| Hiroo | |
| Native Name Lang: | ja |
| Settlement Type: | Town |
| Seal Type: | Emblem |
| Pushpin Map: | Japan |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Japan |
| Coordinates: | 42.2833°N 162°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Japan |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Hokkaido |
| Subdivision Type2: | Prefecture |
| Subdivision Name2: | Hokkaido (Tokachi Subprefecture) |
| Subdivision Type3: | District |
| Subdivision Name3: | Hiroo |
| Extinct Title: | Now part of |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Title1: | Vice Mayor |
| Unit Pref: | Metric |
| Area Total Km2: | 596.14 |
| Population Total: | 7,182 |
| Population As Of: | September 30, 2016 |
| Population Density Km2: | auto |
| Timezone1: | JST |
| Utc Offset1: | +09:00 |
| Blank Name Sec1: | City hall address |
| Blank Name Sec2: | Climate |
| Blank Info Sec2: | Dfb |
is a town located in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 7,182 and a density of 12 persons per km2. The total area is 596.14 km2.
Hiroo is recognized as the only place in Japan to be designated as a "Santa-Land" from the municipal government of Oslo, Norway.
Hiroo was established as a county in 1869, and was upgraded to a village in 1926 and to a town in 1946.[1]
Railway service to Hiroo began in 1932 and ended in 1987.
The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami resulted in a 2.8m tsunami striking Hiroo, causing over 1 billion yen in damage.
Although cold for its latitude and coastal position, the humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) of Hiroo is moderated by East Asian standards. Summers are cooled by the ocean and cloudy weather, whereas the influence of the Siberian landmass drops temperatures in winter. Due to the ice-free nature of the ocean, Hiroo stays narrowly above freezing during days, whereas nights regularly drop beneath -10C.
Hiroo's mascots are and .[2] [3]
The Port of Tokachi, located in Hiroo, is a major shipping port for the Tokachi area. Customs facilities opened at the port in 1999, and a Marubeni-led consortium opened Hokkaido's largest feed terminal facility at the port in 2010.
Hiroo's primary transport connections are Japan National Route 236 and Japan National Route 336. It is the planned terminus of the Obihiro-Hiroo Expressway, which currently ends in the town of Taiki. There is scheduled bus service to Obihiro (2 hours) and Sapporo (4.5 hours).[4]
The closest airport is Tokachi-Obihiro Airport, about one hour away by car. The airport has multiple daily flights to Tokyo-Haneda.
Hiroo was connected to Obihiro by rail until 1987, but currently has no rail service. The closest railway stations are Obihiro Station and Samani Station, each of which are two hours away by car or bus.