Northern Hokkaido area has 2 subprefectures:

  • Souya subprefecture
  • Rumoi subprefecture

Unreached Northern Hokkaido 14 out of 18

14 Unreached out of 18

Here are unreached cities/towns/villages under each subprefectures

Rumoi subprefecture

Rumoi subprefecture has 8 cities and towns. Out of which, there are 6 unreached towns as follows:

Mashike townObira townTomamae townHaboro townShosanbetsu VillageEmbetsu town

  • Population: 4658 as of Feb. of 2016
  • This town was started with Herring fishery from the beginning. Mashike was a name from Ainu where it means “lots of sea gull over the ocean.” Because of the abundance of herring, the whole ocean is covered with sea gull.
  • Every small town or village has one common theme: To increase or maintain the population. Many small towns have similar phenomenon: More older people, less youth. In order to keep the younger generation, they need to provide jobs. In order to provide jobs, they need to have investment on entrepreneurship.
  • This town is very popular for sea food.
  • Tourist Information site: http://mashike.jp/tourism/

The following video shows the abundant fishery in Mashike town:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Pray for the development of business start-up ministry who are called to help people to start a new business. This will help the town to develop and the whole town will welcome this type of ministry.
  3. Pray for the Christian ministries to be developed in this town.

  • Population: 3331 as of Feb. of 2016
  • Obira town was started from Herring fishery, and located west northern Hokkaido along with the coast line.

The following video is the view from the viewpoint:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Ask the Lord to bring reconciliation between Ainu people and Japanese.
  3. Pray for the Christian ministries to be developed.

  • Population: 3312 as of Feb. 2016
  • This town has lots of wind power to supply for the electricity. Often, they sell it to Hokkaido Electric Company. At the end of the year, they give money to the town residence.
  • Because of the strong wind, they have Kite Festival in Feb. when the wind becomes very strong.
  • The renewable energy by wind power provides the town with sustainable zone. And its sustainability reaches to 538%.

The following video shows the wind power farm in Tomamae town.

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. The wind is the meaning of Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit’s greek word shows the wind. As this area is very strong in wind, pray that the Holy Spirit will be poured out to this land.
  3. Self-sufficient missionaries are needed in order for them to sustain themselves in this small town. Please, pray for the new wave of self-sufficient missionaries would be sent to this town.

  • Population: 7435 as of Feb. 2016
  • They have rose garden near the roadside station.
  • Haboro town has two isolated islands. These two islands invites many visitors.

  • Haboro town had coal mine. The once crowded area is now empty.

One of the taxi driver suggested to use the barren coal mine as tourist attraction:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Work can be a main idol sometimes. They put so much efforts at the expense of their family sometimes. They put work as the number one priority in their lives, and it seems that work is an idol. Please, pray that they will find the Lord and put God 1st above all else.
  3. Pray for the Christian ministries to be developed.

  • Population: 1254 as of Feb. 2016
  • This village brings urgent meetings for population decrease. They try to keep the current population as much as possible by creating new jobs and providing better environment for people from other places to come and live in this village.
  • Shosanbetsu village has an astronomical observatory. This observatory has a special program called “My Star System,” where you can name one of the unnamed start. That name will be registered through this observatory. They will send you the registration certificate. To God, every one is known by name.

The following video is a beautiful sunset at the beach side.

This is a video at the roadside station/camp site/wind power/etc.

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Very small village but because of its compact size, it can be a good place to live. Please, pray that the missionaries would be called to come to this village. And find people who are once lost, but finally found in Christ who knows one by name.
  3. Pray for break through in terms of reaching the people in Shosanbetsu village.

  • Population: 2832 as of Feb. 2016
  • The English information on the town in general: http://www.town.embetsu.hokkaido.jp/english/
  • This town put lots of efforts to invite people to come to live in Embetsu town. They have very useful program like short stay at the special house designed for others to test-live in this town.

Introduction Video for Embetsu town:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Work can be a main idol sometimes. They put so much efforts at the expense of their family sometimes. They put work as the number one priority in their lives, and it seems that work is an idol. Please, pray that they will find the Lord and put God 1st above all else.
  3. Pray for the Christian ministries to be developed.

Souya subprefecture

Souya subprefecture has 10 cities/towns/villages. Out of which, there are 8 unreached towns and villages:

Here is a nice introductory site:

[fbvideo link=”https://www.facebook.com/soyaparty/videos/826863440742010/” width=”500″ height=”400″ onlyvideo=”1″]

Horonobe TownToyotomi townRebun townRishirifuji townRishiri townSarufutsu villageEsashi townNakatonbetsu town

  • Population:　2439 as of Feb. 2016
  • Horonobe town has rein deer farm:

  • They also have wind power plant:

  • This town has Sarobetsu National Park:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Pray for God’s supernatural leading people to the Lord.
  3. Pray for the evangelists and pastors are raised up from this town.

  • Population: 4077 as of Feb. 2016
  • This town is known for its milk production. The main convenient store called “Seicomart” uses this town’s mile to produce Seicomart brand.
  • Toyotomi town has great hot springs which is very effective for healing Atopic dermatitis. Many people with Atopic dermatitis come to this hot springs. They have separate entrances: one for those who have Atopic dermatitis, and one for all others.

Here is the video about the hot springs for atopic dermatitis:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Pray that God will prepare the hearts of people when the evangelists arrive.
  3. Pray that God will show strategic way to approach this town.

  • Population: 2662 as of Feb. 2016
  • Rebun town is a small island on the northern western  side of Hokkaido. It is known for the beautiful and rare flowers only grown in this island.
  • Like any other small towns and villages, this town also struggling with young people leaving the town looking for jobs. Recently this town made a goal of the population strategy. Trying their best to keep the decreasing rate as low as possible.
  • During summer, many tourists visit this island for hiking and climbing the mountain.
  • Here is the tourist information: http://www.rebun-island.jp/en/

Here is a video of science video regarding Rebun Island Flowers:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Pray for the awakening for this town.
  3. Pray for the openness to the Gospel from the people in this town.

  • Population: 2681 as of Feb. 2016
  • Rishiri is a small island Northern Western Hokkaido. This island has two towns: Rishirifuji and Rishiri. They are two separate towns in one island. East and West.
  • Now I have a friend who is the director of one of local post office. He is from this island and used to be my neighbor.
  • Fishery and tourism are the main industry for this island.
  • It has very nice spring water in many places. The water tastes really great.

The following video shows the beautiful sunset:

Here is an event took place recently for mountain skiing:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. This island has lots of alpine plants. Each of them has unique name. Likewise, God remembers each person who lives in this island. Pray that they will be found by God and know their purpose of life and go in that direction.
  3. Please pray that the beauty of the nature would speak to the hearts of the people in the land.

This video shows some of the highlights of Rishiri town:

Some guy was skiing at the top of Mt. Rishiri:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Pray for the challenge of keeping the town growing to be used as a place where God can work through the situation.
  3. Pray that God would supernaturally intervene in the minds of people that God lives through Jesus Christ and He is the only God who created all things.

  • Population: 2748 as of Feb. of 2016
  • Sarufutsu village is located in the furthest northern village in Japan.
  • It’s main industry is fishery and dairy farming.
  • The official home page: http://www.vill.sarufutsu.hokkaido.jp/ (Click multilingual)
  • It had a coal mine here. The labors were collected from many different places. One of the place was from Korea while Japan tried to make Korea under Japan. During this time, many people came to coal mine as laborers.

You can watch the 90th year of Sarufutsu village as historic collection:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. This village’s mayor once tried to admit the people who died in this village when they were brought as forced labor from S. Korea during Japanese domination over Korea. However, that plan was dismissed because of the objection raised by the tourism association directors. Some media picked it up for news. The mayor tried to remember what had happened in the history and talks were in progress between South Korean local government and Sarufutsu village to build the tomb with those who died in this village. That could be a reconciliation point where the innocent blood can be canceled. Please, pray that people will know the blood of Jesus can cleanse all sins and iniquities.
  3. Please, pray for the wisdom for any Christian who are called to this village to overcome the current difficulties like Joseph in Egypt.

  • Population:8498 as of Feb. 2016.
  • Esashi town was merged from two towns: Esashi and Utanobori. Esashi is fishery town, and Utanobori is farming town. By merging the two, they now have both the mountain and ocean in the town.

The following video shows about the town:

Here is the video produced by the town about crab fishery:

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. There has been discrimination again Ainu people in Hokkaido. Please pray for the Ainu to turn to the living God who can give heart to forgive and reconcile.
  3. Pray for the salvation of the youth from this town. The young people are the future of  the town and they are soft in heart where the Gospel can penetrate into their hearts.

  • Population: 1793 as of Feb. 2016
  • Nakatonbetsu also has lots of Ainu presence. It is a very small town with population decrease.
  • It is a forest town with lumber business. The town was started by placer mining. But soon the trend has changed and the quick decrease of population started.

The following video shows 3 towns. The last town is Nakatonbetsu town(about 4:45):

Prayer Points:

  1. Please, ask the Lord of harvest to send His laborers into this town. (Matthew 9:38, Luke 10:2)
  2. Pray for the 1st Nation ministry to the native Americans in Montana state in America. They want to minister to Ainu in Hokkaido. One of the Cherokee Native Indian descendant came to visit us last year for spying out the land.
  3. As we see in the history, there were known and professed Ainu Christians before, pray that the revival would take place among the Ainu people.