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Located roughly halfway between Hakodate and Sapporo, Oshamanbe Town has developed as a hub connecting southern and central Hokkaido.
It is the starting station where the JR Hakodate Main Line and Muroran Main Line branch off, and has long played an important role as a transportation hub.
Oshamanbe
OshamanbeAnd"Oshamanbe"It is pronounced "kanmeshi" (crab rice). It is derived from the Ainu language and is known as one of the most difficult place names to read in Hokkaido. It is also famous as the birthplace of crab rice.
Learn about difficult-to-read place names in Japan
Difficult to read place names are engraved with the local language, culture, and history of coexistence with nature. Knowing the origin of the name can make the scenery of your travel destination look a little different. That is the mysterious charm of difficult to read place names. Unraveling place names is like tracing the memories of the place. Learning the hidden meaning behind the characters leads to learning the depth of the story the place name tells.
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![[Difficult to read place name] How do you read it? Oshamanbe is not read as "Hasemanbu"](https://www.premium-j.jp/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/8d369312f3d82103ba51edc5380d1079.png)






























