View from top of Ganbōiwa

Location

Engaru (遠軽) is a town in Okhotsk, Hokkaido.

Understand

On 2005, the towns of Ikutahara and Maruseppu, and the village of Shirataki, merged into the expanded town of Engaru.

Get in

By plane

Nearby Memanbetsu Airport (Ozora) and Okhotsk Monbetsu Airport (Monbetsu).

By Train

JR Sekihoku Main Line runs through in Engaru from Asahikawa, Sapporo to Abashiri. Limited Express "Okhotsk" (特急オホーツク) - It runs from Sapporo to Abashiri stopped Engaru Station and Ikutahara Station, some trains stopped Shirataki Station or Maruseppu Station with 4 round trips per day. About 3hr 35min from Sapporo to Engaru.

By bus

Hokkaido Chūō　Bus and Hokkaido Kitami Bus co-operate express (intercity) bus services.

• Highway Engaru (高速えんがる号) - It runs from Sapporo to Engaru with 2-3 round trips. About 3hr 50min and costes ¥3870.
• Express Kita-Daisetsu (特急北大雪号) - It runs from Asahikawa to Engaru with 1-2 round trips. About 2hr 20min and costs ¥2150.

By car

Asahikawa-Monbetsu Expway runs from Pippu (connect Dōō Expway) to Maruseppu IC. Plans to open up to Engaru in 2016.

Get around

By train

JR Sekihoku Main Line pases in the town. Almost no local train in the west from Engaru, it's inconvenient to travel.

There are stations in the town from west to east,

• 1 Kamishirataki Station (上白滝駅). 
• 2 Shirataki Station (白滝駅). Some Limited Express stops 
• 3 Kyūshirataki Station (旧白滝駅). 
• 4 Shimoshirataki Station (下白滝駅). 
• 5 Maruseppu Station (丸瀬布駅). Some Limited Express stops. 
• 6 Setose Station (瀬戸瀬駅). 

Engaru Station

• 7 Engaru Station (遠軽駅). Located center of the town. Limited Express stops. The station of swich-backed. 
• 8 Yasukuni Station (安国駅). 
• 9 Ikuno Station (生野駅). 
• 10 Ikutahara Station (生田原駅). Limited Express stops. 

By bus

Hokumon Bus and Engaru Town Municipal Bus operate local bus services in the town.

By car

• 11 Toyota rent a car, Engaru (トヨタレンタカー遠軽店), 1-2-2, Iwamidori-Minami, 岩見通南1-2-2 (One min walk away Engaru Station), ☏ +81 158 42-3610, fax: +81 158 42-3623. 

See

Ganbōiwa

• 1 Engaru Park (太陽の丘 遠軽公園). There are the rocky mountain "Ganboiwa", 10 million cosmos bloom "Niji-no-hiroba", the municipal ranch "Miharashi Bokujō" and a campground within the park. 
  • 2 Ganbōiwa (瞰望岩). Rocky mountain of 78m height. You can overlook the town of Engaru from top. It was called mean the best place of view as "inkarusi" in the Ainu language, and became the origin of the word town name Engaru. 
  • Niji-no-Hiroba (虹の広場). Flowers of various blooming from May to September. Cosmos of 10 million bloom in September especially. ¥300.. 
  • Miharashi Bokujō (見晴らし牧場). Municipal ranch sightly. 

Do

• 1 Setose Onsen (瀬戸瀬温泉), Yunosato, 字湯の里 (40 min by bus from Engaru Station.), ☏ +81 158 44-2021. Hot spring in maountains. Only indoor bath but spring sourced free-flowing. ¥500. 
• 2 Maruseppu Onsen Yamabiko (丸瀬布温泉 やまびこ) (10min by bus from Maruseppu Station. Nearby Maruseppu forest park.), ☏ +81 158-47-2233. 11AM-9PM. Closed on Tuesday.. Day bathing facility. The hot spring water is supplied from Maule Sanso. ¥500.. 
• 3 Maruseppu Forest Park (丸瀬布森林公園いこいの森) (10min by bus from Maruseppu Station.). Open late Apr - late Oct.. A forest park with campground, Go-cart, Various play equipment etc. Small steam locomotive "Amemiya 21" run in the park. Entrance free. Rides "Amemiya21" ¥500.. 

Sleep

Outdoor bath in Maure Sanso

• 1 Maure Sansō (マウレ山荘), 172, Maruseppu-Kamimurii (丸瀬布上武利172) (15 min by bus from Maruseppu Station.), ☏ +81 158 47 2170, toll-free: +81 120 882215, fax: +81 158 47 3117, spa@maure-sanso.com. Check-in: 3PM, check-out: 10AM. Bath is Maruseppu hot spring that sourced free flowing. Large bath room and outdoor bath. There is also bathroom in each guest rooms. Stay with 2meals about ¥12,000+. Only bathing ¥600.. 
• 2 Hotel Sunshine (ホテルサンシャイン), 1-1-1, Odorikita (大通り北1-1-1) (250m away from Engaru station), ☏ +81 158-42-1151, fax: +81 158-42-1151. Nearby station. Stay with dinner ¥7000+. 

Go next

• Monbetsu
• Takinoue
• Yūbetsu
• Saroma
• Kitami
• Kamikawa