Sobetsu River is a beloved spot with the local townspeople. Not only is it a beautiful stream of clear water, but it also shows a rich ecosystem that leads from Sobetsu Waterfall through the whole town. The local citizens work together in volunteer groups to protect the river's environment and wild life. Thanks to this effort, the stream is still clean and transparent clear, and every year in October you can even see salmon coming home stream upwards, which is quite a spectacle! Also you should not miss the "Fudoson Festival" by the local "Fudoson" temple every year in September: local men are carrying a portable shrine through the town and then enter the Sobetsu River to carry the shrine upstream back to its home temple. Many tourists are coming annually to observe the spectacle.