Ebetsu, city, western Hokkaido, northern Japan. It lies on the lower Ishikari River, about 10 miles (16 km) northeast of Sapporo.
Ebetsu originated as a colonial farm village settled by 10 families from the Japanese main island of Honshu in the early Meiji period (1868–1912). It is a satellite city of Sapporo with a well-planned residential area and industries, including food processing and metal, pottery, and paper manufacturing. Important factors that contributed to its industrial growth were an abundant source of water and a large hydroelectric power plant on the Ishikari River. Pop. (2010) 123,722; (2015) 120,636.