On Monday, February 2, 2026, the FY2025 “Kawatabi Hokkaido” Activity Report Meeting was held for the fifth time this year. Each organization introduced 11 initiatives being developed across Hokkaido, centered around rivers and dams.

The most outstanding initiatives among them will be selected for the “Kawatabi Hokkaido Grand Prize and Excellence Award.”

At this report meeting, it was reaffirmed that waterfront spaces such as rivers and dams are being utilized across a wide range of fields including education, disaster prevention, tourism, and environmental conservation. Beyond one-time events, the development of sustainable frameworks—through incorporation, institutionalization, and collaboration with universities—has been progressing, leading to greater involvement of young people as key participants and contributing to the development of next-generation leaders.

There were also presentations from high school students, making this a report meeting where the expanding reach of Kawatabi Hokkaido could be truly felt.

◆Overview of Initiatives◆
We will introduce the activity overviews of the 11 initiatives presented on the day.
Click each title to view the related article.

No.1 Conducting “Toyohira River Adventure” with Chuo Elementary School Community Collaboration Council!
(Chuo Elementary School Community Collaboration Council, Ecotech Co., Ltd.)

At Chuo Elementary School, located in central Sapporo, the “Toyohira River Adventure” is being developed as a community-school collaborative activity. In coordination with third-grade exploration and environmental learning, experiential learning programs are being implemented that take advantage of the Toyohira River’s location where urban and natural environments meet. In collaboration with private companies, they are developing systems that enable year-round learning, including educational materials and indoor observation facilities that allow learning even during winter and inclement weather. With the establishment of a community school in mind, they are also deepening collaboration with junior high schools, aiming to create an environment where children and adults can grow together with the river as the stage.

No.2 Sunagawa: A Town with a Flood Control Basin
(Sakurai Chida Co., Ltd., Ishikari River Downriver Paddlers)

For over 30 years, they have balanced cleaning activities with utilization of the flood control basin. Transforming the Sunagawa Flood Control Basin, a disaster prevention infrastructure, into a hub for community interaction, they have held events throughout the four seasons including snow removal and cleaning activities, river rafting, SUP (stand-up paddleboard) experiences, music events, and winter ice carousel activities. The number of participants has increased year by year, with visitors coming from distant areas as well. Moving forward, they aim to continue experiential events while maintaining a basin-wide flood management perspective, creating opportunities for people to connect with the river and expanding the flow of visitors to the area.

No.3 Ebetsu Kawamachi Festival 2025
(Ebetsu no Machizukuri Co., Ltd., Sapporo Development and Construction Department Ebetsu River Office)

Ebetsu City once prospered through river transportation on the Ishikari River. Various events are being held utilizing historic buildings remaining in the city, with citizen participation in planning and management. To ensure sustainable event management in the future, “Ebetsu no Machizukuri Co., Ltd.” was established, and a credit recognition system was created in collaboration with four universities in Ebetsu City. This is a challenge to establish the event as a cultural fixture by creating a framework for students to be continuously involved in operations. Starting next fiscal year, they aim for student participation of approximately 300 people annually, with the ultimate goal of impacting the local economy through accommodation development and broader regional collaboration.

No.4 Four Community Events Held Simultaneously Utilizing Pirika Dam
(Imakane Town Board of Education, Pirika Project Committee)

A marathon, archaeological site festival, marché, and dam tour were held simultaneously at Pirika Dam. The marathon event takes advantage of the dam’s distinctive feature of having Japan’s longest crest length among multipurpose dams. Combined with ancient experiences such as stone tool making and sales of local specialty products, the event showcased the region’s appeal by integrating infrastructure with history, culture, and tourism. Additionally, the dam tour opened the interior of the dam, which is normally inaccessible to individual visitors. The aim was to both promote visitor understanding and create a lively atmosphere. They plan to continue holding these events in the future, conveying the value of the dam from diverse perspectives and contributing to regional revitalization.

No.5 Children’s Waterside Safety Course
(Ranko Ushi Shiribetsu River Conservation Association, Otaru Development and Construction Department Kutchan Development Office River Division)

With the goal of “fostering local residents’ connection with the river and raising people who protect the river,” they conduct river cleaning activities and waterside safety courses for children using the Shiribetsu River as their field. Experiential cleaning activities are popular, where participants collect trash from locations accessible only by canoe or rafting boat, in addition to land-based cleanup. In the waterside safety course, participants learn about both the dangers and joys of waterside areas through downstream floating experiences and life jacket wearing drills. They are working to build a positive relationship between the Shiribetsu River and people by integrating river environmental conservation, safety assurance, and next-generation education.

No.6 Daisetsuzan Asahidake SEA TO SUMMIT (Chubetsu River)
(Daisetsuzan Asahidake SEA TO SUMMIT Executive Committee [Higashikawa Tourism Association], Montbell Co., Ltd. Tokyo Public Relations Department SEA TO SUMMIT Liaison Council Eastern Japan Representative, Asahikawa Development and Construction Department Asahikawa River Office Chubetsu Dam Management Branch)

An environmental sports event where participants travel from Lake Chubetsu to the summit of Mount Asahidake in the Daisetsuzan range using only human power. Through kayaking, cycling, and mountain climbing, participants can experience the connection between water, village, and mountain. An environmental symposium and pre-event festival are also held simultaneously, with part of the participation fees donated to environmental conservation organizations. At the Higashikawa Town event, these contributions support alpine plant conservation activities. In recent years, participation formats have expanded to include pet companions and para-challenges. Moving forward, they aim to strengthen collaboration with other host locations nationwide and expand a network that shares environmental awareness while accommodating diverse participation styles.

No.7 Down the Teshio-Ppe 2025
(NPO Down the Teshio, Asahikawa Development and Construction Department Nayoro River Office)

A long-distance canoe touring event covering approximately 160 km along the Teshio River, a Hokkaido Heritage site, through a section with no river-crossing structures. With a history spanning over 30 years, the 32nd event in 2025 was held with collaboration from 13 municipalities in the river basin. Canoe enthusiasts gather from within Japan and abroad, with completion certificates and handprints serving as sources of pride for participants. Additionally, university students participate in event operations as part of credit-bearing courses. Moving forward, they aim to continue collaboration with universities and develop the event into one that Japan can be proud of worldwide, while maintaining a “win-win-win” situation for managers, the local community, and participants.

No.8 The Expanding Circle of “Kawamachi Development” in Mukawa Town: Initiatives Connecting the Blessings of the Mukawa River to the Future
(Mukawa Town, Mukawa Town Community Development Committee, Nature Study Group in Mukawa, GCs LLC, All Japan Surfcasting Federation Hokkaido Association, Hidaka Cycling Association, Mukawa Shishamo Enthusiasts Association, Muroran Development and Construction Department Mukawa Sarugawa River Office)

Kawamachi development has been promoted as part of creative reconstruction following the earthquake disaster. Various organizations participate in these initiatives, including SUP experiences, sports casting competitions, and the traditional “Hokkaido-wide Human Log Floating Competition.” The efforts are also coordinated with development of key facilities such as the renovation of the Dinosaur Museum, aiming to improve circulation between the downtown area and the riverside space. Moving forward, based on the kawamachi development plan, they will proceed with development of canoe and SUP launch sites and parking facilities, aiming to create vitality that spreads throughout the town and expand the flow of visitors.

No.9 Kushiro River Special Project: Kawamachi Jamboree in Teshikaga – THE Kawadoko
(Kushiro Community Development Research Institute, Hokkaido Teshikaga High School)

With the aim of promoting Teshikaga Town’s attractions and solving local challenges, a seven-day event was held themed around playful experiential activities and coexistence with nature. Led by high school students, the event revitalized an underutilized plaza by implementing eastern Hokkaido’s first kawadoko (riverside platform), illumination, and disaster prevention education. The initiative has also had ripple effects on human resource development, with high school students discovering future career paths and fostering attachment to their community. In the next fiscal year, they will expand collaboration with universities and companies, building a sustainable management system while creating a network of people connected to the region and promoting youth retention in the area.

No.10 Tokachi Umakawa (Horse-River) Project
(National University Corporation Hokkaido National University Organization Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro Development and Construction Department Flood Control Division)

Combining the inheritance of Tokachi’s horse culture with river management, they conduct river patrols on horseback with the Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine Equestrian Club. They are challenging a new management method of checking river conditions and trash from the elevated vantage point of horseback. Horses also appeared at the “Mizube de Kanpai” (Toast by the Waterside) event on July 7, showcasing the potential of human-horse interaction as a tourism resource. They will continue awareness-raising activities such as river beautification, and in the future aim to expand horse-related activities such as using horses to remove driftwood from the river, with goals of registering as a river cooperation organization and realizing a disaster prevention cavalry unit concept.

No.11 “Illuminating the Dam with Snow Lights”: Let’s Enjoy Rumoi Dam
(Rumoi Eco Village, Rumoi City, Rumoi Development and Construction Department)

An event held at Rumoi Dam in winter where citizens participate in creating and lighting hundreds of ice candles (the 15th event in 2025). The event creates a magical landscape and presents new possibilities for winter dam utilization, including snowshoe and snow tube experiences. There are also initiatives to connect with the community, such as paper craft creation experiences inside the dam management office and dam staff announcing dam projects and events on local radio stations. Moving forward, they aim to establish this as a sustainable activity while improving event quality, promoting continuous visitor attraction and enhanced understanding of the dam.