About Takikawa City
Takikawa City is right between Sorachi River and Hokkaido’s heritage site Ishikari River. It is located near the center of Hokkaido, between Sapporo City and Asahikawa City. About 60% of Takikawa City is surrounded by forests, farmland, and other greenery.
The name “Takikawa” originates from the Ainu word “Soraputi”, meaning “The place where the waterfall goes”. On a map, halfway through the Sorachi River is what looks like a steep drop, kind of like a waterfall. The Ainu people called this “sōrapuchipetsu” meaning “The river of waterfalls” or “The river with a waterfall”, hence the name Takikawa.
In 1890, Takikawa Village Hall was established by order of Hokkaido’s government. Since then, Takikawa has been able to prosper as an important transportation hub and a commercial town supported by neighboring coal mining towns like Akabira and Ashibetsu.
With an inland climate, the temperature differences between summer and winter are considerably intense. Temperatures can exceed 30°C in summer and -20°C in winter, and with snowfall of approximately 7 meters, it is one of the heaviest snowfall areas in Hokkaido.
Takikawa takes pride in planting the most prominent canola flower fields in Japan. Beginning from the middle of May to the beginning of June, a beautiful carpet of yellow is spread across the city. “Takikawa Canola Flower Festival” is the city’s largest event, is held at the peak of the blooming season, and attracts many tourists from both within Japan and overseas. Because Takikawa has access to the JR train line, the public highway bus, and the Hokkaido Expressway, it is conveniently accessible as a connecting point between Sapporo and Asahikawa. Takikawa is approximately 50 minutes from Sapporo by train and 60 minutes by car on the expressway. From New Chitose Airport, it is about 85 minutes by train.
Sky Sports are thriving in Takikawa due to great wind currents as well as minimal air traffic control regulations. Takikawa Sky Park is one of the most well-equipped, top-class aviation parks in Japan, attracting many enthusiasts from all over the country.
Glider planes are towed into the air by a small aircraft and after catching an updraft the glider will soar up high into the sky. Takikawa Sky Park is the only facility in Japan where you can board and experience a glider plane flight. This experience is not only enjoyed by enthusiasts but also by many tourists who enjoy this as a “hands-on” kind of attraction tourist spot.
The Takikawa Paper Lantern Festival is a historic event that will be held for the 22nd time in 2024. This annual event is a very short event, lasting only three hours, in which more than 15,000 handmade paper lanterns created by Takikawa citizens and volunteers illuminate the streets of Takikawa with warm light. When the event was first held, most of the visitors were mainly citizens, but over the years it has expanded to the point where visitors from outside the city also come to see the event.
This year, the 22nd edition of the event, we are planning to set up an information centre for foreigners so that they can enjoy the event and share Takikawa’s attractions all over the world, as well as providing multilingual information at the venue for foreign visitors. Furthermore, booths will be set up where foreigners and local residents can interact with each other, making the event even more international in character.
At the Food Festival, which will be held at the same venue, Takigawa will promote its mutton fondue-style mutton keema curry and mutton tortillas to the whole world, as well as the fact that Takigawa is the birthplace of marinated jingisukan (Japanese grilled mutton dish).
In addition, a local production for local consumption food education tour will be organised to learn about the attractiveness of Takigawa’s food, and as well as the fact that Takigawa is the birthplace of marinated jingisukan, a local dish, duck dishes will also be available.
Event Date
Around the middle of February
Location
Takikawa Shopping District (Bell Road)
Time / 5:00 pm (light up) ~ 8:00 pm (lights out)
Prior to the Paper Lantern Festival, Window Lanterns will be exhibited at Gallery Fureai in the main office of Hokumon Shinkin Bank.
Window Lanterns will be on display from 2/9 to 2/29 (tentative).
Visitors can enjoy the illuminated window from sunset to 9 pm on weekdays according to the bank’s business hours.
Location : 3-3-4 Sakae-cho, Takigawa City
Lighting hours : 2/9 – 2/29 weekdays from sunset to 9:00 pm
Takikawa International and tourism Square
Right next to Takikawa Station, the first floor of the Takikawa Terminal Building. Is home to Takikawa’s TourismDepartment, Tourism Association, and the International Exchange Association. Services such as sightseeing information, pamphlets and tourist guidebooks, distributing collectible tourist manhole cards, rental bicycles, and luggage storage are available.
There are English classes for young children offered as well.
You can take a seat and rest inside while utilizing their free high-speed wi-fi.
Location : Takikawa City Sakaemachi 4 Chome 9-1
At Takikawa Sky Sports, you can experience aviation through our glider airplane or motor airplane. From the sky, you can enjoy the beauty of all four seasons, viewing fields as far as the eye can see, mountains in the distance, Hokkaido’s symbolic Ishikari River, and more! During your experience, a well-experienced instructor will be piloting so you can relax and enjoy tranquil skies and scenery without any distractions from engine noise.
Location : Takikawa City Nakajima-machi 139-4
Hours of Operation : 8:30am – 5:00pm
Availability : 10:00am – 4:00pm
Fee : Adults: 8,500yen, Elementary, Middle and High School Students: 4,500yen
Takikawa Sky Museum is a place where you can fall in love with the sky, gliders, planes and even more! Encountering the planes and gliders that soar with abundant energy through the big skies nearly every day, coming into contact with gliders and pilots ready to take off, even taking to the runways, and big skies ourselves, our museum brings all of this into our fields… overflowing with dreams and an adventurous spirit.
Location
Takikawa City Nakajima-machi 139-4, at Takikawa Sky-Park
TEL：0125-24-3255
FAX：0125-23-3777
Hours of Operation
During summer (Apr ~ Nov): 9:00 am ~ 5:00 pm
During winter (Dec ~ Mar): 9:00 am ~ 4:00 pm
Days Closed
During summer: no days closed
During winter: Saturday, holidays, and around new years
Entrance Fee
Regular \320; High School Students \210; Elementary Students \100
Takikawa City Dynamic Aviation Museum
～Canola Flowers bloom in the Rolling Hills～
Takikawa City takes pride in having a country-wideprominence for their Canola Flower Farms (Na No Hana Hatake) which color in the rolling hills of Ebeotsu with yellow. Beginning from the middle to late May, a beautiful carpet of yellow is spread. Because farms cannot cycle crops on the same plots, each year offers different landscapes as well as various plots of farms to look forward to. During the Canola Flower season there will be a viewing platform on site to allow for a view of the fields from above. The main event will be at Michi no Eki. During Saturday and Sunday, the event will feature a gourmet food venue, the “Na no Hana Bus” which takes visitors to and from the Canola Flower field site, the “Na no Hana Taxi,” which offers a more leisurely and detailed guided tour of the Canola Flower Fields, and more. There will also be Takikawa-local vendors selling limited edition sweets. From Mon-Fri the temporary tourist reception desk for “Na no Hana Taxi,” rental bikes, Canola Flower guides, etc. will be available. There will also be other activities, such as a photo contest, a survey which lets you win a local specialty product, and more.
Event location : Michi-no-Eki (Roadside Station) Takikawa
Hours of Operation : 10:00am – 4:00pm
Surrounded by lush greenery on the Raune River, adults and children alike can enjoy water sports in a wide variety of canoes, including single canoes, paired canoes, and Canadian canoes, as well as rowboats and sailboats. Even as a first-timer, do not fret, as an instructor will always be available nearby to teach you how to ride allowing for a casual water sports experience.
Location : Takikawa City Nishi Takikawa 10
TEL : 0125-23-4194
Hours of Operation : 9:00 am ~ 5:00 pm
Open Season : 2nd Saturday of May ~ October 10
Days Closed : Mondays (if Monday is a holiday, the following day will be closed)
Entrance Fee：Takikawa Resident ⇒ High School Students and above \260; Elementary/Middle School \120
Out-of-town Resident⇒High School Students and above \400; Elementary/Middle School \190
This is the only place in Takikawa where you can eat Jingisukan from a Jingisukan manufacturer. You can enjoy high-quality lamb meat marinated in a secret sauce made from 100% natural fruit and vegetable juices such as onions and apples, without using any preservatives or synthetic coloring agents.
Location : 3-5-12 Myojin-cho, Takigawa City
TEL : 0125-22-2989
Business hours : 11:00 am – 10:00 pm
Closed : Open all year round (except Dec. 31-Jan. 1)
7-minute walk from Takikawa Station.
A booth for foreigners will be set up during the Takikawa Paper Lantern Festival.
Location : 3-6-28 Sakae-cho, Takigawa City
TEL : 0125-74-6210
By car (open road)
40 min, 27 km
By car (Highway)
30 min, 45 km
By car (open road)
About 40 min, 27 km
By car (Highway)
About 1 hr 20 min, 120 km
By car (open road)
About 10 min, 5 km
Takikawa City Sakaemachi 4 Chome 9-1, at Takikawa International and tourism Square
TEL: +81-125-23-0030 FAX: +81-125-23-0918