Ashibetsu Explained

Ashibetsu

Native Name Lang:

Settlement Type:

City

Seal Type:

Emblem

Pushpin Map:

Japan

Pushpin Map Caption:

Location in Japan

Coordinates:

43.5167°N 153°W

Subdivision Type:

Country

Subdivision Name:

Japan

Subdivision Type1:

Region

Subdivision Name1:

Hokkaido

Subdivision Type2:

Prefecture

Subdivision Name2:

Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)

Subdivision Type3:

District

Extinct Title:

Now part of

Leader Title:

Mayor

Leader Name:

Hiromu Konno

Leader Title1:

Vice Mayor

Unit Pref:

Metric

Area Total Km2:

865.02

Population Total:

12,555

Population As Of:

October 1, 2020

Population Density Km2:

auto

Timezone1:

JST

Utc Offset1:

+09:00

Blank Name Sec1:

City hall address

Blank Info Sec1:

1-3 Kita-ichijō Higashi, Ashibetsu-shi, Hokkaidō
075-8711

Blank Name Sec2:

Climate

Blank Info Sec2:

Dfb

Module:

Embedded:	yes
Tree:	Mizunara (Quercus crispula)

is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of 1 October 2020, the city had an estimated population of 12,555 and a density of 15 persons per km². The total area is 865.02 km².

History

Ashibetsu was once a prosperous coal mining city, its population exceeding 70,000 at its peak, but its population has fallen since the closing of the coal mines.^[1]

1893 - Satō Denjirō (originally from Yamagata Prefecture) founds Ashibetsu.
1897 - Nae Village (now Sunagawa City) and part of Takikawa Village (now City) split off to form Utashinai Village.
1900 - Ashibetsu Village split off of Utashinai Village.
1906 - Ashibetsu becomes a Second Class Municipality.
1917 - Kuhara Mining Industry Yuya Ashibetu Coal Mine opened.
1923 - First Class Municipality.
1924 - Mitsubishi Mining Industry Ashibetsu Coal Mine opened.
1935 - Meiji Mining Industry Meiji-Kamiashibetsu Coal Mine opened.
1938 - Ashibetsu-Takane Colliery Takane Mining Station opened.
1941 - Ashibetsu Village becomes Ashibetsu Town.
1943 - Mitsui-Ashibetsu Mining Industry Mitsui-Ashibetsu Coal Mine opened.
1953 - Ashibetsu Town becomes Ashibetsu City.
1963 - Meiji Mining Industry Meiji-Kamiashibetsu Coal Mine closed.
1964 - Mitsubishi Mining Industry Ashibetsu Coal Mine closed.
1967 - Ashibetsu-Takane Colliery Takane Mining Station closed.
1969 - Yuya Mining Industry Yuya Ashibetu Coal Mine closed.
1992 - Mitsui-Ashibetsu Mining Industry Mitsui-Ashibetsu Coal Mine closed.
1991 - Canadian World Park opened.
1997 - Canadian World business failure (to become a municipal park).

Geography

Ashibetsu is in the northern part of Yūbari Mountains. Mount Ashibetsu is south of the city.

Name

There are two theories about the origin of "Ashibetsu". In both theories the name means Ashibetsu River, which flows through the city.

"as pet", the river that flows in a shrub
"hasi pet", the standing river

Locations of interest

The Hokkaido Kannon is the third-tallest statue in Japan and is the tenth-tallest in the world. It was considered the tallest statue in the world when it opened in 1989 at, holding the world record until 1991.^[2]

Neighbourhoods

Asahimachi (旭町)
Asahimachi Yuya (旭町油谷)
Ashibetsu (芦別)
Fukuzumichō (福住町)
Higashiraijōchō (東頼城町)
Honchō (本町)
Horonai (幌内)
Izumi (泉)
Kamiashibetsuchō (上芦別町)
Kawagishi (川岸)
Kita 1 Jōhigashi (北1条東)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
Kita 2 Jōhigashi (北2条東)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
Kita 3 Jōhigashi (北3条東)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
Kita 4 Jōhigashi (北4条東)
Kita 5 Jōhigashi (北5条東)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
Kita 6 Jōhigashi (北6条東)
Kita 1 Jōnishi (北1条西)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
Kita 2 Jōnishi (北2条西)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
- 3 chōme (3丁目)
Kita 3 Jōnishi (北3条西)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
- 3 chōme (3丁目)
Kita 4 Jōnishi (北4条西)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
- 3 chōme (3丁目)
- 4 chōme (4丁目)
Kita 5 Jōnishi (北5条西)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
- 3 chōme (3丁目)
- 4 chōme (4丁目)
- 5 chōme (5丁目)
Kita 6 Jōnishi (北6条西)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
- 3 chōme (3丁目)
- 4 chōme (4丁目)
- 5 chōme (5丁目)
Kita 7 Jōnishi (北7条西)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
- 3 chōme (3丁目)
- 4 chōme (4丁目)
- 5 chōme (5丁目)
- 6 chōme (6丁目)
Koganechō (黄金町)
Minami 1 Jōhigashi (南1条東)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
Minami 2 Jōhigashi (南2条東)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
- 3 chōme (3丁目)
Minami 3 Jōhigashi (南3条東)
- 1 chōme (1丁目)
- 2 chōme (2丁目)
- 3 chōme (3丁目)
Minami 1 Jōnishi (南１条西)
Nakanookachō (中の丘町)
Nishiashibetsuchō (西芦別町)
Nokananchō (野花南町)
Raijōchō (頼城町)
Rokusenchō (緑泉町)
Shinjōchō (新城町)
Takanechō (高根町)
Takisatochō (滝里町)
Tokiwa (常磐)
Tokiwachō (常磐町)
Toyooka (豊岡)
Toyookachō (豊岡町)

Climate

Demographics

Per Japanese census data,^[3] the population of Ashibetsu has declined precipitously over the past half-century. Of the residents who remain, nearly half are age 65 or older.^[3]