event | 平取町へ。アイヌ文化へ。

EVENT

Biratori Calendar

These are events and programs held in Biratori that are open to the public for observation and participation. For events whose dates vary each year, announcements are usually made on the respective websites about one month in advance. Updates will also be shared on our website under “News” and on our social media channels as soon as information becomes available. We hope this information will be helpful in planning your visit.
・2026 Schedule Not Announced: Events held in FY2025 but not yet confirmed for FY2026.
・TPlanned for 2026: Events planned for FY2026
Note: The phone number is provided in parentheses under “Contact.”

Regular Events

January

Yoshitsune Shrine Hatsuuma Festival(Held in FY 2025)

Period: First Horse Day of January (normally)
Details: This event originated from the fact that Minamoto no Yoshitsune—the deity enshrined at Yoshitsune Shrine—was a mounted warrior who adored horses and, as this region is one of Japan's most prominent horse-breeding areas, it is believed that prayers made on the "First Horse Day" will be granted. Both horses and horseracing officials attend the annual event, which features a "Yasashi" (arrow firing) ritual—in which those who retrieve the arrows are blessed with good fortune—and an auspicious rice cake throwing ceremony.
Organizer: Yoshitsune Shrine
Inquiries: Biratori Town Tourism & Commerce Division (as the chief priest is not always on site)
Website (Japanese): リンク

February

All Hokkaido Penalty Shootout Grand Prix(scheduled for FY 2026)

Period: First Sunday in February
Details: A team-based penalty shootout tournament held at the Nibutani Family Land Sports Ground. Divided into four categories, participants from primary to high school compete for a place in the final to determine the winners. Lunch is a barbecue of local specialties, including Biratori Wagyu and Biratori Kurobuta Pork. (Application deadline: early January)
Organizer: All Hokkaido Penalty Shootout Grand Prix Organizing Committee
Inquiries: All Hokkaido Penalty Shootout Grand Prix Organizing Committee (c/o Biratori Town Hall 01457-3-7703)
Website (Japanese): リンク

Sisirmka Ainu Cultural Festival (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Saturday in mid-February
Details: Nibutani Ainu Language School presents Ainu language presentations, oral literary performances, traditional dance performances, and cultural exchange presentations. Admission is free.
Organizer: Biratori Ainu Association, Biratori Ainu Culture Preservation Society, Biratori Nibutani Ainu Language School
Inquiries: Biratori Ainu Association Secretariat (01457-2-2341 c/o Biratori Town Hall Ainu Policy Promotion Division)
Website (Japanese): リンク

Nibutani Kotan Day (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Early February
Details: An event launched in 2024 that offers a full day of diverse Ainu cultural experiences around Nibutani Kotan. Activities include hands-on woodcarving, traditional Ainu children's games, Ainu language sessions, and free admission to the museum.
※Dates may vary from year to year.
Organizer: Biratori Town

Daichi Renkei Workshop in Biratori (winter) (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Early February
Details: A hands-on workshop for university and graduate students nationwide, offering intensive, broad-based study of Ainu culture over a five-night, six-day stay in the town of Biratori. (Applications open mid-November to early December)
Organizer: Biratori Town
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation （01457-2-2152）
Website (Japanese): リンク

May

Lily of the valley viewing (scheduled for FY 2026)

Period: Late May to early June
Details: An event allowing visitors to view lily of the valley, which is the official flower of Biratori. Throughout the period, lily of the valley can be seen over a 15-hectare area in the Memu district of Biratori, which boasts the largest colony of wild lily of the valley in Japan. Open 6:00—16:00, admission is free, with no reservations required. On Saturdays and Sundays during the event period, food trucks and other stalls are set up in the parking lot adjacent to the colony of flowers.
Organizer: Lily of the Valley Viewing Organizing Committee (within Biratori Town Hall)
Inquiries: c/o Biratori Town Tourism & Commerce Division (01457-3-7703）
Website (Japanese): リンク

June

Iwor Forest Walk & Hands-on Tree Planting (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Late June
Details: A walk through the municipal Iwor Forest, with explanations regarding the forest's role and a hands-on tree-planting session.
Organizer: Biratori Town, Biratori Town Council for Ainu Policy Promotion
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation （01457-2-2152）

Urekreku Music Festival (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Saturday sometime in June through to mid-July (one day)
Details: An event offering opportunities to experience Ainu culture, including traditional Ainu dance, songs and music, as well as Ainu children's games. In recent years, weather permitting, it has been held at an outdoor venue in the Nibutani district. Food trucks and stalls are set up, and the whole day can be enjoyed by both children and adults alike. Admission to the live music performances is free.
Organizer: Biratori Ainu Association Youth Division
Inquiries: Biratori Ainu Association Youth Division Secretariat (01457-2-2341 c/o Biratori Town Hall Ainu Policy Promotion Division)
Website (Japanese): リンク

Opusnupuri Sunset

Period: Late June (summer solstice)
Details: Opusnupuri, meaning “the mountain with a hole,” is located in Nibutani, and legend has it that a kamuy (god) named Okikurmi pierced the mountain with a great arrow (or spear). For a period of about three days around the summer solstice, the sun sets directly into this hole in the mountain.
Organizer: ※There is an observation point from where the sunset can be viewed. Please refer to the “Biratori Town Cultural Landscape Guide Sheet” (fee required) available at the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum.

July

Iwor Nature Experience (an interactive experience in the Iwor Forest) (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Early July
Details: Observation tours of cise (traditional houses) in Nibutani Kotan and aquatic plants in the "waterfront space" along the floodplains of the river in the Hon-cho district take place, as well as nature observation tours and walks in the Iwor Forest in the Nibutani district.
Organizer: Biratori Town, Biratori Town Council for Ainu Policy Promotion
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation （01457-2-2152）

Nibutani Kotan Day (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Late July
Details: An event launched in 2024 that offers a full day of diverse Ainu cultural experiences around Nibutani Kotan. Activities include hands-on woodcarving, traditional Ainu children's games, Ainu language sessions, traditional Ainu dance performances and the like.
Organizer: Biratori Town

August

Iwor Nature Experience (a hands-on experience around the waterfronts of Iwor) (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Early August
Details: A session to observe the vegetation, fish, insects and other creatures that inhabit the "waterfront space" of the Hon-cho floodplains.
Organizer: Biratori Town, Biratori Town Council for Ainu Policy Promotion
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation （01457-2-2152）

Late August

Period: Late August
Details: A hands-on program for university and graduate students, offering intensive, broad-based study of Ainu culture over a five-night, six-day stay in the town of Biratori. (Applications open late May to late June)
Organizer: Biratori Town
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation （01457-2-2152）

Cipsanke (scheduled for FY 2026)

Period: Sunday in late August
Details: Cipsanke, meaning “boat launching” in the Ainu language, is a traditional ceremony held on the Saru River to mark the launch of boats crafted using ancient techniques. It is an important event for the Biratori Ainu and those involved in Ainu culture. Members of the public may observe the ceremony whilst respecting its proceedings. During this time, hands-on woodcarving sessions (fee required) are also available for those who wish to take part.
Organizer: Cipsanke Organizing Committee
Inquiries: c/o Biratori Town Tourism & Commerce Division (01457-3-7703）
Website (Japanese): リンク

Yoshitsune Shrine Festival (scheduled for FY 2026)

Period: August 15th
Details: A festival including a mikoshi (portable shrine) procession featuring local high school students and the like portraying Yoshitsune and his mistress, Shizuka Gozen; children's mikoshi parades organized by neighborhood associations; and other local events that liven up the atmosphere, not to mention a firework display on the eve of the festival.
Organizer: Yoshitsune Shrine
Website (Japanese): リンク

September

Biratori Wagyu & Tomato Festival (scheduled for FY 2026)

Period: September
Details: The town's largest event, in which visitors can savor the culinary delights of Biratori, including Biratori Wagyu, Biratori Kurobuta Pork, and Biratori tomatoes. It is a lively festival that also features stage events.
Organizer: Biratori Food Festival Organizing Committee
Inquiries: Biratori Food Festival Organizing Committee (within Biratori Tow Hall) Tel. 01457-3-7703 / Fax 01457-2-2277

Ica Iyuta (threshing and pounding) Hands-on Grain Harvesting (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Early September
Details: A ceremony to express gratitude for the blessings of millet and other grains harvested using traditional methods. A hands-on event in which participants can cook and sample traditional dishes prepared using the harvested grains.
Organizer: Biratori Town, Biratori Town Council for Ainu Policy Promotion
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation （01457-2-2152）

October

Asir Cep Nomi (traditional ritual and fishing method to welcome new salmon

Period: Saturday at the beginning of October
Details: A traditional ritual welcoming the new salmon run, in which Ainu salmon-fishing methods are recreated using traditional equipment and techniques. The ritual is followed by the sampling of traditional salmon dishes. ※Applications required in advance.
Organizer: Biratori Town, Biratori Town Council for Ainu Policy Promotion
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation （01457-2-2152）

December

Experience Traditional Ainu Cuisine (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Mid-December
Details: A hands-on cooking course featuring adaptations of traditional Ainu recipes that can be savored in your own home. (First come, first served)
Organizer: Biratori Town, Biratori Town Council for Ainu Policy Promotion
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation （01457-2-2152）

Limited period events

Nibutani Kotan's Cise (traditional houses) open to the public

Period: Beginning of May to early November
Details: Enter the cise in Nibutani Kotan and observe craft techniques such as woodcarving, stages of attus weaving, finger knitting, needlework and the like by members of the Nibutani Crafts Cooperative Association. Open 10:00—16:00. No reservations required. Free admission.
Organizer: Ainu Policy Promotion Division, Iwor Development & Promotion Section
Inquiries: Ainu Policy Promotion Division, Iwor Development & Promotion Section （01457-2-2341）

Nispa no Koibito Lunch (summer) (Held in FY 2025)

Period: Early June to October
Details: Lunch menus featuring Biratori specialties such as Biratori Wagyu, Biratori Kurobuta Pork, and “Nispa no Koibito” tomatoes, are offered at participating establishments, changing seasonally between summer and winter.
Organizer: Biratori Local Production for Local Consumption Group
Inquiries: Biratori Local Production for Local Consumption Group inquiries: Biratori Town Chamber of Commerce

Golden Kamuy (Anime) Mystery-Solving Event (Held in FY 2025)

Period: October to Early November
Details: A collaborative project between the TV anime Golden Kamuy and the Biratori Tourism Association. This event invited participants to explore facilities centered around Nibutani Kotan with a guidebook in hand, taking on a series of mystery-solving challenges along the way.
Organizer: Biratori Tourism Association
Inquiries: Biratori Tourism Association（01457-3-7703）

Nispa no Koibito Lunch (winter)

Period: November 1st to end of May
Details: Lunch menus featuring Biratori specialties such as Biratori Wagyu, Biratori Kurobuta Pork, and “Nispa no Koibito” tomatoes, are offered at participating establishments, changing seasonally between summer and winter.
Organizer: Biratori Local Production for Local Consumption Group
Inquiries: Biratori Local Production for Local Consumption Group (inquiries: Biratori Town Chamber of Commerce

Irregular events

Sisirmka Ainu Cultural University

Period: —
Details: A series of lectures held approximately six times a year, covering a wide range of themes related to Ainu culture. Online participation is possible for many sessions.
Organizer: Biratori Town
Inquiries: Biratori Town Ainu Culture Promotion Public Corporation (01457-2-2152）

Limited period transportation services

"Setapukusa-go" bus service operation

Period: July to early September
Details: Bus services (large bus) connecting Sapporo, Shiraoi (Upopoy) and Biratori (Nibutani). Advance booking required.
Organizer: Furenai Kotsu, Ltd.
Inquiries: Furenai Kotsu, Ltd. Tel. 01457-3-3021（9:00—17:00)
* This information is based on last year’s operations. As the operating company is selected each fiscal year, please check the “News” section of this website for the latest information.

"Shinta-go" bus service operation

Period: Late September to beginning of November
Details: A jumbo-taxi service connecting JR Minami-Chitose Station and Biratori (including Nibutani and two other locations). Advance booking required. * Not available for transfers within the town of Biratori.
Organizer: Furenai Kotsu, Ltd.
Inquiries: Furenai Kotsu, Ltd. Tel. 01457-3-3021（9:00—17:00) * This information is based on last year’s operations. As the operating company is selected each fiscal year, please check the “News” section of this website for the latest information.