Imakane, at the time known as Hanaishi, was founded in the Kan'ei period between 1624 and 1643 after gold, silver and manganese were discovered in the upper Shiribetsu River, near Pirika/Hanaishi.

Some of the gold mined from the area was used to build Nikkō Tōshō-gū, a Shinto shrine in Tochigi Prefecture dedicated to Tokugawa Ieyasu.

These families had arrived in the area during the preceding five years and laid out the town into 129 housing sites, a city hall and a police station.

The symbol of Imakane comprises the meandering Toshibetsu River and the 1st letter of 農耕 (farming) which can be written in katakana as ノ and pronounced "no".

2008 marked the 20th anniversary of the mutual exchange between the two groups, and Burnside Vice-Principal Mrs. Hume visited Imakane along with a number of students.

Special events were held to mark the occasion, along with the signing of a Friendship agreement between Imakane and Burnside High School.