Ashibetsu
# Ashibetsu

Ashibetsu (芦別市, Ashibetsu-shi) is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of September 2016, the city had an estimated population of 14,260 and a density of 16 persons per $km^2.$ The total area is 865.02 $km^2.$

## 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.

* 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 88 metres (289 ft), holding the world record until 1991.

### 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

Climate data for Ashibetsu (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1978−present) :

| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| Record high °C (°F) | 7.6 (45.7) | 13.2 (55.8) | 15.5 (59.9) | 28.7 (83.7) | 33.0 (91.4) | 35.7 (96.3) | 37.2 (99.0) | 36.7 (98.1) | 33.1 (91.6) | 25.4 (77.7) | 20.9 (69.6) | 14.3 (57.7) | 37.2 (99.0) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −1.9 (28.6) | −0.7 (30.7) | 3.8 (38.8) | 11.4 (52.5) | 18.8 (65.8) | 23.0 (73.4) | 26.5 (79.7) | 26.9 (80.4) | 22.6 (72.7) | 15.5 (59.9) | 7.1 (44.8) | 0.1 (32.2) | 12.8 (55.0) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.4 (20.5) | −5.6 (21.9) | −1.0 (30.2) | 5.5 (41.9) | 12.3 (54.1) | 16.9 (62.4) | 20.9 (69.6) | 21.4 (70.5) | 16.6 (61.9) | 9.6 (49.3) | 2.7 (36.9) | −3.8 (25.2) | 7.4 (45.4) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −11.3 (11.7) | −11.1 (12.0) | −6.1 (21.0) | 0.0 (32.0) | 6.1 (43.0) | 11.8 (53.2) | 16.4 (61.5) | 17.0 (62.6) | 11.7 (53.1) | 4.7 (40.5) | −1.2 (29.8) | −7.8 (18.0) | 2.5 (36.5) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −26.3 (−15.3) | −25.7 (−14.3) | −23.8 (−10.8) | −11.2 (11.8) | −2.4 (27.7) | 1.8 (35.2) | 8.0 (46.4) | 8.4 (47.1) | 1.7 (35.1) | −2.7 (27.1) | −13.3 (8.1) | −21.1 (−6.0) | −26.3 (−15.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 65.3 (2.57) | 53.1 (2.09) | 59.4 (2.34) | 53.7 (2.11) | 66.7 (2.63) | 76.3 (3.00) | 122.9 (4.84) | 152.7 (6.01) | 142.8 (5.62) | 116.1 (4.57) | 128.3 (5.05) | 98.2 (3.87) | 1,141.6 (44.94) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 161 (63) | 140 (55) | 108 (43) | 14 (5.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 2 (0.8) | 67 (26) | 177 (70) | 666 (262) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) | 17.2 | 14.9 | 14.1 | 11.8 | 11.2 | 9.1 | 10.7 | 11.8 | 12.5 | 15.4 | 18.7 | 20.4 | 167.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 3 cm) | 18.3 | 16.2 | 13.3 | 1.9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.2 | 6.3 | 18.5 | 74.7 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 76.1 | 84.6 | 129.5 | 160.4 | 188.1 | 169.7 | 163.1 | 155.9 | 155.0 | 126.5 | 69.0 | 55.9 | 1,533.9 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency ||||||||||||||

## Education

### University

* Seisa University

### College

* Kitanippon Automobile Technical College

### High schools

**Public**

* Hokkaido Ashibetsu High School

**Private**

* Seisa Kokusai High School

## Transportation

* Nemuro Main Line: Ashibetsu - Kami-Ashibetsu - Nokanan
* Route 38

## Sister city

* Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Canada
