Asahikawa, Hokkaido

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Asahikawa
旭川市
Core city
Official seal of Asahikawa
Symbol
Location of Asahikawa in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido
Location of Asahikawa in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido
Location of Kamikawa Subprefecture in Hokkaido
Location of Kamikawa Subprefecture in Hokkaido
Asahikawa is located in Japan
Asahikawa
Asahikawa
Location in Japan
Coordinates: Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Country Japan
Region Hokkaido
Prefecture Hokkaido
Government
 • Mayor Masahito Nishikawa
Area
 • Total 747.6 km2 (288.6 sq mi)
Population (July 30, 2011)
 • Total 352,105
 • Density 470.98/km2 (1,219.8/sq mi)
Symbols
 • Tree Japanese rowan
 • Flower Azalea
 • Bird Bohemian waxwing
 • Others Insect: Kantan (Oecanthus longicauda)
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address 9-46 Rokujō-dōri, Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido
070-8525
Website www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp

Asahikawa (旭川市 Asahikawa-shi?) is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo.[1][2] It has been a core city since April 1, 2000. The city is currently well known for the Asahiyama Zoo and Asahikawa ramen.

On July 31, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 352,105, with 173,961 households and a population density of 470.96 persons per km² (1,219.8 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is 747.6 km2 (288.6 sq mi).[2]

Name

The Ainu called the Asahi River Chiu Pet meaning "River of Waves", but it was misunderstood as Chup Pet meaning "Sun River", and so it came to be called Asahi River in Japanese (Asahi meaning "morning sun").

Overview

On August 1, 1922, Asahikawa was founded as Asahikawa City. As the central city in northern Hokkaido, Asahikawa has been influential in industry and commerce. There are about 130 rivers and streams including the Ishikari River and Chūbetsu River, and over 740 bridges in the city.[3] Asahibashi, a bridge over Ishikari River, has been one of the symbols of Asahikawa since its completion in 1932, and it was also registered as one of the Hokkaido Heritage sites on October 22, 2001.[4]

Heiwa Street in Asahikawa

Every winter, the Asahikawa Winter Festival is held on the bank of the Ishikari River, making use of Asahikawa's cold climate and snow. On January 25, 1902, a weather station recorded −41 °C (−41.8 °F), the lowest temperature in Japanese history.[5] Due to its climate and location surrounded by mountains, there are some ski resorts in the outskirts of the city.

Asahibashi Bridge

History

Asahikawa was populated by mainland Japanese in the Meiji period (1868 – July 1912) as a tondenhei, or state-sponsored farmer-militia settlement.[1]

Kamikawa District set up under Ishikari Province with the villages of Asahikawa, Nagayama and Kamui in 1890.

  • 1900 Asahikawa Village becomes Asahikawa Town
  • 1914 Asahikawa Town becomes Asahikawa-ku

Asahikawa was elevated to city status in 1922.[2]

Asahikawa thrived as a military city before World War II, when the IJA 7th Division was posted there. Today, the 2nd Division of the Northern Army of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is headquartered in Asahikawa.

  • 1955 Kamui Village and Etanbetsu Village merge with Asahikawa
  • 1961 Nagayama Town merged
  • 1963 Higashi-Asahikawa Town merged
  • 1967 Asahiyama Zoo opened
  • 1968 Kagura Town merged
  • 1971 Higashi-Takasu Town merged
  • 1972 Japan's first permanent pedestrian mall Heiwadōri Shopping Park opened
  • April 1, 2000 Asahikawa becomes a Core city

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Asahikawa features a humid continental climate (Dfb) with warm summers and cold and snowy winters. Asahikawa winters are long and cold, with average monthly temperatures from December through March failing to transcend the freezing point. The city also sees an extraordinary amount of snowfall, averaging just under 7.6 m (25 ft) of snow per year. Summers are generally warm and humid in Asahikawa, with average high temperatures in the warmest months hovering around 26 °C (79 °F). Spring and fall are generally short and transitional in the city.

Climate data for Asahikawa, Hokkaido (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 11.7
(53.1)		 12.2
(54)		 18.8
(65.8)		 29.6
(85.3)		 32.8
(91)		 35.9
(96.6)		 35.0
(95)		 36.0
(96.8)		 32.9
(91.2)		 25.0
(77)		 22.0
(71.6)		 14.7
(58.5)		 36.0
(96.8)
Average high °C (°F) −3.5
(25.7)		 −2.1
(28.2)		 2.6
(36.7)		 11.7
(53.1)		 17.7
(63.9)		 22.9
(73.2)		 25.8
(78.4)		 26.3
(79.3)		 21.6
(70.9)		 14.8
(58.6)		 5.8
(42.4)		 −0.8
(30.6)		 11.9
(53.4)
Daily mean °C (°F) −7.5
(18.5)		 −6.5
(20.3)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 5.6
(42.1)		 11.8
(53.2)		 16.5
(61.7)		 20.2
(68.4)		 21.1
(70)		 15.9
(60.6)		 9.2
(48.6)		 1.9
(35.4)		 −4.3
(24.3)		 6.84
(44.33)
Average low °C (°F) −12.3
(9.9)		 −12.7
(9.1)		 −6.3
(20.7)		 0.0
(32)		 5.4
(41.7)		 11.6
(52.9)		 15.9
(60.6)		 16.8
(62.2)		 11.2
(52.2)		 3.9
(39)		 −2
(28)		 −7.9
(17.8)		 2.0
(35.6)
Record low °C (°F) −41
(−42)		 −38.3
(−36.9)		 −34.1
(−29.4)		 −19
(−2)		 −7.1
(19.2)		 −1.2
(29.8)		 1.0
(33.8)		 2.4
(36.3)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 −8
(18)		 −25
(−13)		 −30
(−22)		 −41
(−42)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 69.6
(2.74)		 51.3
(2.02)		 54.0
(2.126)		 47.6
(1.874)		 64.8
(2.551)		 63.6
(2.504)		 108.7
(4.28)		 133.5
(5.256)		 130.9
(5.154)		 104.3
(4.106)		 117.2
(4.614)		 96.6
(3.803)		 1,042.1
(41.028)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 174
(68.5)		 131
(51.6)		 111
(43.7)		 23
(9.1)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 3
(1.2)		 107
(42.1)		 189
(74.4)		 743
(292.5)
Average snowy days 30.4 26.8 25.1 9.4 0.7 0 0 0 0 2.9 17.7 29.3 142.3
Average relative humidity (%) 80 79 69 67 66 74 78 79 77 78 81 82 76
Mean monthly sunshine hours 73.8 105.8 149.6 167.1 197.6 189.3 161.8 147.3 142.2 132.0 64.0 60.3 1,590.8
Source #1: Japan Meteorological Agency[6]
Source #2: Japan Meteorological Agency[7]

Economy

Asahikawa developed as an industrial center in Hokkaido after World War II. The city is noted for its lumber and brewing industries, as well as the production of furniture and paper pulp.[1]

Education

Universities

National

Private

Colleges

  • Asahikawa National College of Technology

High schools

Public

  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Higashi High school
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Kita High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Nishi High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Minami High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Ryoun High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Toei High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Agricultural High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Commercial High School (Shogyo)
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Technical High School

Private

  • Asahikawa Ryukoku High School
  • Asahikawa Fuji Girls' High School
  • Asahikawa Jitsugyo High School
  • Asahikawa Meisei High School
  • Asahikawa University High School
  • Ikegami Gakuen High School, Asahikawa Campus

Transportation

Airport

Asahikawa Airport

Asahikawa is served by Asahikawa Airport which stretches over the outskirts of Asahikawa City and Higshikagura, Hokkaido. The airport was first proposed by the Asahikawa City Council in 1955, opened in 1961, and daily flights to Tokyo started in 1970. The present terminal of Asahikawa Airport opened in 2000. It is a second class airport, and also a single-runway regional airport. It serves domestic destinations including Tokyo, but some airlines offer destinations in South Korea.[9] EVA Air added Asahikawa as a destination from Taipei on May 2, 2013.

Rail

Asahikawa Station

Asahikawa is one of the major rail hubs of Hokkaido. The Hakodate Main Line connects Asahikawa to Hakodate in the south of Hokkaido, and the Sōya Main Line connects Asahikawa with Wakkanai at the north of Hokkaido. The Sekihoku Main Line connects the city with Abashiri on the Sea of Okhotsk. The Furano Line connects Abashiri with nearby Furano.[2]

Bus

Municipal buses also serve the city.

Specialties

  • Asahikawa Ramen
  • Asahikawa furniture
  • Confectionery
  • Sake (Otokoyama, Takasago, Taisetsunokura)
  • Cocktail
  • Taisetsu Microbrew Beer "Taisetsu ji-beer"
  • Asahikawa mutton barbecue "Genghis Khan"
  • Pottery / Wooden handiwork (Arashiyama area)

Sightseeing

Asahiyama Zoo
Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture in Honor of Teijiro Nakahara

Sister and friendship cities

Sister cities

Friendship cities

Notable people

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References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  3. ↑ Asahikawa 8 Scenes (Japanese)
  4. ↑ Hokkaido Heritage Website: 6, Asahibashi Bridge (Japanese)
  5. ↑ Asahikawa City 7th General Scheme Gist (Japanese)
  6. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  8. ↑ "DIRECTIONS TO HOKKAIDO TOKAI UNIVERSITY (HTU)" (Archive). Hokkaido Tokai University. November 20, 2005. Retrieved on April 10, 2015. "5-1-1-1 Minami-sawa, Minami-ku, Sapporo 005-8601, Japan" and "224 Chuwa, Kamui-Cho, Asahikawa 070-8601, Hokkaido, Japan"
  9. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  10. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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