Hidaka

Not to be confused with Hidaka City, Saitama.

Hidaka (日高町) is a town in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido.

This article also covers Biratori town. (平取町)

Understand

Hidaka ward (north) and Monbetsu ward (south), with Biratori town in between the two.

On 2006, the town of Monbetsu (門別, not to be confused with Monbetsu (紋別) City further east) was merged into the old Hidaka, giving rise to the current Hidaka town. The town's area is divided into two: Hidaka ward in the north and Monbetsu ward in the south. The town of Biratori left the merger talks and remained a separate town.

Tourist information sites

• Hidaka town has an official Japanese-only guide site.

• Biratori Town's tourist association has a multilingual guide site.

Get in

By train

JR Hidaka main line runs in Monbetsu ward from Tomakomai to Samani. Only local trains are operated, which are not suitable for rush travel.

By bus

Dōnan Bus operates Highway bus (Intercity bus) services.

• "Highway Pegasus" (高速ペガサス号) - From Sapporo to Urakawa via Monbetsu ward with 7-8 round trips per day. It must be booked.
• "Highway Hidaka" (高速ひだか号) - From Sapporo to Hidaka ward via Monbetsu ward and Biratori town with a round trip per day.
• "Highway Urakawa" (高速うらかわ号) - From New Chitose Airport to Urakawa via Tomakomai and Monbetsu ward with a round trip per day.
• "Express Hidaka" (特急ひだか号) - From Tomakomai to Hidaka ward via Monbetsu ward and Biratori town with a round trip per day.

There is another local bus service, from Shimukappu to Hidaka ward.

By car

Hidaka Expressway connects with Tomakomai to the west. The eastern terminus is the Hidaka-Atsuga IC. There are plans to extend the expressway east to Urakawa.

National Route 235 passes through Monbetsu ward on its way from Tomakomai to Urakawa. National Route 237 runs from Furano to Monbetsu ward. National Route 274 passes through Hidaka ward on its way from Yubari to Tokachi.

See

• 1 Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum (二風谷アイヌ文化博物館), 55 Nibutani, Biratori-chō 平取町二風谷55, ☏ +81 1457-2-2892, fax: +81 1457-2-2828. 09:00-17:00. Display of the materials of Ainu culture. ¥400. 

Do

• 1 Hidaka International Ski Area (日高国際スキー場), Tomioka, Hidaka-cho (日高町字富岡), ☏ +81 1457-6-3667. 

Outdoor bath of Monbetsu Hot Spring

• 2 Monbetsu Hot Spring (門別温泉 とねっこの湯), 223-150, Tomihama, Hidaka-cho (日高町字富浜223番地150), ☏ +81 1456-3-4126. 10:00-20:30. ¥500. 

Monbetsu Racecourse

• 3 Monbetsu Racecourse (門別競馬場), 1-210, Monbetsu-Honmachi, Hidaka-cho (日高町門別本町210番地の1), ☏ +81 1456-2-6031, fax: +81 1456-2-6191. This racecourse holds horse races in May to November. It is operated by the Hokkaido Prefecture. 

Sleep

Mumin-mura YH

• 1 Minshuku Mumin-mura (民宿夢民村), 115 Toyosato, Hidaka-cho (日高町字豊郷115), ☏ +81 1456-2-6388, fax: +81 1456-2-6388. The small inn is surrounded by ranch horses. 

Hidaka kōgensō

• 2 Saru-gawa onsen Hidaka kōgensō (沙流川温泉 ひだか高原荘), 1-444, Tomioka, Hidaka-chō (日高町字富岡444-1), ☏ +81 1457-6-2258, fax: +81 1457-6-3378, info@koogenso.co.jp. Spa hotel beside ski area. Two meals from ¥7,600, hot spring bathing ¥500. 

Go next

• Mukawa
• Niikappu
• Shimukappu
• Shimizu
• Shinhidaka
• Obihiro
• Biratori
• Shintoku
• Nakasatsunai

Routes through Hidaka

Tomakomai ←

W  E

→ Niikappu → Samani