Population	6,374
Size	763.20 km2
Contact	https://www.city.yubari.lg.jp/
Location / Getting There	By car the distance is about 61 km from Sapporo to Yūbari. Head east. By public transport from Sapporo Station take a train to Shin-Yūbari Station. From Shin-Yūbari Station transfer to a local bus operated by Yutetsu Bus (or other local bus) into Yūbari city centre. ¥3000 – ¥4800. 2 hour travel time.

Yubari is a fascinating place to visit as it has turned predominantly into a ghost town though there are still a few places to see there. Yubari is most famous for its melons, hence the ‘melon bear mascot’ (which is a must see if you haven’t seen it), and the annual film festival. But first let’s look a little into the history of Yubari.  The city was founded on April 1, 1943, as a coal mining town. During this lucrative time Yūbari had as many as 120,000 people. The mines closed in the 1980s, and an attempt was made to convert the economic base to tourism. Subsidies were obtained from the central government and huge debts incurred for the building of tourist attractions, but few visitors came. In 2007 Yubari went into bankruptcy. Walking the now deserted streets, you can see many places falling into disrepair that were once thriving. There are still remnants of the Yubari of old, but it is a lonely place which makes it very unique. 

There are still some places to visit here, and there are a couple of reported ‘haunted sites’ in the area. A lot of the infrastructure is unkept and the wild cry of deer in the mountains does add to the atmosphere. It is not all doom and gloom however. There is a ski resort here which is a good place to go to get away from the large crowds. there is the coal mine museum and there are some beautiful old temples, a few restaurants and every year, the Yubari Film Festival is held. In fact, in Quentin Tarantino’s film Kill Bill, one of the characters is named ‘Gogo Yubari’. You need a car to get to Yubari and is an interesting place to walk around, especially in the fall. 

Sightseeing

Yubari Coal Mine    Haunted School    

 

Food

 

Nightlife

 

Shopping

 

Accommodation  

Mount Racey

Temples

Yubari Shrine

Outdoors

Yubari Ski Resort