Asahikawa

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Template:Expand Japanese Template:Infobox settlement

File:Asahikawa city - asahikawa station-etc 2022 Aug 10.webm Template:Nihongo is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido after Sapporo.<ref name="e">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref><ref name="c">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> It has been a core city since April 1, 2000. The city is currently well known for the Asahiyama Zoo, Asahikawa ramen, and its ski resort. On July 31, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 321,906, with 173,961 households, and a population density of 431 persons per km2 (1,100 persons per mi2). The total area is Template:Convert.<ref name="c"/>

Asahikawa was designated a "Design City" by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network project on October 31, 2019 on the occasion of World Cities’ Day.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Overview

Asahibashi Bridge

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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> 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.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

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 Template:Convert, the lowest temperature in Japanese history.<ref>Asahikawa City 7th General Scheme GistTemplate:Dead link Template:In lang</ref> Due to its climate and location surrounded by mountains, there are some ski resorts in the outskirts of the city.

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").

History

View of Asahikawa, circa 1920

Asahikawa was populated by the mainland Japanese in the Meiji period (1868 – July 1912) as a tondenhei, or state-sponsored farmer-militia settlement.<ref name="e"/>

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.<ref name="c"/>

Asahikawa thrived as a military city before World War II, when the IJA 7th Division was posted there. During the closing stages of the war, Asahikawa was bombed by American naval aircraft in July 1945.<ref name="Asahi Shimbun">Template:Cite web</ref> 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

Geography

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Climate

The climate is hemiboreal humid continental (Dfb, according to Köppen classification).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Asahikawa winters are long and cold, with below-freezing average monthly temperatures from December through March. The city also sees an extraordinary amount of snowfall, averaging just under Template:Convert of snow per year. Summers are generally warm and humid in Asahikawa, with average high temperatures in the warmest months hovering around Template:Convert. Spring and autumn are generally short and transitional in the city. Template:Citation needed

It is one of the coldest Japanese cities as well as one of the most "continental". Japan's lowest temperature ever (Template:Convert) was recorded in Asahikawa, colder than other cities registered in Hokkaido,<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite webTemplate:Dead link</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> but warmer in absolute numbers than Mount Fuji.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On January 12, 1909 the temperature did not rise above Template:Convert, being one of the coldest in history.<ref name=":0" /> Some sources consider it the coldest city in Japan.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Template:Weather box

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Demographics

Template:Historical populations Per Japanese census data,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the population of Asahikawa peaked around the year 2000 and has declined slightly in the decades since.

Economy

Skyline of Asahikawa City

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.<ref name="e"/>

Education

Universities

National

Private

Colleges

  • Asahikawa National College of Technology

High schools

Public

  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Agricultural High School (Nogyo)
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Commercial High School (Shogyo)
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Eiryo High school
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Higashi High school
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Kita High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Minami High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Nishi High School
  • Hokkaido Asahikawa Technical High School (Kogyo)

Private

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

Transportation

Asahikawa Airport
Asahikawa Station-North-Entrance

Airport

Asahikawa is served by Asahikawa Airport which stretches over the outskirts of Asahikawa City and Higashikagura, 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.<ref name="airport-c">Template:Cite encyclopedia</ref> EVA Air added Asahikawa as a destination from Taipei on May 2, 2013.

Rail

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 Biei and Furano.<ref name="c"/>

JR Hokkaido

Bus

Municipal buses also serve the city.

Specialties

  • Asahikawa Ramen
  • Asahikawa furniture
  • Confectionery
  • Sake (Otokoyama, Takasago, Taisetsunokura)
  • Taisetsu Microbrew Beer "Taisetsu ji-beer"
  • Asahikawa mutton barbecue "Genghis Khan"
  • Asahikawa pork barbecue "Shio-Horumon"
  • Asahikawa chicken barbecue "Shinko-yaki"
  • Pottery/wooden handiwork (Arashiyama area)
  • Sushi and Seafood

Sightseeing

Asahiyama Zoo
Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture in Honor of Teijiro Nakahara

Mascots

Template:Multiple image Asahikawa's mascots are Template:Nihongo and Template:Nihongo.

  • Asappy is a mixture of a harbor seal and a polar bear. He wears a shirt designed after Daisetsuzan National Park with fringes that resembled ramen, his belt is designed after the Asahi Bridge and his pants were designed after the Ishikari River. His red scarf shows his status as a hero.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
  • Yukkirin is a strong but kind snow giraffe (technically a kirin). Her dress has an apple, a snowflake and a flower motif. She wears Etanbetsu boots with fringes. Her antennae resemble snowballs. She can use them to gather information.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Sister and friendship cities

Sister cities

Friendship cities

Notable people

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References

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