is a

town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

located in Okhotsk Subprefecture,

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 ...

. The name is derived from the

Ainu Ainu or Aynu may refer to: *Ainu people, an East Asian ethnic group of Japan and the Russian Far East *Ainu languages, a family of languages **Ainu language of Hokkaido **Kuril Ainu language, extinct language of the Kuril Islands **Sakhalin Ainu la ...

word ''piporo'', meaning "place of much water". Largely agricultural, the town is best known for the

Bihoro Pass is a town located in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. The name is derived from the Ainu word ''piporo'', meaning "place of much water". Largely agricultural, the town is best known for the Bihoro Pass, which has views over Lake Kussh ...

, which has views over

Lake Kussharo is a caldera lake in Akan National Park, eastern Hokkaidō, Japan. As with many geographic names in Hokkaidō, the name derives from the Ainu language. It is the largest caldera lake in Japan in terms of surface area, and sixth largest lake in ...

in the

Akan National Park is a national park located on the island of Hokkaidō, Japan. Along with Daisetsuzan National Park, these are the two oldest national parks in Hokkaidō. The park was established December 4, 1934. Akan is an area of volcanic craters and forests ...

. One of its attractions is

Bihoro Aviation Park is an outdoor aviation museum located in Bihoro in Hokkaido Prefecture in Japan. Aircraft displayed * ''JG-0505'' Beechcraft T-34 Mentor (Japan Ground Self-Defense Force) * ''52-0076'' North American T-6 Texan (Japan Air Self-Defense Force) * '' ...

, which contains a number of aircraft previously used by the

Japan Self-Defense Forces The Japan Self-Defense Forces ( ja, 自衛隊, Jieitai; abbreviated JSDF), also informally known as the Japanese Armed Forces, are the unified ''de facto''Since Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution outlaws the formation of armed forces, the ...

. As of September 2016, the town 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 20,920, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

of 48 persons per km². The total area is 438.36 km².

History

*1915: Bihoro

Village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

founded. *1919: Tsubetsu Village (津別村), now Tsubetsu Town, split. *1921: Part of Tsubetsu Village incorporated. *1923: Bihoro Village becomes Bihoro Town. *1946: Part of

Memanbetsu was a List of towns in Japan, town located in Abashiri District, Hokkaido, Abashiri District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. As of 2004, the town had an estimated population of 5,925 and a population density ...

Village (now Memanbetsu Town) incorporated. *1953: Bihoro song, Toru Takemitsu.

Climate

Mascot

Bihoro's mascot is . He is a gentle and shy black bull. He always sticks his tongue out whenever anyone praises him. His left biceps is shaped like the Bihoro Pass. He wears a sports scarf. This scarf (which resembled a river) contains energy to power his left biceps to give strength to lift or push stuff or to give an extra punch to his enemies. Without it, he will be weak. He eats vegetables to keep his biceps in shape. He has a father and mother, and . He likes taking walks but does not like hunting. His birthday is July 19.

References

External links

* *
Official Website
Towns in Hokkaido {{Hokkaido-geo-stub