［Kawatabi Movie・Photo Report］Walking the “Historical Promenade” of Biratori Town – Nibutani Dam

Following Biratori Town’s “Historical Walking Trail”, which runs along Lake Nibutani, I explored this scenic and culturally rich route.

Important Notice (Updated September 10)
◆Although the brown bear alert for Biratori Town has been lifted, visitors are strongly advised to check the latest bear information on the official Biratori Town website before heading out.
＠　・Biratori Town Official Website Top Page → Emergency Information
＠　・Bear Sightings Information
＠　・Bear Sightings Map (Google Maps)
(Links are available on the Biratori Town website.)

The Biratori Town “Historical Promenade” is a scenic walking trail that starts at Nibutani Dam and follows the shoreline of Lake Nibutani upstream for approximately 3 kilometers.

Along the route, you will find nine monuments dedicated to historical figures closely connected to Ainu culture. On this visit, we followed the trail while stopping at each of these memorials.

Walking the “Historical Promenade” of Biratori Town Kawatabi Hokkaido YouTube
‘https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCs5b1HfbFM

◎Useful Tip: Bring a Map
For this walk, we brought along a very helpful map titled
“Highlights Map of the Cultural Landscape of Biratori Town, Hokkaido.”

This map is available on the website of the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum. With the museum’s permission, links to the map page have been included so you can use it as a reference when exploring Biratori Town.

＠Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum – Top Page
＠◆◆“Cultural Landscape of Biratori Town” Highlights Map Page

At the bottom of the linked page, you will find:“Cultural Landscape of Biratori Town Highlights Map (PDF)” and also“Cultural Landscape of Biratori Town Outing Map (PDF)” (under the “Enjoy” section) Both maps are highly recommended for planning your visit.

◎Let’s Get Started
We began our journey by renting bicycles at the Sarugawa Historical Museum.
(Click on the photos to enlarge.)

Just upstream from Nibutani Dam, we found the first memorial, dedicated to Hokuto Iboshi. From there, we began our journey further upstream. Along the way, we crossed a suspension bridge.

After crossing the bridge, the red roof of the former Munro Residence came into view (now the Nibutani Research Office of the Faculty of Letters, Hokkaido University). As expected, this site is also home to a memorial for Neil Gordon Munro.

Continuing on, we discovered the memorials of Edith Mary Bryant and Kyosuke Kindaichi, bringing the total to four. We then passed behind the Sarugawa Historical Museum and continued onward.

Next came the memorials of John Batchelor, Matsu Kanari, Takeshiro Matsuura, and Juzo Kondo. Finally, the ninth and last memorial, dedicated to Isabella Bird, stood at a scenic viewpoint overlooking Lake Nibutani. The stone carvings were so striking that they made us want to take rubbings of them.

The “Historical Walking Trail” continues for about another kilometer from here. Heading further upstream, the path becomes a peaceful birch-lined promenade, eventually leading to the observation deck at the Kankan 2 Archaeological Site, which marks the goal of the trail.

From the observation deck, Opsinupuri (the “Mountain with a Hole”) appeared close at hand. According to Ainu legend, this hole was created when the Ainu god Okikurumi shot an arrow through the mountain.

There is also a designated viewpoint near the deck that offers a clear view of Opsinupuri. Around the summer solstice, the setting sun is said to align perfectly with the hole. Winter photographs, taken after the leaves have fallen, clearly reveal the shape of the opening.

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The Biratori “Historical Walking Trail” begins at Nibutani Dam and passes many highlights, including the former Munro Residence, Sarugawa Historical Museum, Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum, Nibutani Kotan, the Ior Cultural Exchange Center, and finally the Kankan 2 Archaeological Site.

Renting a bicycle from the Sarugawa Historical Museum is highly recommended for exploring this rich and fascinating route.