Tomamae Sights: Windmills and Pioneer Memory

What Kind of Town Is Tomamae?

Tomamae is a town on the Sea of Japan in the central part of Rumoi Subprefecture, Hokkaido. Its name is said to derive from the Ainu “Toma-oma-i” (the place with Ezo bleeding hearts). From National Route 232 along the coast you can see a wind turbine group said to be among the largest in Hokkaido, which has become the town’s signature view.

The town has also gathered people since the Edo period as a herring-fishing shore, and after the Meiji era settlers arrived from all over. In this article we introduce the town’s sights in descending latitude, that is, from north to south. We begin at the coast where the turbines stand, pass buildings and a shrine that tell the town’s history, and then head south into the pioneer memories of the mountains.

1. Yuhigaoka Hill and the Wind Turbines (とままえ夕陽ヶ丘と風車群)

Yuhigaoka (Sunset Hill) is an area of hills along the Sea of Japan just north of Tomamae’s town center, where parks such as Tomamae Yuhigaoka Mirai-ko Park spread out. The sunset over the sea seen from here is one of the town’s signature views. On a clear day you can also make out the shapes of Teuri Island and Yagishiri Island offshore.

There are several wind power facilities in the town. The turbine group visible from National Route 232 has sometimes been featured in magazines as the largest in Hokkaido. At dusk, the sight of the turbines turning slowly against a madder-red sky stays in the memory of many travelers.

The hills by the sea are a place where the weather changes easily. When you stroll, watch for strong winds and sudden changes in the weather, and follow the guidance of nearby facilities.

2. Roadside Station Fuwatto Tomamae (道の駅 風Wとままえ)

Michi-no-Eki Fuwatto Tomamae (風Wとままえ) is a roadside station along National Route 232 and serves as the base for sightseeing in Tomamae. The “W” in its name is thought to refer to the town’s turbines and wind. It stands in a corner of Yuhigaoka, with a view of the sea and the turbines.

The facility gathers a hot spring, dining and a corner selling local goods. The spring is a strongly saline chloride water said to warm you to the core, and the open-air bath is said to offer a view of Teuri and Yagishiri Islands. Nearby there are also an auto campground and a white-sand beach.

Small goods decorated with wind-turbine pictures are also known as souvenirs. Hours and offerings change easily, so please check the latest information from the town or the facility before you go.

3. Tomamae Shrine (苫前神社)

Tomamae Shrine stands in the town center and is said to have been founded in 1786 (Tenmei 6). That was about 150 years after the Matsumae domain opened a trading post called the “Tomamai Basho” in Tomamae in 1634. This is speculation, but it was probably enshrined as a place to pray for the safety and good catches of people who lived by the sea.

Later, in 1807, the whole of Tomamae District was placed under direct shogunate control (tenryo) to prepare for Russia’s southward advance. There was an era when this northern shore was deeply tied to the nation’s defense. The shrine has quietly watched over the town’s history as it flourished as a herring-fishing ground, received a village headman’s office, and grew.

This is an active shrine, so when you visit, observe the courtesy of a worshiper and stay quiet within the grounds. When taking photographs, too, remember that this is a place of prayer.

4. Tomamae Local History Museum (苫前町郷土資料館)

The Tomamae Local History Museum uses the former town office building, built in 1928 (Showa 3). The calm wooden building is itself a part of the town’s history. Among its known holdings are a “shura” timber sled designated as a town cultural property, and Sue ware jars.

The town also has a traditional performing art, the “Tomamae Kuma Shishimai” (bear lion dance), carried on by a preservation society. That a lion dance carries the word “kuma” (bear) seems to say that people here have long lived next to bears. This is speculation, but the hardship of pioneering and awe of nature may have been handed down in the form of a performing art.

The museum sometimes introduces the Sankebetsu brown bear incident, described below, through exhibits and video. It is a place worth visiting first as an entry point to learning about pioneer life of the time. Opening days and exhibits may change, so please check in advance.

5. Sankebetsu Brown Bear Incident Reconstruction Site (三毛別羆事件復元現場)

The Sankebetsu brown bear incident took place from December 9 to 14, 1915 (Taisho 4) in the pioneer settlement of Sankebetsu, Tomamae Village (now Sankei, Tomamae Town). A single Ezo brown bear attacked the settlement, killing seven people and injuring three. Until the hunter Yamamoto Hyokichi shot it dead, it is said to have caused the worst damage in the history of wildlife attacks in Japan.

The place name Sankebetsu is said to derive from the Ainu “Sanke-pet” (the river that flows downstream). Rokusen-zawa, the setting of the incident, was a pioneer settlement of about 15 households, some 30 kilometers into the mountains from central Tomamae. It is said that roughly 600 people in total, civilian and official, took part in the search, and that an army unit was also dispatched.

At the site, a house of the time and the bear have been reconstructed, and it serves as a place to pass the incident on to later generations. This is not a spectacle. It is a place to mourn those who died and to learn the hardship of the pioneers who faced nature. Because it is in the mountains, wild brown bears may appear. Be sure to carry bear bells and the like, avoid going alone, and visit in a quiet frame of mind.

Local Specialties, Food and Drink

Tomamae’s seafood is known for shrimp such as sweet shrimp, botan shrimp and striped shrimp, as well as octopus and processed herring products. Flavors such as herring roe and dried herring, typical of a shore that prospered on herring fishing, are also listed among the town’s products.

Among farm products, rice (Nanatsuboshi and Yumepirika) and Tomamae melon are introduced. Processed goods that use local ingredients, such as udon made with locally grown wheat, are also made. Availability and seasons change easily, so please check the latest information before you go.

Rare Wildlife and Nature

The town’s coast is a famous place to watch the sun sink into the Sea of Japan. On a clear day, Teuri Island and Yagishiri Island can be seen floating offshore. On the mountain side are many peaks such as Maruyama, Aichoyama, Kirittateyama, Kotambetsuyama and Okusankebetsuyama, and the Kotambetsu River and Sankebetsu River flow through the town.

In spring, Kotambetsu Midorigaoka Park is said to become a cherry-blossom spot, and a cherry blossom festival is held. The Ezo bleeding heart, from which the town’s name comes, is also a flower seen in the mountains and fields in spring.

Mountain settlements and forest roads overlap the habitat of wild brown bears. Please do not forget that danger lies next to the richness of nature.

Other Notable Facts About This Town

The town’s history goes back to 1634, when the Matsumae domain opened the Tomamai Basho. It became shogunate land in 1807, and when Ezo was renamed Hokkaido in 1869, Tomamae District of Teshio Province was established. It adopted town status in 1948.

In the Meiji era a group of people migrated together from Nagashima Town in Mie Prefecture, so the town has a sister-city relationship with present-day Kuwana City. The tie was formed in 1981.

The town’s winter tradition is introduced as a kite-flying tournament. It is based on the Tsugaru kite tradition, and there is a story that migrant workers who came from Aomori for herring fishing flew kites in the wind and thought of their hometowns.

The Night Side: This Town’s Ghost Stories and Haunted Spots

So far we have followed the daytime face of Tomamae from north to south: wind turbines standing in the sunset, an old shrine, a pioneer museum. In every place, the time of people who faced wind and sea lies layered.

As a night side, this town has accounts connected to the Sankebetsu brown bear incident. But this is an incident that really happened in 1915, and it is history to be faced with respect for those who died. In our view, visiting the mountains at night out of curiosity is the act most to be avoided. Learn the history at the museum in daylight, and keep the spirit of quietly pressing your hands together.

At KARASU CHANNEL, we post true ghost stories and haunted spots not so that you will go, but so that they are recorded. Once you know the daytime scenery, please read the night stories too.

Before You Go

Opening hours, fees, closing days and access change easily, so they are not included in this article. Before you go, please check the latest information on the official websites of each facility or municipality. Some places have restricted entry because of weather or disasters.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q. What are the highlights of Tomamae?

A. They include the sunset hill and wind turbine group, the roadside station, an old shrine, a local history museum in the former town office, and the Sankebetsu brown bear incident reconstruction site, which tells of the pioneer history.

Q. Can anyone visit the Sankebetsu brown bear incident reconstruction site?

A. It lies in the mountains, and wild brown bears may appear. Carry bear deterrents, avoid going alone, and check the latest guidance on site. Please visit in a spirit of mourning those who died.

Q. What is Tomamae known for eating?

A. Seafood such as sweet shrimp and octopus, processed herring products, rice and Tomamae melon are known. Offerings change easily, so please check in advance.

Sources and official sites consulted
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/苫前町
https://ja.wikipedia.org/wiki/三毛別羆事件
https://tabi-mag.jp/ho1061/
https://tabi-mag.jp/tomamae-bear/
https://www.hkd.mlit.go.jp/rm/tiiki_sinkou/c2dl9l0000000po1-att/c2dl9l00000010jy.pdf
https://furu-sato.com/hokkaido/483
https://www.hokkaido-np.co.jp/hokkaido/area_rumoi/tomamae/3/