Higashikawa is known for the Photo Koshien, where high-school students from all over Japan compete in photography. It is a town of 7,800, located in the inland basin of Kamikawa, central Hokkaido.
The eastern part of the town includes the highest peak (2,291m) of the Taisetsu Mountain range, and is a part of the Taisetsu National Park, the largest natural park in Japan with large scale forested areas. The foothills include the Asahidake Hot Springs surrounded by primary forests, Tenninkyo, which is tucked between sheer cliffs, and the Hagoromo Falls that fall from a height of 270meters, the highest in Hokkaido, and the natural Tenninkyo Hot Springs that flow in the ravine.