Asahikawa, Hokkaido
Coordinates: 43°46′N 142°22′E Asahikawa, Hokkaido Asahikawa ( 旭 川 市 Asahikawa-shi) is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Asahikawa Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after 旭川市 Sapporo.[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 Ishikari 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.
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