The Tomamaeda Bear (とままえだベアー) is one of the Tomamae town's most well-known landmarks. It is situated in front of the Tomamae Town Hall and can easily be seen along Route 232 in Tomamae town, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan.
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| Tomamaeda Bear |
Tomamaeda Bear details
In October 1988, a statue of a brown bear fondly named Tomamaeda Bear was erected in front of the town office along National Route 232, a well-traveled road in Hokkaido. It has been a popular stopover for motorists who would mostly stop to snap pictures of it and with it. Tomamaeda Bear has since become a symbol of the community.
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| Tomamaeda Bear (とままえだベアー) |
Unfortunately, owing to many years of exposure to wind, snow, and sunlight, the steel structure has significantly deteriorated and there is a danger of it falling. The local government together with the locals and those who supported the cause managed to raise about 523,000 yen last 2021 to renovate Tomamaeda Bear.
Tomamaeda Bear Photos
Those who donated 10,000 yen and above got a limited edition bottle opener with a Tomamaeda Bear design. Although they did not reach their 3 million yen target, renovation work continued and as of this writing, Tomamaeda Bear got its well-deserved renovation.
Team Nicerio visits the Tomamaeda Bear
My family and I visited Tomamaeda Bear for the first time last August 12, 2022, which was my 41st week here in Japan as an ALT under the JET Programme. It was one of the destinations that we visited on the 1st day of our 5-day Drive Up North Road Trip. Of course, we took the opportunity to take photos of Tomamae's most famous landmark. We didn’t stay long though as more and more visitors were arriving to take photos with it too.
Tomamaeda Bear Admission Fee
It’s FREE to visit and take photos of Tomamaeda Bear.
Tomamaeda Bear Operating Hours
Tomamaeda Bear is open 24/7.
Why visit Tomamaeda Bear?
Although there is nothing much to do but take photos of Tomamaeda Bear, it is still worth visiting as it is considered the town's symbol and a most important landmark.
Getting to Tomamaeda Bear
From Rumoi City, ride the Engan Bus bound for Haboro or Toyotomi. Board down at Tomamae Yakuba Mae. Tomamaeda Bear is just at the parking lot of the Tomamae Town Hall.
Travel time: 1 hour – 1 hour and 25 minutes depending on where you board
Bus fare: 1100-1150 yen depending on where you board.
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That's an interesting looking bear.
ReplyDeleteIt definitely is.
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