One of the oldest towns in Hokkaido, the name Esashi comes from the Ainu word for kombu, a type of edible kelp well known in Japan.

Esashi is a district and port town located on the western seaboard of Hokkaido on the Assabugawa river, facing the Sea of Japan.

[5] Esashi has an official sister town, Notogawa (now part of Higashiо̄mi city) in Shiga prefecture.

The fisheries failed around the turn of end of the 19th century and the town tried to replace its major industry with tourism.

The town advertised itself using the Min'yo classical Japanese folk song, the main part of which was originally from the village of Oiwake in central Japan, but became known as Esashi Oiwake as the town's version gained renown.