is a

city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

located in

Sorachi Subprefecture is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. As of 2004, its estimated population is 373,736 and its area is 6,558.26 km2. Geography Cities 10 cities are located in Sorachi Subprefecture: Towns and villages by district These are t ...

Hokkaido is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The la ...

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

. As of 2013, the city has an estimated

population Population typically refers to the number of people in a single area, whether it be a city or town, region, country, continent, or the world. Governments typically quantify the size of the resident population within their jurisdiction using a ...

of 24,768, and the

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the substance's mass per unit of volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' can also be used. Mathematical ...

of 89.2 persons per km². The total area is 277.61 km².

History

The name ''Bibai'' is derived from Ainu word "pipa o i", meaning "Place (swamp) with many

cockscomb pearl mussel ''Cristaria plicata'', the cockscomb pearl mussel, is a freshwater mussel, an aquatic bivalve mollusk in the family Unionidae. Distribution This species is native to northeast Asia and now also present in parts of southeast Asia. This large mus ...

s". *1890 - The village of Numakai was founded. *1925 - Numakai village became Numakai town. *1926 - Numakai was renamed Bibai. *1950 - Bibai town became Bibai city. *1982 - Bibai Dam was completed. At its peak, Bibai was a

coal town A coal town, also known as a coal camp or patch, is a type of company town or mining community established by the employer, a mining company, which imports workers to the site to work the mineral find. The company develops it and provides residen ...

that produced over a million tons annually. However, ever since the mine was closed in 1972, the city has suffered a slowly declining population.

Geography

Ishikari River The , at long, is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaidō. The river drains an area of , making it the second largest in Japan, with a total discharge of around per year. It originates from Mount Ishikari in the Daisetsuzan V ...

flows to west of Bibai.

Bibai Dam The is a dam in Bibai, Hokkaidō, Japan. The Bibai Dam is constructed along the Mikawa River and is part of the Ishikari River water system. Bibai Dam was Hokkaido's first multipurpose auxiliary dam project. It is a 35.5m tall concrete Grav ...

was built on the Bibai River, a tributary of Ishikari River. Lake Miyajima was registered as a wetland under the

Ramsar Convention The Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance Especially as Waterfowl Habitat is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable use of Ramsar sites (wetlands). It is also known as the Convention on Wetlands. It i ...

in 2002.

Climate

Education

High schools

* Hokkaido Bibai Shoei High School * Hokkaido Bibai Seika High School

School for special needs

* Hokkaido Bibai School for Special Needs

Transportation

Rail

Hakodate Main Line Minami-Bibai Branch Line used to run from Bibai to Minami-Bibai. *

Hakodate Main Line The is a railway line connecting the cities of Hakodate and Asahikawa via Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). The Sawara Line, a 35 km loop line from Ōnuma to Mo ...

: Minenobu - Kōshunai -

Bibai is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of 2013, the city has an estimated population of 24,768, and the density of 89.2 persons per km2. The total area is 277.61 km2. History The name ''Bibai'' is derived from Ainu ...

- Chashinai

Road

Straight line section of Route 12 is the longest in Japan. *

Hokkaidō Expressway is Japan's second largest island and comprises the largest and northernmost prefecture, making up its own region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō from Honshu; the two islands are connected by the undersea railway Seikan Tunnel. The lar ...

* Route 12

Culture

Mascots

Bibai's mascots are . He is a greater white-fronted goose. He is unveiled in 1986. is Mami-chan's assistant who is a

yakitori is a Japanese type of skewered chicken. Its preparation involves skewering the meat with , a type of skewer typically made of steel, bamboo, or similar materials. Afterwards, they are grilled over a charcoal fire. During or after cooking, th ...

References

External links

Official Website
Cities in Hokkaido {{Hokkaido-geo-stub