Asahikawa, Hokkaido
Encyclopedia
is a city
in Kamikawa Subprefecture
, Hokkaido
, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core city
since April 1, 2000. The city is currently well-known for the Asahiyama Zoo
and Asahikawa ramen
.
In July 31, 2011, the city had an estimated population
of 352,105, with 173,961 household
s and a population density
of 470.96 persons per km². The total area is 747.6 km².
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").
and Chūbetsu River, and over 740 bridges in the city. 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.
Asahikawa thrived as a military city before World War II
, when the IJA 7th Division
was posted there. Today, the second division of the northern army of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
is headquartered 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, the lowest temperature in Japanese history. Due to its climate and location surrounded by mountains, there are some ski resorts in the outskirts of the city.
Asahikawa is served by Asahikawa Airport
which stretches over the outskirts of Asahikawa City and Higashikagura, Hokkaidō
. 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
. Municipal buses also serve the city.
, United States Normal, Illinois
, United States Suwon
, South Korea
, Asahikawa features a humid continental climate
(Dfb) with warm summers and very cold and snowy winters. Asahikawa winters are long and very cold, with average monthly temperatures from December through March failing to reach the freezing point. The city also sees an extraordinary amount of snowfall, averaging 760 cm (roughly 300 inches) of snow, per year. Summers are generally warm (but not hot) and humid in Asahikawa, with average high temperatures in the warmest months hovering around 26 degrees Celsius. Spring and fall are generally short and transitional in the city.
Cities of Japan
||A is a local administrative unit in Japan. Cities are ranked on the same level as and , with the difference that they are not a component of...
in Kamikawa Subprefecture
Kamikawa Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan. The name is derived from Kamikawa no hitobito no Shūraku , a translation of the Ainu Peni Unguri Kotan. Settlement began in 1867...
, Hokkaido
Hokkaido
, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...
, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a Core city
Core city
A is a class of Japanese city created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities...
since April 1, 2000. The city is currently well-known for the Asahiyama Zoo
Asahiyama Zoo
The ' is a municipal zoo opened in July 1967 in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan, and is the northernmost zoo in the country.. In August 2004, over 320,000 people visited the zoo, the second highest number of visitors among all the zoos in Japan...
and Asahikawa ramen
Ramen
is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...
.
In July 31, 2011, the city had an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 352,105, with 173,961 household
Household
The household is "the basic residential unit in which economic production, consumption, inheritance, child rearing, and shelter are organized and carried out"; [the household] "may or may not be synonymous with family"....
s and a population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 470.96 persons per km². The total area is 747.6 km².
Name
The AinuAinu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
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 RiverIshikari River
is a river in Hokkaidō, Japan. At in length, the river is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaidō. The river has a drainage area of , making it the second largest in Japan, as is its total discharge of around per year....
and Chūbetsu River, and over 740 bridges in the city. 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.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, when the IJA 7th Division
7th Division (Imperial Japanese Army)
was an infantry division in the Imperial Japanese Army. Its call-sign was the .-History:The 7th Division was formed in Sapporo, Hokkaidō on 12 May 1888, as the first new infantry division to be created after the reorganization of the Imperial Japanese Army away from six regional commands and into a...
was posted there. Today, the second division of the northern army of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force
Japan Self-Defense Forces
The , or JSDF, occasionally referred to as JSF or SDF, are the unified military forces of Japan that were established after the end of the post–World War II Allied occupation of Japan. For most of the post-war period the JSDF was confined to the islands of Japan and not permitted to be deployed...
is headquartered 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, the lowest temperature in Japanese history. Due to its climate and location surrounded by mountains, there are some ski resorts in the outskirts of the city.
Asahikawa is served by Asahikawa Airport
Asahikawa Airport
, is a single-runway regional airport in Hokkaidō, Japan, straddling the cities of Asahikawa and Higashikagura. It is a second class airport.- Airlines and destinations :-Access:...
which stretches over the outskirts of Asahikawa City and Higashikagura, Hokkaidō
Higashikagura, Hokkaido
is a town located in Kamikawa District, Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 9,443 and a density of 133.68 persons per km². The total area is 68.64 km²....
. It is a second class airport, and also a single-runway regional airport. It serves domestic destinations including Tokyo
Tokyo
, ; officially , is one of the 47 prefectures of Japan. Tokyo is the capital of Japan, the center of the Greater Tokyo Area, and the largest metropolitan area of Japan. It is the seat of the Japanese government and the Imperial Palace, and the home of the Japanese Imperial Family...
, but some airlines offer destinations in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
. Municipal buses also serve the city.
History
- 1890 KamikawaKamikawa (Ishikari) District, Hokkaidois a district located in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. Confusingly, there is a district of the same name, Kamikawa District, in the same subprefecture. In 1869, Hokkaidō was divided into 11 provinces and 86 districts. Kamikawa district was placed under Ishikari Province...
DistrictDistricts of JapanThe was most recently used as an administrative unit in Japan between 1878 and 1921 and is roughly equivalent to the county of the United States, ranking at the level below prefecture and above city, town or village. As of 2008, cities belong directly to prefectures and are independent from...
set up under Ishikari Province with the villagesVillages of JapanA is a local administrative unit in Japan.It is a local public body along with , , and . Geographically, a village's extent is contained within a prefecture....
of Asahikawa, Nagayama and Kamui - 1900 Asahikawa Village becomes Asahikawa TownTowns of JapanA town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...
- 1914 Asahikawa Town becomes Asahikawa-kuWards of JapanA is a subdivision of one of the cities of Japan that is large enough to have been designated by government ordinance. Wards are used to subdivide each city designated by government ordinance...
- 1922 Asahikawa-ku becomes Asahikawa City
- 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 cityCore cityA is a class of Japanese city created by the first clause of Article 252, Section 22 of the Local Autonomy Law of Japan. Core cities are delegated many functions normally carried out by prefectural governments, but not as many as designated cities...
Sister cities
Bloomington, IllinoisBloomington, Illinois
Bloomington is a city in McLean County, Illinois, United States and the county seat. It is adjacent to Normal, Illinois, and is the more populous of the two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, United States Normal, Illinois
Normal, Illinois
Normal is an incorporated town in McLean County, Illinois, United States. It had a population of 52,497 as of the 2010 census. Normal is the smaller of two principal municipalities of the Bloomington-Normal metropolitan area...
, United States Suwon
Suwon
Suwon is the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, South Korea. A major city of over a million inhabitants, Suwon lies approximately south of Seoul. It is traditionally known as "The City of Filial Piety"....
, South Korea
Colleges and universities
- Asahikawa Medical UniversityAsahikawa Medical University, , or AMU, is a national university and medical school in Asahikawa, Japan.- History :The precursor of Asahikawa Medical University is the founded in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk in 1943. After World War II, Karahuto Medical College was closed down because the nearby island of Sakhalin was occupied by the...
- Hokkaido University of EducationHokkaido University of EducationHokkaido University of Education has 5 campuses located around Hokkaidō, Japan. It is a national, public university, administered by the government of Japan. The main campus is located on the outskirts of Sapporo, the capital of Hokkaidō...
- Asahikawa UniversityAsahikawa UniversityAsahikawa Universityis a university in Hokkaidō, Japan. The university became known for being party to a legal action involving the dismissal of a non-Japanese English as a Foreign Language teacher on grounds that the teacher having been a long term employee of the university and being married to a...
- Tokai UniversityTokai Universityis a private university in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1943 by Shigeyoshi Matsumae, who had formerly been the engineering president of the Ministry of Communications...
Specialties
- Asahikawa RamenRamenis a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...
- Asahikawa furniture
- Confectionery
- Sake (Otokoyama, Takasago, Taisetsunokura)
- CocktailCocktailA cocktail is an alcoholic mixed drink that contains two or more ingredients—at least one of the ingredients must be a spirit.Cocktails were originally a mixture of spirits, sugar, water, and bitters. The word has come to mean almost any mixed drink that contains alcohol...
- Taisetsu Microbrew Beer "Taisetsu ji-beer"
- Asahikawa mutton barbecue "Genghis Khan"
- Pottery / Wooden handiwork (Arashiyama area)
Sightseeing
- Arashiyama Pottery village
- Asahibashi Bridge
- Asahikawa Furniture Center
- Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture in Honor of Teijiro NakaharaAsahikawa Museum of Sculpture in Honor of Teijiro Nakaharais a sculpture museum located in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. The building has been used for the army officer's social clubhouse as the of the Imperial Japanese Army 7th Division since 1902, and the since 1968...
- Asahikawa Winter Festival / Illuminations (February)
- Asahikawa Youth Science Museum "Saiparu"
- Asahiyama ZooAsahiyama ZooThe ' is a municipal zoo opened in July 1967 in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan, and is the northernmost zoo in the country.. In August 2004, over 320,000 people visited the zoo, the second highest number of visitors among all the zoos in Japan...
(The most famous zoo in Japan) - Ayako MiuraAyako Miura' was a Japanese novelist. She published over eighty works of both fiction and non-fiction. Many of her works are considered best-sellers, and a number have been remade as feature-length films....
Memorial Literature Center - Hoppo Wild Flower Garden, famous for Erythronium japonicumErythronium japonicumKatakuri is a species of lily native to Japan, Korea and northeastern China.-Uses:Katakuri starch, or katakuriko , is a starch originally processed from the corm of katakuri. Despite having kuri , lit...
(Dogtooth violet) that flower in May - Hokkaido Traditional Art Craft Village
- Mount Tossho, also famous for Erythronium japonicum
- Otokoyama Sake Brewing Museum
- Romantic Road (tree tunnel and churches)
- Ski Resorts (Kamui Ski Links, Santa Present Park, Pippu Ski Area, Canmore Ski Villiage etc.)
- Sugai Amusement Factory
- Yasushi InoueYasushi InoueYasushi Inoue was a Japanese writer whose range of genres included poetry, essays, short fiction, and novels...
Memorial Center
Notable people
- Miura Ayako, author
- Yuko EmotoYuko Emotois a Japanese judoka and olympic champion. She won a gold medal in the half middleweight division at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta.She received a silver medal at the 1994 Asian Games.-References:...
, judoka - Yasushi InoueYasushi InoueYasushi Inoue was a Japanese writer whose range of genres included poetry, essays, short fiction, and novels...
, author - Kiyomi KatoKiyomi Kato (wrestler)is a Japanese wrestler and Olympic champion in freestyle wrestling.- Olympics :Kato competed at the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich where he received a gold medal in freestyle wrestling, the flyweight class....
, wrestler - Shigeo NakataShigeo Nakatais a Japanese wrestler and Olympic champion in Freestyle wrestling.-Olympics:Nakata competed at the 1968 Summer Olympics in Mexico City where he received a gold medal in Freestyle wrestling, the flyweight class.-References:...
, wrestler - Ikumi NaritaIkumi Naritais a Japanese volleyball player who plays for NEC Red Rockets. Her maiden name was .She competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece. There she ended up in fifth place with the Japan women's national team. Narita played as a wing-spiker...
, volleyball player - Victor StarffinVictor StarffinVictor Starffin , nicknamed , was an ethnic Russian baseball player in Japan and the first professional pitcher in Japan to win three hundred games.-Biography:...
, baseball player - Taizō SugimuraTaizo Sugimurais a Japanese politician and a member of the Diet of Japan, representing the Liberal Democratic Party until 2009. He ran in House of Councillors election in 2010 as a proportional candidate of The Sunrise Party of Japan.Sugimura was born in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō...
, politician - Kentaro Suzuki, football player
- Kōji TamakiKoji Tamakiis a Japanese singer-songwriter, and actor. He has been well known as a frontman of the band Anzen Chitai that debuted in 1982 and enjoyed their successful career particularly during the 1980s....
, lead vocalist of Anzen ChitaiAnzen Chitaiis a Japanese rock band, formed in 1973 by five musicians in Asahikawa, Hokkaidō, Japan. It debuted in 1982 in Tokyo, Japan. They became one of Japan's most successful rock bands in the 1980s.... - Buichi TerasawaBuichi Terasawais a Japanese manga artist. His most famous works include Goku Midnight Eye and Cobra.In the early days of his career when he was still unknown, he contributed materials of comics to a magazine that won him a prize, an event that led him into the world of comics.In 1976, he came to Tokyo and began...
, manga artistMangakais the Japanese word for a comic artist or cartoonist. Outside of Japan, manga usually refers to a Japanese comic book and mangaka refers to the author of the manga, who is usually Japanese... - Masae UenoMasae Uenois a Japanese female judoka who competed in the Athens 2004 Olympics and the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Ueno was born January 17, 1979 in Asahikawa Hokkaidō. In 2004, she earned Japan's fifth Olympic Gold Medal in ten events, taking the 70 kg women's judo event...
, judoka - Yoshie UenoYoshie Uenois a female Japanese judoka.She won the gold medal in the Half-middleweight division at the 2009 World Judo Championships.Her elder sister is Masae Ueno, who retired in 2009 after winning gold at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic....
, judoka - Miho YabeMiho YabeMiho Yabe is a Japanese model and J-pop idol singer. She was born in Hokkaidō, Japan, and made her singing debut on 10 January 1996. She has a sister Mika who is also a model, under the stage name Mika Kawai....
, actress
Climate
According to the Koppen climate classificationKöppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
, Asahikawa features a humid continental climate
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Dfb) with warm summers and very cold and snowy winters. Asahikawa winters are long and very cold, with average monthly temperatures from December through March failing to reach the freezing point. The city also sees an extraordinary amount of snowfall, averaging 760 cm (roughly 300 inches) of snow, per year. Summers are generally warm (but not hot) and humid in Asahikawa, with average high temperatures in the warmest months hovering around 26 degrees Celsius. Spring and fall are generally short and transitional in the city.