Matsumae clan
Assabu dates back to the days of the Matsumae clan feudal clan who gained control over Hokkaido's Oshima Peninsula during the Sengoku period and first settled the town area in 1678. Offering an opening in the mountains accessible from the sea, Assabu was established as a forestry camp. As the area was cleared, agriculture followed and farmers began reclamation of land from the swampy drainage basin of local rivers.