Higashikawa Town
東川町
A "Town of Photography" at the foot of Asahidake, where residents drink spring water from Daisetsuzan. Boutique cafés, woodworking furniture shops and bakeries are scattered across the farmland.
Higashikawa Town lies between Asahikawa and Asahidake Onsen and is known as the "Town of Photography." Every summer it hosts an international photography festival and Shashin Koshien, a national high school photography competition. The town has no municipal tap water. Households drink underground spring water that originates from snowmelt in Daisetsuzan, and neither national routes nor railways pass through the town. Among the fields are specialty cafés, woodworking studios, bakeries and general stores. The Michikusa-kan roadside station is a good place to learn about the town. It is about 15 minutes by car from Asahikawa Airport and about 40 minutes to Asahidake Onsen, making it a good place to stop for supplies along the way.
Opening hours
All day (most shops 10:00–17:00; some closed)
Nearby sights
- Asahidake Onsen
- Tenninkyo Gorge & Hagoromo Falls
- Kamikawa Taisetsu Sake Brewery Midorioka
- Daisetsuzan Asahidake Ropeway & Sugatami Pond
- Daisetsu Mori no Garden
- Daisetsu Kogen Onsen & Marsh Trail
- Daisetsuzan Sounkyo Kurodake Ropeway
- Sounkyo Onsen & Ice Fall Festival