Day Trips from SapporoOtonrui Wind Farm: 28 Turbines in a Line on the Ororon Line
By Chaporo, a Sapporo local Published 
Quick answers
- 28 wind turbines standing in a line beside the coast road
- Park at the Sarobetsu Plain parking area (about 14 cars); on a clear day Rishiri and Rebun are visible
- The current turbines are to run until March 2027, then be replaced by 5 or 6 larger ones
- The toilets were closed in August 2024: use Roadside Station Teshio, and fill up there
North of Teshio on the Ororon Line, 28 wind turbines stand in a line beside the road: the Otonrui wind farm in Horonobe. From the Sarobetsu Plain parking area you can watch them turning right above you. The wind here is strong, and the scale is overwhelming.
The turbines
The wind farm began operating in September 2003. "Otonrui" is Ainu for "the road by the beach", which fits a line of turbines along a straight coastal road.
Rishiri and Rebun across the sea
The parking area is by the sea, and on a clear day you can see Rishiri and Rebun islands across it. In the second photo, Rishiri Fuji is on the horizon, though cloud had covered its top.
The turbines are being replaced
The operator plans to replace the 28 turbines, now over 20 years old, with 5 or 6 larger ones producing about the same power. The current turbines were due to stop in March 2023, but have been kept running until March 2027 (operator's notice, in Japanese).
Parking
The Sarobetsu Plain parking area is free and holds about 14 cars. There are toilets, but they were closed in August 2024, so use the ones at Roadside Station Teshio before you turn off.
How to get there
From Sapporo: about four hours including breaks. Take the Do-o Expressway toward Asahikawa, keep left for Rumoi at Fukagawa JCT, leave at Rumoi IC and follow the coast road north (Route 232, the Ororon Line). Just before Roadside Station Teshio, turn left onto Prefectural Road 106, the coast road to Wakkanai. Fill up first: after the Seicomart at Teshio there are no shops or gas stations for over 60 km. The parking area is on the left among the turbines.
From New Chitose Airport: add about half an hour; at Sapporo JCT keep right for Asahikawa.
Near the Otonrui wind farm
Inland, the Sarobetsu Wetland Center has a boardwalk through Japan's largest raised bog.
Sapporo to Wakkanai by Car: The Ororon Line Coast Road to Cape SoyaDriving from Sapporo to Wakkanai up the Ororon Line, the Sea of Japan coast road, from a Sapporo local who did it: the stops, the closest view of Rishiri Island, sunset at Cape Noshappu, and Cape Soya and the White Road the next morning.
Sarobetsu Wetland Center: A Boardwalk Through Japan's Largest Raised BogA local's guide to the Sarobetsu Wetland Center in Toyotomi: a 1-km boardwalk through Japan's largest raised bog, exhibits on the wetland, hours, closing days and parking.
FAQ about the Otonrui wind farm
Q1. Where is the Otonrui wind farm?
In Horonobe, beside the Ororon Line coast road north of Teshio.
Q2. Will the wind turbines be removed?
The current 28 are to run until March 2027, then be replaced by 5 or 6 larger ones.
Q3. Is there parking?
Yes, the free Sarobetsu Plain parking area, for about 14 cars.