Shibetsu and KESANOSAKE
Ten thousand years ago
is just like today
A uniquely Shibetsu lifestyle
in harmony with salmon
From here to Kunashiri Island on the horizon, all you can see is Nemuro Strait.
Its excellent fishing grounds have drawn people since ancient times.
This heritage of salmon has been certified as “Japan Heritage”
by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese Ministry of Education,
Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.
Shibetsu town sits at the heart of all this.
Through its history, and the lives of its people, we hope to express the value of our region.
In honor of this continuity, and in honor of salmon, our motto is “This Morning’s salmon” - “Kesa no Sake,”
which is spelled the same forward and backward in Japanese: whether looking forward or backward,
it is always “Kesa no Sake.”
Where is Shibetsu?
Shibetsu is a salmon town.
Salmon is the link connecting our lifestyle, industry, and tourism.
A town of about 5000 people, Shibetsu is located on the central coast of Nemuro Strait in East Hokkaido, looking out on Kunashiri Island 24 km away.
To the west are the unspoiled mountains of Shiretoko National Park, to the east is Notsuke Peninsula where birds flock and wildflowers throng, and all around are the vast pastures of farm country, all part of a scenic natural environment blessed by the sea, river, and forest.
-
Kunashiri island seen from Notsuke Peninsula
-
Ichani Karikariusu archaeological site
-
Salmon sandaizuke-don: a heaping bowl of rice with salmon and roe
-
Not just the sea - hay bales dot Shibetsu’s dairy region
-
Looking for sweets? Try Shibetsu Yokan, our famous adzuki-bean confection
-
Before dawn, the fisherman’s day begins
A Heritage of Salmon:
A Ten-Thousand Year Journey
in Nemuro Strait
-
“A Heritage of Salmon” was certified as Japan Heritage in June 2020.
“Japan Heritage” tells the story of Japanese culture through the unique characteristics of its local regions, and includes both tangible and intangible cultural assets.
As of March 2021, 104 sites throughout Japan have been certified as Japan Heritage by the Agency for Cultural Affairs of the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology. These heritage sites serve as the faces of Japan’s efforts to revitalize local regions and promote development and tourism.
About Kesa no Sake
Shibetsu’s charm begins in the morning
Our image of a “Shibetsu”
breakfast table.
Salmon, trout, kelp, shrimp, crab, scallop, beef, and milk:
the table is set with eight kinds of designated “Menashi brand”
products from Shibetsu, Nemuro, Betsukai, and Rausu
- all towns along the Nemuro Strait and sharing in its heritage of salmon.
Do we always feast like this every morning?
Each home is different, of course, but there are many people
for whom these are daily staples.
Shibetsu Town Trivia
Free salmon and scallops for residents!?
It’s true! Every year, each household receives a whole salmon, 2 kg (5 lb) of scallops, and butter.
We know how to clean a fish
But isn’t it a hassle to deal with a whole salmon? We get that question a lot, but don’t worry! Almost everybody knows how to clean and gut a fish.
Shibetsu students get salmon “caviar” for lunch!
In Shibetsu everyone knows ikuradon - rice topped with salmon roe, also called “red caviar.” On November 11, Shibetsu’s “hometown lunch day,” schools serve a lunch full of salmon products, including roe, to celebrate our local products.
Shibetsu is one of “The Most Beautiful Villages in Japan”
We are registered with the Association of the Most Beautiful Villages in Japan.
Our salmon culture and Po River Historic Site are registered as regional resources.
The Glue that Binds us to Nara
Noriutsugi, used as glue in traditional Japanese washi paper, binds us to the papermaking center Yoshino in Nara Prefecture. Yoshino uses glue made from noriutsugi, which flourishes in Shibetsu.
Salmon Pride: revitalization to build town spirit
We are hard at work revitalizing the region through tourism to build a “salmon town'' we all can be proud of.
