Coordinates: 43°46′N 142°22′E

Asahikawa,

Asahikawa ( 旭 川 市 Asahikawa-shi) is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Asahikawa . It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after 旭川市 .[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. Core city

On July 31, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 352,105, with 17 3,961 households, and a population density of 47 0.96 persons per km² (1,219.8 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is 7 47 .6 km2 (288.6 sq mi).[2]

Contents View of the city from Mount Arashiyama Name Overview History

Climate Economy Education Flag Universities Emblem National Private Colleges High schools Public Private Transportation Airport

Rail Bus Specialties Sightseeing Sister and friendship cities Sister cities Friendship cities Notable people Location of Asahikawa in Kamikawa References Subprefecture, Hokkaido External links

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"). Location of Kamikawa Subprefecture in Hokkaido Overview Asahikawa 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 River and Chūbetsu River, and over 7 40 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]

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 Location in Japan Coordinates: 43°46′N 142°22′E climate and location surrounded by mountains, there are some ski resorts in the outskirts Country Japan of the city. Region Hokkaido Prefecture Hokkaido History Government • Mayor Masahito Nishikawa Asahikawa was populated by mainland Japanese in the Meiji period (1868 – July 1912) as Area a tondenhei, or state-sponsored farmer-militia settlement.[1] • Total 747.6 km2 (288.6 sq mi) Kamikawa District set up under Ishikari Province with the villages of Asahikawa, Population (July 30, 2011) Nagayama and in 1890. • Total 352,105 • Density 470.98/km2 (1,219.8/sq mi) 1900 Asahikawa Village becomes Asahikawa town 1914 Asahikawa Town becomes Asahikawa-ku Symbols • Tree Japanese rowan Asahikawa was elevated to city status in 1922.[2] • Flower Azalea Asahikawa thrived as a military city before World War II, when the IJA 7 th Division was • Bird Bohemian waxwing posted there. Today, the 2nd Division of the Northern Army of the Japan Ground Self- • Others Insect: Kantan (Oecanthus longicauda) Defense Force is headquartered in Asahikawa. Time zone Japan Standard Time 1955 Kamui Village and Etanbetsu Village merge with Asahikawa (UTC+9) 1961 Nagayama Town merged 1963 Higashi-Asahikawa Town merged City hall 9-46 Rokujō-dōri, 1967 Asahiyama Zoo opened address Asahikawa-shi, Hokkaido 1968 Kagura Town merged 070-8525 1971 Higashi-Takasu Town merged Website www.city.asahikawa 1972 Japan's first permanent pedestrian mall Heiwadōri Shopping Park opened .hokkaido.jp (http://www.cit April 1, 2000 Asahikawa becomes a Core city y.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/)

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Asahikawa features a humid (Dfb) with warm summers and cold and snowy winters. 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 (7 9 °F). Spring and fall are generally short and transitional in the city. Japan's lowest temperature ever (−41 °C (−42 °F)) Heiwa Street in Asahikawa was recorded here.

Asahibashi Bridge Climate data for Asahikawa, Hokkaido (1981–2010) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high 11.7 12.2 18.8 29.6 32.8 35.9 35.0 36.0 32.9 25.0 22.0 14.7 36.0 °C (°F) (53.1) (54) (65.8) (85.3) (91) (96.6) (95) (96.8) (91.2) (77) (71.6) (58.5) (96.8) Average high −3.5 −2.1 2.6 11.7 17.7 22.9 25.8 26.3 21.6 14.8 5.8 −0.8 11.9 °C (°F) (25.7) (28.2) (36.7) (53.1) (63.9) (73.2) (78.4) (79.3) (70.9) (58.6) (42.4) (30.6) (53.4) Daily mean −7.5 −6.5 −1.8 5.6 11.8 16.5 20.2 21.1 15.9 9.2 1.9 −4.3 6.8 °C (°F) (18.5) (20.3) (28.8) (42.1) (53.2) (61.7) (68.4) (70) (60.6) (48.6) (35.4) (24.3) (44.3) Average low −13.3 −12.7 −6.3 0.0 5.4 11.6 15.9 16.8 11.2 3.9 −2 −7.9 2.0 °C (°F) (8.1) (9.1) (20.7) (32) (41.7) (52.9) (60.6) (62.2) (52.2) (39) (28) (17.8) (35.6) Record low −41 −38.3 −34.1 −19 −7.1 −1.2 1.0 2.4 −1.8 −8 −25 −30 −41 °C (°F) (−42) (−36.9) (−29.4) (−2) (19.2) (29.8) (33.8) (36.3) (28.8) (18) (−13) (−22) (−42) Average 69.6 51.3 54.0 47.6 64.8 63.6 108.7 133.5 130.9 104.3 117.2 96.6 1,042.1 precipitation (2.74) (2.02) (2.126) (1.874) (2.551) (2.504) (4.28) (5.256) (5.154) (4.106) (4.614) (3.803) (41.028) mm (inches) Average 174 131 111 23 0 0 0 0 0 3 107 189 743 snowfall cm (68.5) (51.6) (43.7) (9.1) (0) (0) (0) (0) (0) (1.2) (42.1) (74.4) (292.5) (inches) Average 30.4 26.8 25.1 9.4 0.7 0 0 0 0 2.9 17.7 29.3 142.3 snowy days Average relative 80 79 69 67 66 74 78 79 77 78 81 82 76 humidity (%) Mean monthly 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 sunshine hours

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

Asahikawa Medical University Hokkaido University of Education, Asahikawa Campus

Private

Asahikawa University Tokai University (Previously: the Asahikawa Campus of Hokkaido Tokai University[8])

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 is served by 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 197 0. 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.

Asahikawa Airport Rail

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

Hakodate Main Line : Asahikawa Chikabumi - Inō Sōya Main Line : Asahikawa - Asahikawa-Yojō - Shin-Asahikawa - Nagayama - Kita-Nagayama Sekihoku Main Line : Shin-Asahikawa - Minami-Nagayama - Higashi-Asahikawa - Kita-Hinode - Sakuraoka Furano Line : Asahikawa - Kaguraoka - Midorigaoka - Nishi-Goryō - Nishi-Mizuho - Nishi-Kagura - Nishi-Seiwa - Chiyogaoka Asahikawa (old) railway station (replaced in 2011) Bus

Municipal buses also serve the city.

Specialties

Asahikawa Ramen Asahikawa furniture Confectionery Sake (Otokoyama, Takasago, Taisetsunokura) Cocktail 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 Nakahara Asahikawa Winter Festival / Illuminations (February) Asahikawa Youth Science Museum "Saiparu" Asahiyama Zoo Ayako Miura Memorial Literature Center Hoppo Wild Flower Garden, famous for Erythronium japonicum (Dogtooth violet) that flower in May Hokkaido Traditional Art Craft Village Kita-no-Mori Ice Pavilion Mount Tossho, also famous for Erythronium japonicum Otokoyama Sake Brewing Museum Romantic Road (tree tunnel and churches) Asahiyama Zoo Ski Resorts (Kamui Ski Links, Santa Present Park, Pippu Ski Area, Canmore Ski Village etc.) Sugai Amusement Factory Yasushi Inoue Memorial Center

Sister and friendship cities

Sister cities

Bloomington, Illinois, [10] Normal, Illinois, United States Suwon, South Korea Asahikawa Museum of Sculpture in Honor of Teijiro Nakahara Friendship cities

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Sakhalin Oblast, Russia , Heilongjiang, China

Notable people

Takeshi Aono, voice actor Miura Ayako, author Yuko Emoto, judo wrestler Yasushi Inoue, author Kiyomi Kato, wrestler Shigeo Nakata, wrestler Ikumi Narita, volleyball player Victor Starffin, baseball player Taizō Sugimura, politician Kentaro Suzuki, football 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 Shōgō Yasumura, comedian Nanami Hashimoto, idol Kitanofuji Katsuaki, sumo wrestler

References

1. "Asahikawa" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/). Encyclopedia of Japan. Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC 56431036 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/56431036). Archived from the original (http://rekishi.jkn21.com/) on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-11-19. 2. "旭川市" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/) [Asahikawa]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC 173191044 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/173191044). Archived from the original (http://rekishi.jkn21.co m/) on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-11-19. 3. Asahikawa 8 Scenes (http://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/files/keikan/keikan/hakkei/hakkei.htm) (in Japanese) 4. Hokkaido Heritage Website: 6, Asahibashi Bridge (http://www.hokkaidoisan.org/heritage/006.html) (in Japanese) 5. Asahikawa City 7th General Scheme Gist (http://210.148.92.65/files/sogokeikaku/keikakukossi/sankou.html) (in Japanese) 6. "平年値(年・月ごとの値)" (http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=12&block_no=47407&year=&month=&day=&vi ew=p1). Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2010-02-22. 7. "観測史上1〜10位の値(年間を通じての値)" (http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=12&block_no=47407&year=&mo nth=1&day=&view=p1). Japan Meteorological Agency. Retrieved 2010-02-22. 8. "DIRECTIONS TO HOKKAIDO TOKAI UNIVERSITY (HTU) (https://web.archive.org/web/20051120035910/http://www.htokai.jp/english/m7_0.ht ml)" (). 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. "旭川空港" (https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/) [Asahikawa Airport]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC 173191044 (https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/173191044). Archived from the original (http://rekishi. jkn21.com/) on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-11-19. 10. "Interactive City Directory" (http://www.sister-cities.org/interactive-map/Bloomington,%20Illinois). Sister Cities International. Retrieved 11 March 2014.

External links

Asahikawa travel guide from Wikivoyage Official Website (http://www.city.asahikawa.hokkaido.jp/) (in Japanese) Asahikawa Tourism Website (http://www.asahikawa-tourism.com/) (in English) Asahikawa Winter Festival (http://www.asahikawa-tourism.com/asahikawa/asahikawa_winter/winter_festival/asahikawa_winter_festival.html)

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