Have you heard of A Wild Sheep Chase which was written by Haruki Murakami?
There is several related settings between Bifuka-cho and the novel. The protagonist who was guy and he was lead this area by an unknown sheep. And readers , we will be interested in the story as dreaming.
Some local people found the novelist Murakami Haruki and he was visiting around here about 30 years ago. And also, he might have been to the sheep farm in shibetu as well.

Currently, about 300 sheep are bred in Bifuka-Cho Niupu.
There is some reason of that why some people think Zyunitaki-cho is Bifuka-Cho Niupu and it shows as below.

1, There is the northern limit of a huge rice producing district.
Bifuka is a rice producing district in the northernmost point.
2, There are 260km away from Sapporo.
From Sapporo to Bifuka-Cho Niupi is about 260km length.
　Ｂy the way there is no more than 200 km from Sapporo to Shibetu.
3, There was a train route which was the worst third of deficit route in Japan.
There was a train route between Bifuka and Esashi which is called Biko-sen. It was one of the worst loss making railroad line at the time. In this connection, there was no such a train route in Shibetu.
4, The major industries are forestry and timber processing.
There is many timber companies in Bifuka-Cho.
In the story, there is a town which is called Zyunitaki-cho. (Zyunitaki means twelve water falls.) In Niupu area has a lots of water falls for example, Gekiryu-no- taki, takahiro-no-taki, Ugiri-no-taki and Megami-no-taki etc. As the reasons from above some people think that Haruki Murakami might have been here secretly and he found sheep. He might though that this is it.

Moreover, I am a shop keeper of daily store which is called Koivu. During I am working, there is a few couple asked me that is here the place use as setting of A wild Sheep Chase? That is why, I could think that some people have the same opinion as me.
I would like to recommend that everybody read this book once. You might being interested in his wonder world.

And, I want you to try our products like sheep milk, cheese, ice cream and meat. You are invited!