is a 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 the prefecture of 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...

 located in the southern reaches of 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...

, under whose jurisdiction it resides. Well-known throughout Japan as a tourism destination, it is famous for its lavender

Lavender

The lavenders are a genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. An Old World genus, distributed from Macaronesia across Africa, the Mediterranean, South-West Asia, Arabia, Western Iran and South-East India...

 fields, the television drama Kita no Kuni kara and the Furano Ski Resort

Furano Ski Resort

, also known as Furano Ski Area, is a resort in Furano, Hokkaido, owned and operated by Prince Hotels. One of the leading ski areas in Hokkaido, the resort became famous for its long-standing relationship with the FIS Alpine Ski World Cup. In more recent years, it has held the mid-February...

, which held the Snowboarding World Cup in recent years.

As of 2009, the city has 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 24,493 and a 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 40.8 persons per km². The total area is 600.97 km².

Geography

The Furano Valley is nestled between the Tokachi Volcanic Mountain Range (part of the Daisetsuzan National Park) and the Yuubari cluster of summits, including Ashibetsu Peak. The Sorachi and Furano Rivers, both tributaries of the Ishikari River, meet within the city limits. Furano is located at the exact geographic center of Hokkaido, earning it the nickname "Heso no Machi" or "Navel Town." A monument positioned at the center is located on the grounds of Furano Nishi Junior High School at 43°20′56"N 142°23′04"E.

Roughly 70% of the city is mountain and forest. In 1899, the Tokyo University Forest in Hokkaido was established for research purposes in the southeast sector of the city. Nearby lies Rokugo Forest, the setting for the well-known Japanese television drama Kita no Kuni Kara.

Climate

History

The city takes its name from the Ainu

Ainu language

Ainu is one of the Ainu languages, spoken by members of the Ainu ethnic group on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō....

 word "Fura-nui," which means "Stinky Flame" or "Foul-Smelling Place," in the language of the indigenous people of Hokkaido. This is most likely because the valley was being associated with sulfuric fumaroles near Tokachi Peak. In 1897 the first homesteaders arrived from Mie Prefecture

Mie Prefecture

is a prefecture of Japan which is part of the Kansai regions on Honshū island. The capital is the city of Tsu.- History :Until the Meiji Restoration, Mie prefecture was known as Ise Province and Iga Province....

 (located in the Kinki Region of Japan) and settled in what is now the Ogiyama area of the city. The Village of Furano was established as a satellite settlement of the then-preeminent Utashinai Village. In 1899 the settlement was transferred from under the jurisdiction of Sorachi

Sorachi

Sorachi may refer: to one of two places on* The Sorachi Subprefecture on the island of Hokkaidō, Japan* Sorachi District, Hokkaido on the island of Hokkaidō, Japan, which is divided between the Sorachi Subprefecture and the Kamikawa Subprefecture...

 County to Kamikawa County, an official town hall was raised, and Furano Village, Sorachi County was officially established.




Mass transportation soon followed when a railway link to Asahikawa, what is now the second largest city in Hokkaido, was opened in 1900. Three years later, Furano was divided into the upper Kamifurano Village (the present-day town of Kamifurano) and the lower Shitafurano Village (present-day Furano and Minamifurano.) In 1908, Minamifurano Village (now Minamifurano Town) spun off into its own separate entity. On April 1, 1915 Yamabe Village was created as a separate municipality, and Shitafurano, Sorachi County gained Second Class Village Status in the Hokkaido Village System. Following rapid development, on April 1, 1919, Shitafurano Village achieved town status and was renamed Furano Town. It gained First Class Town Status exactly two years later. On September 30, 1956, Furano annexed the village of Higashiyama. Ten years later, Furano annexed the town of Yamabe and the population boost was enough for it to become a full-fledged city. Furano officially changed its name to Furano City on May 1, 1966.

Industry

The keystone industry is agriculture, centering around onions and carrots. Furano notably produces more carrots than anywhere else in Japan. Watermelon and the Akaniku-brand "Furano Melon" are also produced in large numbers.

Industry also includes tourism, particularly to its lavender fields and ski slopes, as well as the cultivation of grapes, including a municipally-managed winery, and dairy products such as milk and cheese. Furano Delice, made famous for being the first candy factory to put pudding in a milk bottle, is well-known for its Furano Milk Pudding.

Financial institutions

• North Pacific Bank, Ltd., Furano Office
• Hokkaido Bank
  Hokkaido Bank
  Hokkaido Bank is a Japanese bank that is headquartered in Sapporo, Hokkaidō. The Hokkaido Bank is a subsidiary of the Hokuhoku Financial Group as a result of a merger with the Hokuriku Bank on September 1, 2004...
  
  , Ltd., Furano Office
• Asahikawa Credit Union, Furano Office (formerly Furano Credit Union)
• Hokkaido Workers Credit Union, Furano Office
• Sorachi Commercial Credit Association, Furano Office

Postal services

• Furano Post Office (the Furano Office of Japan Post Service Company, Ltd. is located within the same building.)
• Furano Wakaba Post Office (includes ATM service)
• Kitanomine Post Depot (postal service only)
• Higashiyama Post Office
• Yamabe Post Office
• Rokugo Post Office

※Japan Post-Furano's Yamabe and Higashiyama distribution centers have been decommissioned.

Domestic

• Furano partnered with Nishiwaki City, Hyogo Prefecture on October 20, 1978, becoming Furano's first and only domestic Sister City association.
  •  Japan Nishiwaki（Hyogo Prefecture
    Hyogo Prefecture
    is a prefecture of Japan located in the Kansai region on Honshū island. The capital is Kobe.The prefecture's name was previously alternately spelled as Hiogo.- History :...
    
    ）

Abroad

• Furano has been sister cities with Schladming, Austria since February 23, 1977.
  •  Austria Schladming
    Schladming
    Schladming is a small mining town in the Austrian state of Styria, that is now very popular with tourists. It has become a large ski resort and has held various skiing competitions recently. The shopping area has lots of cafes, restaurant and a variety of shops and caters well for tourists.As of...
    
    （Austria
    Austria
    Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
    
    ）

Education

• High School
  • Public High Schools
    • Furano High School, Hokkaido Furano Ryokuho High School

• Technical Schools
  • Furano Nursing College

• Middle Schools
  • Furano Higashi, Furano Nishi, Rokugo, Yamabe, Jukai

• Elementary Schools
  • Furano, Higashi, Ogiyama, Torinuma, Rokugo, Yamabe, Jukai

• Elementary/Middle Schools
  • Nunobe, Furebetsu

Airport

• 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:...
  
  , located south of the city center in the outlying Higashi Gakura-cho, is an hour away on average from Furano by bus or car.

Railways

• Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido)
  • Nemuro Line: Shimanoshita Station - Furano Station - Nunobe Station - Yamabe Station
  • Furano Line
    Furano Line
    The is part of the Hokkaido Railway Company network in Hokkaidō, Japan. It connects Furano Station in the city of Furano and Asahikawa Station in the city of Asahikawa...
    
    : Gakuden Station - Furano Station

Bus

• Furano Bus - city bus lines, Furano to Asahikawa (the "Lavender Express")
• Shimukappu municipally owned and operated Furano to Shimukappu bus line.
• Hokkaido Chuo Bus Co., Ltd. - Furano to Sapporo (the high-speed "Furano")
• Dohoku Bus Co., Ltd., Hokkaido Takusyoku Bus Co., Ltd., Tokachi Bus Co.,Ltd. - Minamifurano to Obihiro (Northliner)

Highways

• National Highways
  • Highway 38
  • Highway 237
• Prefectural Highways
  • Hokkaido Route 135 - Bibai, Furano
  • Hokkaido Route 253 - Higashiyama, Furano
  • Hokkaido Route 298 - Kamifurano, Asahikawa, Nakafurano
  • Hokkaido Route 544 - Rokugo, Yamabe
  • Hokkaido Route 706 - Nanyou, Yamabe
  • Hokkaido Route 759 - Nae, Furano
  • Hokkaido Route 800 - Kitanomine
  • Hokkaido Route 985 - Yamabe, Kitanomine

Cultural heritage

• Furano Traditional Chinese Lion Dance - The Furano Traditional Chinese Lion Dance Preservation Society is a part of the Furano City Lifelong Learning Center.
• A monument marking the exact geographic center of Hokkaido is located in the playground of Furano Nishi Junior High School.
• 北大第八農場富良野成墾記念碑 (Kitataidaihachinoujoufuranoseikonkinenhi) - Tenmangu Shrine Grounds
• 北大第八農場山部成墾記念碑 - (Kitataidaihachinoujouyamabeseikonkinenhi) - Yamabe Shrine Grounds

Tourism destinations

Downtown District

• 北の国から (Kita no Kuni kara) Museum is located almost directly adjacent to the Furano Station area.
• 護国山富良野寺 - Gokokuzanfurano-ji (Eighteenth Hokkaido Sanjuusan Sacred Grounds of Kannon Fudasho (北海道三十三観音霊場十八番札所)). Since Furano is Hokkaido's Navel Town, they proudly display a duplicate of the Buddha Nyoirinkannon Heso Ishi (Navel Stone) from Kyoto's famous temple Choho-ji
  Chōhō-ji
  The is a temple of the Tendai sect in Kainan, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan.It was established by Emperor Ichijō's instruction in 1000.Chōhō-ji's Main Hall, Pagoda and Daimon are National Treasure of Japan.- Building list :...
  
  .

Kitanomine District

• The Kitanomine Area is centered around ski resorts and pensions. Furano Ski Resort, owned and operated by Prince Hotels in Tokyo, is a popular winter destination for people from around the world. Ningle Terrace is a rustic sort of shopping village located just to the side of New Furano Prince Hotel. Open year round, people from all over the area come to browse the handmade trinkets and look for faeries when the snow has not buried them alive. There is also a shop based on the one Takeshita Keiko (竹下景子) worked at in the '北の国から'　(Kita no Kuni kara) television drama.
• Furano Cheese Factory
• Furano Ice Milk Factory
• 富良野演劇工場 (Furanoengekikoujou - Furano Theatre Factory), a non-profit organization established and run by the city, Furano Theater Factory is a small-scale theater that strives to meet the creative needs of its citizens, hosting a myriad of events year-round. The Theater Factory was designed by Sou Kuramoto, the famous writer of Kita no Kuni kara.

Rokugo District

• The houses used by the characters in the television drama '北の国から'　(Kita no Kuni kara) can still be found in the far-reaches of the Furano city limits in the Rokugo area, separated from Furano Station by a distance of about 15 kilometers. Rokugo Forest was the setting for the drama's early period. Gotaro's Stone House, The Lost and Found House, Jun and Ketsu's House, and Yahataoka, a hilly, back-country setting that came up frequently throughout the series, can all be found perfectly preserved in a memorial-esque open-air museum.
• Rokugo Observation Deck
• Furano Jam Farm
• Anpanman Shop
• Furano Music Box
• Popuri Village specializes in cultivating late-blooming Lavender, meaning visitors can see the purple flowers in all their glory, even if they have missed the season.

Other districts

• Highland Furano is a public spa in Shimanoshita, complete with a mid-sized lavender field.
• The city owns and operates a successful wine factory known as the Wine House.
• Furano Wine and Juice Factory is a publicly run business located in Shimizuyama.
• Torinuma Park is a public park famous for the fact that it never freezes, even though it is located in the heart of snow country, Japan. Camping is not allowed, however visitors are more than encouraged to camp in the nearby Yamabe Village of the Sun Nature Park.

Dramas staged in Furano

• Kita no Kuni kara (Fuji Terebi, 1981–2002)
• Yasashii Jikan (Fuji Terebi, 2005)
• Kaze no Gaaden (Fuji Terebi, 2008)

Festivals and other events

• Shoukon Festival - Peace Memorial Festival (June 15, 16th)
• Hokkaido Belly-button Festival (July 28, 29th)
• Furano Shrine's Annual Festival (August 25, 26th)

Immigration

• In May, 2009 Furano City joined hands with various private-sector associations to establish the Furano Chamber for the Promotion of Immigration.

Furano accent

• There is a difference in the way that those living in Hokkaido (citizens of Furano included) and those that live in other parts of Japan pronounce the city's name. Inside Hokkaido, the stress is generally laid on the 'fu' in 'Furano,' however outside the island the pattern of a weakly pronounced 'fu' followed by a somewhat stressed 'ra' and 'no' is far more common. The latter pronunciation was used in the drama that made Furano famous and most likely had a lasting enough impact on the majority of Japan to affect its pronunciation.

Notables from Furano

• Tetsuya Kumakawa - ballet dancer
• Kazumi Kurigami
  Kazumi Kurigami
  is a renowned Japanese photographer.-References:...
  
   - professional photographer
• Seiji Sugio - singer
• Masami Shimoda - anime producer, director
• Chika Miura - actress
• Isao Fujii - businessman, founder and principal owner of Takaragi Staff Service Co., Ltd.

Topics

• Furano Milk Pudding is famous for being the first pudding ever to come in a glass bottle.
• Television program Kotaete Choudais King of Reruns, Fukushima Katsushige, relocated to Furano in January 2007. He said that he will not return to Tokyo until he has sold 10,000 units of the DVD he made. He bravely embarked on a grand journey across the length of Japan, traveling from Kagoshima to Furano on a bicycle selling the DVDs. In Furano, he donned a self-assembled facsimile of the Hokkaido mascot Marimokkori
  Marimokkori
  is a character popularized in Hokkaidō, Japan. Much like the Tamagochi, the name "Marimokkori" is a pun: marimo is the word for the green algae clusters that grow in some of Hokkaidō's lakes, while mokkori is a Japanese slang term for an erection....
  
  's costume, dubbing himself Shigemokkori, and became the talk of the town by prancing around in green full-body tights complete with a conspicuous bulge (ala Hokkaido's beloved character.) He updates his blog, CD Furano, almost everyday.
• Niko Niko Pun, a children's television show run by NHK
  NHK
  NHK is Japan's national public broadcasting organization. NHK, which has always identified itself to its audiences by the English pronunciation of its initials, is a publicly owned corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee....
  
  , is shot on location in Furano every Summer and Winter Break.

Mass communications

• Daily Furano (newspaper)
• Radio Furano (community FM station) 77.1 MHz
• The Hokkaido Shimbun Press, Furano (newspaper)

External links

Public Official website

Tourism

• Furano Ski Area (In English)
• 富良野観光協会 - Furano Tourism Association
• 「北の国から」資料館 - 'Kita no Kuni kara' Museum
• 日の出公園ラベンダー園での結婚式 - Biei Wedding Palace