Umi no Furusatokan - Hokkaido

Umi no Furusatokan (留萌市海のふるさと館) is a community center and museum rolled into one. It is located at 2 Chome Omachi, Rumoi City in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. 

Umi no Furusatokan

Umi no Furusatokan details 

The name Umi no Furusatokan is literally translated as Sea's Community Hall a better translation would be Community Hall by the Sea. True to its name Umi no Furusatokan is a place for the people. Opened in 1989 (Heisei 1), this community center has been the venue for countless important events. It stands on what was once known as Mt. Hiyori where it faces Cape Ogon and the vast Sea of Japan.

Umi no Furusatokan - Rumoi City, Hokkaido Prefecture

Aside from that, Umi no Furusatokan also houses a museum that showcases the history of Rumoi. For example, you would see displays about Rumoi's prehistoric past like fossils of shells and volcanic rocks. The museum also houses artifacts from the Ainu culture and also photographs and video documentation of the herring boom from Rumoi's distant past.

Here are some photos of exhibits inside Umi no Furusatokan:*

* I posted only a handful of photos of the exhibits and I purposely didn't label them so that you would only get a glimpse of what Umi no Furusatokan has to offer. Please visit the museum and enjoy it with your own eyes.

Satoh Masaru Exhibit Room:

There is also an area in Umi no Furusatokan that highlights and remembers the works of Rumoi-born film score composer Satoh Masaru. He is known for his musical composition for many of the films of world-renowned director Akira Kurosawa.

Second floor of Umi no Furusatokan

On the second floor of the Umi no Furusatokan, you'd see a convention room that can hold more or less 50 people. There is also an area with tables which is commonly used by locals if they want to relax, eat some snacks, and also view the beautiful sunset.

Visitors are allowed to go to the rooftop area of Umi no Furusatokan. It is also one of the best places to view the sunset.

Sadly, no sunset for us during our visit.

Misaki Ryokuchi Park

Replica of Takahashi Kuichi's lighthouse

Outside of Umi no Furusatokan, you will see the replica of Takahashi Kuichi's lighthouse in Misaki Ryokuchi Park. Also inside the park is a monument dedicated to the memory of those who perished in the tragic post-war bombing of three passenger ships locally referred to as the Sansen Junnan.

Team Nicerio visits Umi no Furusatokan

My family and I visited Umi no Furusatokan last May 22, 2022, which was my 202nd day here in Japan as an ALT under the JET Programme. We learned a lot from its museum, particularly the interactive areas. Aside from that, we also enjoyed the view from the second-floor area and its rooftop area.

Umi no Furusatokan Entrance Fee

It's FREE to enter and explore Umi no Furusatokan. 

Umi no Furusatokan Operating Hours

Umi no Furusatokan is open from 9AM to 9PM starting from the last week of April to early October. 

Why visit Umi no Furusatokan?

If you're visiting Rumoi City for leisure sometime around late April to early October then please make sure to include Umi no Furusatokan in your itinerary. You would learn a lot about Rumoi City that you won't see in the travel brochures in the Rumoi Michi no Eki and the Rumoi Information Centre. 

Getting to Umi no Furusatokan

From JR Rumoi Station, you need to walk for about 30 minutes to reach Umi no Furusatokan. 

Another option is to ride the Rumoi City Suburbs Line Course A at the Rumoi Station Square 2 Platform and board down at the Omachi 2 Chome Bus Stop. However, you need to wait for the bus using the bus schedule. Here's the 👉LINK👈.

Travel time: 15 - 20 minutes

Bus Fare: 220 yen

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