The Cultural Landscape of the Saru River Basin, a

A Living Cultural Landscape Where Ainu Traditions Meet the Rhythms of the Saru River

Nestled in the heart of Hokkaido's Hidaka region, the town of Biratori holds a cultural landscape unlike any other in Japan. Here, the Saru River — known as Shishirimuka in the Ainu language — has shaped not only the land but also the lives, traditions, and spiritual world of the Ainu people for thousands of years. In 2007, the Japanese government designated the "Cultural Landscape along the Saru River Resulting from Ainu Tradition and Modern Settlement" as an Important Cultural Landscape, marking it as the first and only such designation in Hokkaido. This remarkable landscape tells the story of an indigenous culture that endures alongside the layers of modern settlement, creating a rare and precious tapestry of multicultural heritage.

What Is the Cultural Landscape of the Saru River Basin?

The Cultural Landscape of the Saru River Basin encompasses approximately 9,843 hectares within Biratori Town, Saru District, Hokkaido. The Saru River, originating in the Hidaka Mountains at the Nissho Pass, flows southward through the town before reaching the Pacific Ocean. Along this corridor, the landscape bears witness to centuries of Ainu interaction with the natural environment and the subsequent overlaying of modern agricultural and forestry practices introduced by settlers from mainland Japan during the Meiji period onward.

The designation recognizes two distinct but interwoven cultural layers. The first is the traditional Ainu utilization of the river basin — the forests, riverbanks, and sacred sites that sustained their way of life. The second is the modern settlement landscape, particularly the distinctive pastoral woodlands (bokuya-rin) created through open-range horse grazing on the river terraces, a uniquely Hokkaido form of forest management now preserved at its largest remaining scale in the Hidaka region.

Why Was It Designated as an Important Cultural Landscape?

The Saru River basin earned its designation because it represents an extraordinarily rare example of multicultural layering in a single landscape. Unlike many cultural properties that reflect a single historical period or cultural tradition, this landscape embodies the continuous relationship between the Ainu people and their environment alongside the transformations brought by modern development.

The Ainu people developed a deep symbiotic relationship with the Saru River ecosystem. The willow trees growing along the riverbanks provided essential material for making inaw (sacred wooden prayer sticks), while the forests of Japanese elm that flourished along the broad stream valleys supported abundant useful plants — turep (giant lily bulbs), pukusa (wild garlic), and pukusakina (anemone) — all vital to Ainu daily life. The river's periodic flooding, occurring every few years to decades, actually played a beneficial role: it prevented bamboo grass from overtaking the forest floor, allowing these useful plants to regenerate and sustaining a stable living environment for the Ainu communities along the river.

This landscape was recognized as nationally important because it preserves the living elements of Ainu culture while simultaneously demonstrating how later agricultural and forestry activities have created additional cultural layers, resulting in a genuinely multicultural landscape of exceptional value for understanding Japanese cultural history.

Highlights and Attractions

Surrounding Area and Nearby Attractions

Biratori's natural beauty extends well beyond the cultural landscape itself. The Hidaka Mountains to the east, including Mount Poroshiri (2,053 meters), offer challenging alpine trekking for adventurous hikers. The town-run ranch near a stunning lily of the valley colony provides a quintessentially Hokkaido pastoral scene, with Biratori wagyu cattle grazing on rolling green pastures.

The Niseu Ecoland campsite offers families a chance to enjoy outdoor activities including park golf, fishing, and summer firefly viewing. For relaxation, the Biratori Onsen "Yukara" provides hot spring bathing facilities alongside accommodation options.

The nearby Saru River Historical Museum, with free admission, features dioramas of archaeological sites and exhibits on the relationship between people and the river through the ages. The Munro Residence, the preserved former home of British archaeologist and anthropologist Dr. Neil Gordon Munro, who devoted his life to studying Ainu culture, is another unique historical site worth visiting.

Practical Information for Visitors

Biratori is accessible by car from Sapporo in approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes via the Doo Expressway and Hidaka Expressway (exit at Hidaka Tomikawa IC), then along National Route 237. From New Chitose Airport, the drive takes about 1 hour. Public bus services also connect to the area, though schedules are limited, so renting a car is strongly recommended for international visitors.

The cultural landscape itself is an open, living environment — there is no admission fee to explore the broader landscape, though individual facilities have their own hours and fees. The best time to visit is from late spring through autumn (May to October), when all facilities are fully operational and the landscape is at its most vibrant. Winter visits offer a quieter, snow-covered experience, though some facilities have reduced hours or seasonal closures.