Ashibetsu

Ashibetsu
芦別市
City
Flag of Ashibetsu
Flag
Official seal of Ashibetsu
Emblem
Location of Ashibetsu in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Location of Ashibetsu in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Ashibetsu is located in Japan
Ashibetsu
Ashibetsu
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 43°31′N 142°11′E / 43.517°N 142.183°E / 43.517; 142.183
CountryJapan
RegionHokkaido
PrefectureHokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Government
 • MayorHiromu Konno
Area
 • Total
865.02 km2 (333.99 sq mi)
Population
 (October 1, 2020)
 • Total
12,555
 • Density15/km2 (38/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address1-3 Kita-ichijō Higashi, Ashibetsu-shi, Hokkaidō
075-8711
ClimateDfb
Websitewww.city.ashibetsu.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
BirdGreat tit
FlowerLily
TreeMizunara (Quercus crispula)
Five-storied pagoda in Ashibetu

Ashibetsu (芦別市, Ashibetsu-shi) is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of 1 October 2020, the city had an estimated population of 12,555 and a density of 15 persons per km2. The total area is 865.02 km2.

History

Ashibetsu was once a prosperous coal mining city, its population exceeding 70,000 at its peak, but its population has fallen since the closing of the coal mines.[1]

  • 1893 - Satō Denjirō (originally from Yamagata Prefecture) founds Ashibetsu.
  • 1897 - Nae Village (now Sunagawa City) and part of Takikawa Village (now City) split off to form Utashinai Village.
  • 1900 - Ashibetsu Village split off of Utashinai Village.
  • 1906 - Ashibetsu becomes a Second Class Municipality.
  • 1917 - Kuhara Mining Industry Yuya Ashibetu Coal Mine opened.
  • 1923 - First Class Municipality.
  • 1924 - Mitsubishi Mining Industry Ashibetsu Coal Mine opened.
  • 1935 - Meiji Mining Industry Meiji-Kamiashibetsu Coal Mine opened.
  • 1938 - Ashibetsu-Takane Colliery Takane Mining Station opened.
  • 1941 - Ashibetsu Village becomes Ashibetsu Town.
  • 1943 - Mitsui-Ashibetsu Mining Industry Mitsui-Ashibetsu Coal Mine opened.
  • 1953 - Ashibetsu Town becomes Ashibetsu City.
  • 1963 - Meiji Mining Industry Meiji-Kamiashibetsu Coal Mine closed.
  • 1964 - Mitsubishi Mining Industry Ashibetsu Coal Mine closed.
  • 1967 - Ashibetsu-Takane Colliery Takane Mining Station closed.
  • 1969 - Yuya Mining Industry Yuya Ashibetu Coal Mine closed.
  • 1992 - Mitsui-Ashibetsu Mining Industry Mitsui-Ashibetsu Coal Mine closed.
  • 1991 - Canadian World Park opened.
  • 1997 - Canadian World business failure (to become a municipal park).

Geography

Ashibetsu is in the northern part of Yūbari Mountains. Mount Ashibetsu is south of the city.

Name

There are two theories about the origin of "Ashibetsu". In both theories the name means Ashibetsu River, which flows through the city.[1]

  • "as pet", the river that flows in a shrub
  • "hasi pet", the standing river

Locations of interest

  • The Hokkaido Kannon is the third-tallest statue in Japan and is the tenth-tallest in the world. It was considered the tallest statue in the world when it opened in 1989 at 88 metres (289 ft), holding the world record until 1991.[2]
  • Canadian World is a scale model of the Canadian seaside village of Avonlea, the setting of Anne of Green Gables. It was built in 1990, which is said to be the origin of the sister city relationship between Ashibetsu and Charlottetown, the real city in Canada that Avonlea was based on. The park went bankrupt in 1997 and closed 1998, reopening in 1998 as a city-run park. It closed in October of 2019 and reopened in April 2020, and is now run by the Canadian World Promotion Association which operates the park independently after receiving the buildings and other facilities free of charge from the city.[3][4]

Neighbourhoods

  • Asahimachi (旭町)
  • Asahimachi Yuya (旭町油谷)
  • Ashibetsu (芦別)
  • Fukuzumichō (福住町)
  • Higashiraijōchō (東頼城町)
  • Honchō (本町)
  • Horonai (幌内)
  • Izumi (泉)
  • Kamiashibetsuchō (上芦別町)
  • Kawagishi (川岸)
  • Kita 1 Jōhigashi (北1条東)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
  • Kita 2 Jōhigashi (北2条東)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
  • Kita 3 Jōhigashi (北3条東)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
  • Kita 4 Jōhigashi (北4条東)
  • Kita 5 Jōhigashi (北5条東)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
  • Kita 6 Jōhigashi (北6条東)
  • Kita 1 Jōnishi (北1条西)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
  • Kita 2 Jōnishi (北2条西)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
    • 3 chōme (3丁目)
  • Kita 3 Jōnishi (北3条西)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
    • 3 chōme (3丁目)
  • Kita 4 Jōnishi (北4条西)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
    • 3 chōme (3丁目)
    • 4 chōme (4丁目)
  • Kita 5 Jōnishi (北5条西)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
    • 3 chōme (3丁目)
    • 4 chōme (4丁目)
    • 5 chōme (5丁目)
  • Kita 6 Jōnishi (北6条西)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
    • 3 chōme (3丁目)
    • 4 chōme (4丁目)
    • 5 chōme (5丁目)
  • Kita 7 Jōnishi (北7条西)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
    • 3 chōme (3丁目)
    • 4 chōme (4丁目)
    • 5 chōme (5丁目)
    • 6 chōme (6丁目)
  • Koganechō (黄金町)
  • Minami 1 Jōhigashi (南1条東)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
  • Minami 2 Jōhigashi (南2条東)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
    • 3 chōme (3丁目)
  • Minami 3 Jōhigashi (南3条東)
    • 1 chōme (1丁目)
    • 2 chōme (2丁目)
    • 3 chōme (3丁目)
  • Minami 1 Jōnishi (南１条西)
  • Nakanookachō (中の丘町)
  • Nishiashibetsuchō (西芦別町)
  • Nokananchō (野花南町)
  • Raijōchō (頼城町)
  • Rokusenchō (緑泉町)
  • Shinjōchō (新城町)
  • Takanechō (高根町)
  • Takisatochō (滝里町)
  • Tokiwa (常磐)
  • Tokiwachō (常磐町)
  • Toyooka (豊岡)
  • Toyookachō (豊岡町)

Climate

Climate data for Ashibetsu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 7.6
(45.7) 		13.2
(55.8) 		15.5
(59.9) 		28.7
(83.7) 		33.0
(91.4) 		35.7
(96.3) 		37.2
(99.0) 		36.7
(98.1) 		33.1
(91.6) 		25.4
(77.7) 		20.9
(69.6) 		14.3
(57.7) 		37.2
(99.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −1.9
(28.6) 		−0.7
(30.7) 		3.8
(38.8) 		11.4
(52.5) 		18.8
(65.8) 		23.0
(73.4) 		26.5
(79.7) 		26.9
(80.4) 		22.6
(72.7) 		15.5
(59.9) 		7.1
(44.8) 		0.1
(32.2) 		12.8
(55.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.4
(20.5) 		−5.6
(21.9) 		−1.0
(30.2) 		5.5
(41.9) 		12.3
(54.1) 		16.9
(62.4) 		20.9
(69.6) 		21.4
(70.5) 		16.6
(61.9) 		9.6
(49.3) 		2.7
(36.9) 		−3.8
(25.2) 		7.4
(45.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −11.3
(11.7) 		−11.1
(12.0) 		−6.1
(21.0) 		0.0
(32.0) 		6.1
(43.0) 		11.8
(53.2) 		16.4
(61.5) 		17.0
(62.6) 		11.7
(53.1) 		4.7
(40.5) 		−1.2
(29.8) 		−7.8
(18.0) 		2.5
(36.5)
Record low °C (°F) −26.3
(−15.3) 		−25.7
(−14.3) 		−23.8
(−10.8) 		−11.2
(11.8) 		−2.4
(27.7) 		1.8
(35.2) 		8.0
(46.4) 		8.4
(47.1) 		1.7
(35.1) 		−2.7
(27.1) 		−13.3
(8.1) 		−21.1
(−6.0) 		−26.3
(−15.3)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 65.3
(2.57) 		53.1
(2.09) 		59.4
(2.34) 		53.7
(2.11) 		66.7
(2.63) 		76.3
(3.00) 		122.9
(4.84) 		152.7
(6.01) 		142.8
(5.62) 		116.1
(4.57) 		128.3
(5.05) 		98.2
(3.87) 		1,141.6
(44.94)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 161
(63) 		140
(55) 		108
(43) 		14
(5.5) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		0
(0) 		2
(0.8) 		67
(26) 		177
(70) 		666
(262)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 17.2 14.9 14.1 11.8 11.2 9.1 10.7 11.8 12.5 15.4 18.7 20.4 167.8
Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) 18.3 16.2 13.3 1.9 0 0 0 0 0 0.2 6.3 18.5 74.7
Mean monthly sunshine hours 76.1 84.6 129.5 160.4 188.1 169.7 163.1 155.9 155.0 126.5 69.0 55.9 1,533.9
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[5][6]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,[7] the population of Ashibetsu has declined precipitously over the past half-century. Of the residents who remain, nearly half are age 65 or older.[7]

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1970 42,730—    
1980 32,946−22.9%
1990 25,078−23.9%
2000 21,026−16.2%
2010 16,628−20.9%
2020 12,555−24.5%

Education

University

College

  • Kitanippon Automobile Technical College

High schools

Public

  • Hokkaido Ashibetsu High School

Private

  • Seisa Kokusai High School

Transportation

Sister cities

References

  1. ^ a b "History of Ashibetsu". Archived from the original on 2015-04-02. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  2. ^ "北海道大観音".
  3. ^ "Canadian World".
  4. ^ "カナディアンワールド(旧カナディアンワールド公園)".
  5. ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  6. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved March 3, 2022.
  7. ^ a b "Ashibetsu (Hokkaidō , Japan) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information". Retrieved 27 July 2024.

Media related to Ashibetsu, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons