Origin of the Town name

The name "Shikaoi" is based on the Ainu word "kuteku'ushi" (to chase after deers). In ancient times, deers were easily caught by driving them into nets which were placed in the ravines.

Shikaoi borders on the Taisetsu and Hidaka mountain ranges, often refered to as the roof of Hokkaido. Shikaoi is located in the NorthWest region of the Tokachi Plains. The Tokachi Plains stretch all the way to the Pacific Ocean.

With Lat.43°00'30", Long. 142°55'35"~143°09'06", East and West 17.7k, North and South 39.8k, this area makes up 399.61k square meter and occupies 3.6% of Tokachi total area.

Population (1999)

6,205 (Male:3,134 Female:3,071) Household/ 2,305

Shikaoi's economy is focused on farming and dairy farming. Lake Shikaribetsu, located in the eastern part of Taisetsuzan National Park, is a leading tourist attraction. Shikaoi is also known for its plentiful Dolly Varden (Oshorokoma) and Shikaoi buckwheat noodles.

Oshorokoma Salvelinus malma krascheninnikovi Taranetz,1933  Dolly Varden

Festival