Kamuikotan is Kamuy-kotan in Ainu, and the city translates it as “village of the gods”. For about 10 km the Ishikari runs past strange rocks through a gorge of dark-green “Kamuikotan stone”.[13][15]
Look for the potholes the river has worn into the rock, a city natural monument since 1966. The gorge’s metamorphic rocks are on Japan’s list of 100 notable geological sites, and the old Kamuikotan Station building is a city cultural property.[15][4]
Legend says the hero-god Samaykur built a fort on Kamui Rock (Kut-ne-sir), and rocks called the “demon’s head and body” go with a tale of an evil god. The city’s Kamuikotan web map shows walking routes and the legends.[40][13]
The Kamuikotan pit-dwelling site here is a Hokkaido-designated historic site.[4]
