Yubari is well-known for its famous melon production, film festival and staggering depopulation. Once a mining town, the population has unfortunately decreased to just over six thousand people. Today, some parts of the city have been given over to rewilding, but there are still plenty of gems for visitors to explore.
Yubari King Melon
Photo by: PIXTA/ eps Hokkaido’s most famous fruit
Of all the fruits in Hokkaido, no fruit is more highly esteemed than the Yubari King Melon. Grown in greenhouses, these melons are sought after for their sweet taste, fragrant aroma and tender texture. Harvest season happens throughout mid-May to August when top-grade melons can easily fetch several million yen at auction. In the summer months, Yubari Melon Terrace offers an all-you-can-eat lunch buffet with trays full of chilled Yubari Melon. The JA Yubari City Melon Dome is also a great place to shop for fruity treats.
Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival
Photo by: PIXTA/ HAPPY SMILE A must-see for movie lovers
Since 1990, the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival has screened an eclectic mix of subtitled Japanese and international films. One fan of the festival is Hollywood film director Quentin Tarantino, who wrote part of the screenplay for Pulp Fiction in Yubari and later named a character in Kill Bill Vol. 1 after the town.
Another cinematic attraction is the Yellow Handkerchief Memorial Park, the shooting location for the final scene of the award-winning 1997 road-trip film The Yellow Handkerchief. Here, movie memorabilia, including the Mazda Familia, can be seen surrounded by yellow messages of happiness from visitors. The park is part of Yubari Cinema Street, a road where buildings are plastered with vintage posters for the films that once entertained the miners who worked in Yubari during its industrial heyday.
History and Nature
Photo by: PIXTA/ YsPhoto Summer in Takinoue Park
Other highlights in town include the Yubari Coal Museum, which preserves Yubari’s legacy as a mining town. Currently closed for renovations, it depicts the town’s rich coal mining history through dioramas.
Nature lovers can enjoy views of the beautiful ravines of Takinoue Park or hike up Mount Yubari. During winter, the slopes of Mount Racey Ski Resort are an incredibly peaceful place to enjoy some Hokkaido powder. In town, where swathes of former housing land have been reclaimed by nature, it isn’t uncommon to see wild deer wandering the empty streets.
