Bifuka, Hokkaido
# Bifuka, Hokkaido

Bifuka (美深町, Bifuka-chō) is a town in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town had an estimated population of 4,609 and a density of 6.9 persons per $km^2.$ The total area is 672.14 square kilometres (259.51 sq mi).

## Geography

Bifuka is located in a valley in the north central region of the island of Hokkaido. The town is surrounded by mountains. The Teshio River flows roughly northwest through Bifuka.

### Neighboring municipalities

Bifuka borders six other municipalities, which span Kamikawa, Okhotsk, and Sōya subprefectures:

* Kamikawa Subprefecture
   * Nayoro
   * Otoineppu
   * Nakagawa
   * Horokanai
* Okhotsk Subprefecture
   * Ōmu
* Sōya Subprefecture
   * Esashi

### Climate

Climate data for Bifuka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present) :

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Record high °C (°F) | 6.4 (43.5) | 9.9 (49.8) | 13.3 (55.9) | 26.7 (80.1) | 32.2 (90.0) | 34.0 (93.2) | 36.6 (97.9) | 35.9 (96.6) | 31.5 (88.7) | 25.7 (78.3) | 21.1 (70.0) | 9.8 (49.6) | 36.6 (97.9) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −4.1 (24.6) | −2.7 (27.1) | 2.0 (35.6) | 9.2 (48.6) | 17.4 (63.3) | 22.1 (71.8) | 25.5 (77.9) | 25.8 (78.4) | 21.4 (70.5) | 14.2 (57.6) | 5.3 (41.5) | −1.8 (28.8) | 11.2 (52.1) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −8.6 (16.5) | −8.0 (17.6) | −3.0 (26.6) | 3.8 (38.8) | 10.7 (51.3) | 15.4 (59.7) | 19.4 (66.9) | 20.1 (68.2) | 15.4 (59.7) | 8.5 (47.3) | 1.5 (34.7) | −5.3 (22.5) | 5.8 (42.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −14.7 (5.5) | −15.0 (5.0) | −9.0 (15.8) | −1.6 (29.1) | 4.3 (39.7) | 9.6 (49.3) | 14.5 (58.1) | 15.5 (59.9) | 10.3 (50.5) | 3.4 (38.1) | −2.4 (27.7) | −10.0 (14.0) | 0.4 (32.7) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −34.9 (−30.8) | −37.0 (−34.6) | −31.5 (−24.7) | −16.5 (2.3) | −4.3 (24.3) | −0.8 (30.6) | 3.3 (37.9) | 4.7 (40.5) | 0.6 (33.1) | −5.6 (21.9) | −19.6 (−3.3) | −28.3 (−18.9) | −37.0 (−34.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 81.0 (3.19) | 60.2 (2.37) | 60.2 (2.37) | 47.5 (1.87) | 60.1 (2.37) | 64.8 (2.55) | 121.1 (4.77) | 131.6 (5.18) | 136.2 (5.36) | 130.7 (5.15) | 139.2 (5.48) | 126.0 (4.96) | 1,158.6 (45.62) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 200 (79) | 157 (62) | 138 (54) | 46 (18) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 3 (1.2) | 111 (44) | 244 (96) | 899 (354.2) |
| Average rainy days | 19.4 | 15.8 | 15.6 | 11.2 | 10.7 | 8.8 | 10.3 | 11.1 | 13.3 | 16.9 | 20.8 | 23.7 | 177.6 |
| Average snowy days | 21.2 | 17.8 | 17.1 | 7.2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.3 | 9.7 | 22.1 | 95.4 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 42.5 | 66.3 | 108.4 | 150.2 | 181.1 | 162.3 | 148.5 | 140.1 | 134.7 | 111.1 | 48.1 | 26.5 | 1,319.8 |
| Source 1: JMA ||||||||||||||
| Source 2: JMA ||||||||||||||

## Education

Hokkaido Bifuka High School is located in the town.

## Museum

Bifuka is home to the Bifuka Sturgeon Museum, a small facility which maintains eight species of sturgeon. Sturgeon were found in the Teshio River as far as Bifuka until the Meiji Period.

## Transportation

Bifuka is served by the JR Hokkaido Sōya Main Line, which runs from Asahikawa to Wakkanai.

The town is linked with Route 40 linking Wakkanai and southern Hokkaido. Another route the Route 275 is also connected.

## Culture

### Mascots

Bifuka's mascot are Bifuka-kun (美深くん) and Mimi-chan (美深ちゃん). They are pumpkins who are best friends. Both wear hats made of birch trees. However, Bifuka-kun is a green pumpkin who wears a tie that resembled a sturgeon while Mimi-chan is an orange pumpkin who carries a bag that resembled a sturgeon.

