Historic Sites, Places of Scenic Beauty, and Natural Monuments of Hokkaido

Yukuepira Chashi Ato in Rikubetsu, eastern Hokkaido, is a national historic site preserving one of the largest Ainu chashi (fortress) remains in northern Japan. Built in the mid-16th century and traditionally linked to the Ainu chieftain Kaneran, this triple-enclosure earthwork rises on a cliff above the Toshibetsu River, its restored ramparts gleaming brilliant white with volcanic ash. With over 100,000 excavated artifacts, ties to pioneer physician Seki Kansai, and a setting in "Japan's coldest town" famed for crystal-clear night skies, the site offers a rare encounter with Ainu heritage, frontier history, and the wild beauty of eastern Hokkaido.

A volcanic peninsula on Lake Kussharo shelters Japan's northernmost min-min cicada, a southern species preserved by geothermal heat. A National Natural Monument since 1951.