen to help with any enquiry. Depending on the season, their floor showroom changes to suit the need. Winter time will see mainly snowmobiles and snowblowers. Summer, everything else on two, three or four wheels.
Eagle Motorcycle is made up of primarily two floors, with a garage and rental gear next door. The first floor (or ground floor) has a showroom with the latest bikes on sale. They also have quad bikes and trikes here as well plus snowmobiles in the winter. Further back, you can find riding gear and accessories for your bike (their stock is limited, for more riding gear it is better to head further along Ebetsu Road). You can find the staff desk here too. On the second floor you can find all the second hand bikes. They have a huge selection of bikes from scooters to sports bikes to huge cruisers and touring bikes. You can definitely find something here in your price range! They also have rentals here too, just ask the staff! For the range of rental bikes click here. For general bike prices click here.
