Asahikawa

Introduction

You can help expand this article with text translated from the corresponding article in Japanese.  (November 2021) Click [show] for important translation instructions. View a machine-translated version of the Japanese article. Machine translation, like DeepL or Google Translate, is a useful starting point for translations, but translators must follow the LLM translation guideline, revise errors as necessary and confirm that the translation is accurate, rather than simply copy-pasting machine-translated text into the English Wikipedia. Do not translate text that appears unreliable or low-quality. If possible, verify the text with references provided in the foreign-language article. You must provide copyright attribution in the edit summary accompanying your translation by providing an interlanguage link to the source of your translation. A model attribution edit summary is Content in this edit is translated from the existing Japanese Wikipedia article at [[:ja:旭川市]]; see its history for attribution. You may also add the template {{Translated|ja|旭川市}} to the talk page. For more guidance, see Wikipedia:Translation. Core city in Hokkaido, JapanAsahikawa 旭川市Core cityTop: Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture, Asahiyama Animal ParkMiddle: Asahikawa Ramen noodle, KamuikotanBottom: Panoramic view of Asahi Bridge and Taisetsu Mountain Range, (all item of left to right) FlagEmblemLocation of Asahikawa in Kamikawa Subprefecture, HokkaidoLocation of Kamikawa Subprefecture in HokkaidoAsahikawaLocation in JapanCoordinates: 43°46′N 142°22′E / 43.767°N 142.367°E / 43.767; 142.367CountryJapanRegionHokkaidoPrefectureHokkaidoFirst official recorded1877City SettledAugust 1, 1922Government • MayorHirosuke ImazuArea • Total747.66 km2 (288.67 sq mi)Population (July 31, 2023) • Total321,906 • Density430.55/km2 (1,115.1/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)City hall address9-46 Rokujō-dōri, Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido070-8525Websitewww.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jpSymbolsBirdBohemian waxwingFlowerAzaleaMascotAsappy (あさっぴー) and Yukkirin (ゆっきりん)TreeJapanese rowan Various views around Asahikawa, 2022 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. 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 747.66 km2 (288.67 sq mi). Asahikawa was designated a "Design City" by UNESCO's Creative Cities Network project on October 31, 2019, on the occasion of World Cities’ Day.

Overview

[edit] 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. 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. 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. Due to its climate and location surrounded by mountains, there are some ski resorts in the outskirts of the city. Name[edit] 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

[edit] 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. 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. 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. 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

[edit] A panoramic view of Asahikawa from Mt. Arashiyama, 2016 Climate[edit] The climate is hemiboreal humid continental (Dfb, according to Köppen classification). 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 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 autumn are generally short and transitional in the city. [citation needed] It is one of the coldest Japanese cities as well as one of the most "continental". Japan's lowest temperature ever (−41.0 °C (−41.8 °F)) was recorded in Asahikawa, colder than other cities registered in Hokkaido, but warmer in absolute numbers than Mount Fuji. On January 12, 1909, the temperature did not rise above −22.5 °C (−9 °F), being one of the coldest in history. Some sources consider it the coldest city in Japan. Climate data for Asahikawa, elevation 120 m (390 ft), (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1888−present) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 11.7(53.1) 13.8(56.8) 18.8(65.8) 29.6(85.3) 34.3(93.7) 35.9(96.6) 37.6(99.7) 37.9(100.2) 33.3(91.9) 25.9(78.6) 22.0(71.6) 14.7(58.5) 37.9(100.2) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −3.3(26.1) −1.7(28.9) 3.0(37.4) 11.2(52.2) 18.8(65.8) 22.8(73.0) 26.2(79.2) 26.6(79.9) 21.9(71.4) 14.9(58.8) 6.2(43.2) −0.8(30.6) 12.2(54.0) Daily mean °C (°F) −7.0(19.4) −6.0(21.2) −1.4(29.5) 5.6(42.1) 12.3(54.1) 17.0(62.6) 20.7(69.3) 21.2(70.2) 16.4(61.5) 9.4(48.9) 2.3(36.1) −4.2(24.4) 7.2(45.0) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −11.7(10.9) −11.8(10.8) −6.1(21.0) 0.2(32.4) 6.1(43.0) 12.0(53.6) 16.4(61.5) 16.9(62.4) 11.7(53.1) 4.4(39.9) −1.5(29.3) −8.0(17.6) 2.4(36.3) Record low °C (°F) −41.0(−41.8) −38.3(−36.9) −34.1(−29.4) −19.0(−2.2) −7.1(19.2) −1.2(29.8) 1.0(33.8) 2.4(36.3) −1.8(28.8) −8.0(17.6) −25.0(−13.0) −30.0(−22.0) −41.0(−41.8) Average precipitation mm (inches) 66.9(2.63) 54.7(2.15) 55.0(2.17) 48.5(1.91) 66.6(2.62) 71.4(2.81) 129.5(5.10) 152.9(6.02) 136.3(5.37) 105.8(4.17) 114.5(4.51) 102.4(4.03) 1,104.4(43.48) Average snowfall cm (inches) 125(49) 97(38) 80(31) 15(5.9) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 2(0.8) 82(32) 158(62) 557(219) Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) 72(28) 84(33) 82(32) 33(13) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 0(0) 2(0.8) 27(11) 58(23) 89(35) Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 17.1 14.2 13.3 10.0 9.8 8.6 10.4 10.5 12.0 14.2 18.2 21.1 159.2 Average snowy days (≥ 3.0 cm) 14.1 11.1 8.9 1.5 0 0 0 0 0 0.4 7.6 16.1 59.3 Average relative humidity (%) 82 78 73 66 67 73 77 79 79 79 80 83 76 Mean monthly sunshine hours 75.3 96.1 141.3 169.5 197.4 176.5 159.8 154.6 144.7 125.9 67.3 58.1 1,566.5 Source: Japan Meteorological Agency This graph was using the legacy Graph extension, which is no longer supported. It needs to be converted to the new Chart extension. See or edit raw graph data.

Demographics

[edit] Historical populationYearPop.±% 1892 3,481—     1900 8,729+150.8% 1910 45,296+418.9% 1920 54,931+21.3% 1930 76,541+39.3% 1940 87,514+14.3% 1950 123,238+40.8% 1960 194,621+57.9% 1970 300,593+54.5% 1980 352,793+17.4% 1990 362,453+2.7% 2000 364,093+0.5% 2010 353,135−3.0% 2020 331,951−6.0% Per Japanese census data, the population of Asahikawa peaked around the year 2000 and has declined slightly in the decades since.

Economy

[edit] 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.

Education

[edit] Universities[edit] National[edit] Asahikawa Medical University Hokkaido University of Education, Asahikawa Campus Private[edit] Asahikawa University Tokai University (Previously: the Asahikawa Campus of Hokkaido Tokai University) Colleges[edit] Asahikawa National College of Technology High schools[edit] Public[edit] 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[edit] 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

[edit] Asahikawa Airport Asahikawa Station-North-Entrance Airport[edit] 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. EVA Air added Asahikawa as a destination from Taipei on May 2, 2013. Rail[edit] 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. JR Hokkaido Hakodate Main Line：- Asahikawa–Chikabumi Sōya Main Line：- Asahikawa–Asahikawa-Yojō–Shin-Asahikawa–Nagayama–Kita-Nagayama Sekihoku Main Line：- Shin-Asahikawa–Minami-Nagayama–Higashi-Asahikawa–Sakuraoka Furano Line: Asahikawa–Kaguraoka–Midorigaoka–Nishi-Goryō–Nishi-Mizuho–Nishi-Kagura–Nishi-Seiwa–Chiyogaoka Bus[edit] Buses, run by two private companies, also serve the city. Asahikawa Denkikidou Dohoku Bus

Specialties

[edit] 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

[edit] Asahiyama Zoo Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture in Honor of Teijiro Nakahara Asahiyama Zoo Ski Resorts (Kamui Ski Links, Santa Present Park, Pippu Ski Area, Canmore Ski Village etc.) - "Hokkaido Powder Belt" Ueno Farm (Hokkaido Garden Path) Asahikawa Winter Festival/Illuminations (February) Asahikawa Station Building Arashiyama Pottery village Asahibashi Bridge Asahikawa Furniture Center Asahikawa Kitasaito Garden Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture in Honor of Teijiro Nakahara Asahikawa Youth Science Museum "Saiparu" Ayako Miura Memorial Literature Center Hoppo Wild Flower Garden, famous for Erythronium japonicum (Dogtooth violet) that flower in May Hokkaido Traditional Art Craft Village Kamikawa Shrine Mount Tossho, also famous for Erythronium japonicum Otokoyama Sake Brewing Museum Romantic Road (tree tunnel and churches) Yasushi Inoue Memorial Center

Mascots

[edit] Asappy and Yukkirin, the town's mascots Asahikawa's mascots are Asappy (あさっぴー, Asappī) and Yukkirin (ゆっきりん). 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. 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.

Sister and friendship cities

[edit] Sister cities[edit] Bloomington, Illinois, United States Normal, Illinois, United States Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea Friendship cities[edit] Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Oblast, Russia Harbin, Heilongjiang, China

Notable people

[edit] This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) Asa Ando, alpine skier Takeshi Aono, voice actor Miura Ayako, author Haruhisa Chiba, skier Yuko Emoto, judo wrestler Kazuhiro Fujita, manga artist Nanami Hashimoto, idol Yasushi Inoue, author Kiyomi Kato, wrestler Kitanofuji Katsuaki, sumo wrestler Shigeo Nakata, wrestler Ikumi Narita, volleyball player Victor Starffin, baseball player Taizō Sugimura, politician Bikki Sunazawa, sculptor and painter Kentaro Suzuki, football player Koyo Takahashi, basketball player Tomoka Takeuchi, snowboarder Kōji Tamaki, lead vocalist of Anzen Chitai Buichi Terasawa, manga artist Masae Ueno, judo wrestler Yoshie Ueno, judo wrestler Miho Yabe, actress Megumi Yabushita, mixed martial artist, kickboxer, professional wrestler and judoka Shōgō Yasumura, comedian Camellia (Masaya Ōya), electronic musician and record producer