Founding Centennial Tower and Northern Memorial Museum

A large panorama from the observation deck 70 meters above ground

The Founding Centennial Tower was built in 1978 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the founding of Wakkanai City and the 30th anniversary of inauguration as a municipality. Standing 80m above the ground and 250m above sea level, the monument is an ideal spot from which to view the history and nature of Wakkanai City.

The first and second floors of the tower house the Northern Memorial Museum, which exhibits valuable materials that tell the history of Wakkanai City and Sakhalin. There is also an exhibition that traces the footsteps of Mamiya Rinzo, an explorer of the Edo period, and a wealth of materials about the Ainu people.

The observatory, 70m above the ground, offers a large 360-degree panoramic view of the vast Sarobetsu Plain to the south, Rishiri Island and Rebun Island to the west, and even the silhouette of Sakhalin Island across the Soya Strait to the north, weather permitting.