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 ...
in
Okhotsk Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It was renamed from the earlier Abashiri Subprefecture on April 1, 2010. Abashiri Subprefecture was established in 1897.
Etymology
Abashiri Prefecture was named after the subprefectural office ...
,
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. It is the most populous city and the commercial center in the subprefecture, although the subprefecture capital is
Abashiri
is a city located in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
Abashiri is known as the site of the Abashiri Prison, a Meiji-era facility used for the incarceration of political prisoners. The old prison has been turned into a museum, but the city ...
.
Kitami is physically in the middle of
Okhotsk Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It was renamed from the earlier Abashiri Subprefecture on April 1, 2010. Abashiri Subprefecture was established in 1897.
Etymology
Abashiri Prefecture was named after the subprefectural office ...
. The
Kitami Mountains
is a mountain range of Hokkaidō, Japan. Unlike much of the rest of Japan, the Kitami Mountains are not very seismically active.
The Kitami Mountains are north of the Ishikari Mountains and east of the Teshio Mountains. A depression separates ...
are nearby and are the main reason behind the city's name. The city is the result of the merger of Kitami,
Tanno,
Tokoro
is a small town, once was an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all f ...
and
Rubeshibe towns in 2006 administrative reform. Kitami developed mainly in commerce and industry/service industries, Tanno in agriculture, Tokoro in fishery and agriculture, and Rubeshibe in forestry and tourism on hot springs.
Due to the characteristics of the region, Kitami has the highest onion and white flower bean production in Japan. Scallop fishing also flourishes, which makes it the "birthplace of scallop farming" in the country. In addition, the region is home to historical and tourist places like the
Pearson Museum Pearson may refer to:
Organizations Education
*Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
*Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC
* Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation)
Companies
*Pearson PLC, a UK-based in ...
,
Wakka Wild Flower Garden, and
Tokoro Ruins
is a small town, once was an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all f ...
, which are listed as "
Hokkaido Heritage" sites.
As of November, 2021, the city has a population of 115,351, citizens in 61,793 households. The population density is around . The total area is .
Etymology
The name came as a suggestion of the Japanese explorer and cartographer
Matsuura Takeshirō
was a Japanese explorer, cartographer, writer, painter, priest, and antiquarian. During the late Edo period and Bakumatsu he journeyed six times to Ezo, including to Sakhalin and the Kuriles. In the early Meiji period he was an official in the ...
during the
Meiji Era
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization b ...
, when imperial bureaucrats were registering the place for initiating the region's development through the
Hokkaidō Development Commission
The , sometimes referred to as Hokkaidō Colonization Office or simply Kaitakushi, was a government agency in early Meiji Japan. Tasked with the administration, economic development, and securing of the northern frontier in what, at the time of e ...
. Before the imperial intervention, there was no
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 ...
name for the region.
The meaning of the name consists of the kanji's combinations of characters 北 (North) 見 (See) and 市 (City), which means "''City of the North View''". The reason behind this meaning is due to the region's mountains, which allow the view of the
sea
The sea, connected as the world ocean or simply the ocean, is the body of salty water that covers approximately 71% of the Earth's surface. The word sea is also used to denote second-order sections of the sea, such as the Mediterranean Sea, ...
and the russian island of
Sakhalin
Sakhalin ( rus, Сахали́н, r=Sakhalín, p=səxɐˈlʲin; ja, 樺太 ''Karafuto''; zh, c=, p=Kùyèdǎo, s=库页岛, t=庫頁島; Manchu: ᠰᠠᡥᠠᠯᡳᠶᠠᠨ, ''Sahaliyan''; Orok: Бугата на̄, ''Bugata nā''; Nivkh: ...
.
Originally, the name refers to a vast area between the
mountains
A mountain is an elevated portion of the Earth's crust, generally with steep sides that show significant exposed bedrock. Although definitions vary, a mountain may differ from a plateau in having a limited summit area, and is usually higher th ...
and the
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...
. Since the merger of Kitami City with the surrounding
Tokoro
is a small town, once was an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all f ...
,
Rubeshibe and
Tanno towns in 2006, it is often referred to as the area around the Kitami Basin, the so-called Kitami Inland Area, excluding the former Tokoro Town area in the coastal area.
Chronology
The Edo period
The
Edo period
The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...
is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the
history
History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the History of writing#Inventions of writing, invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbr ...
of
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 ...
, when Japan was under the rule of the
Tokugawa shogunate
The Tokugawa shogunate (, Japanese 徳川幕府 ''Tokugawa bakufu''), also known as the , was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005)"''Tokugawa-jidai''"in ''Japan Encyclopedia ...
and the country's 300 regional ''
daimyo
were powerful Japanese magnates, feudal lords who, from the 10th century to the early Meiji period in the middle 19th century, ruled most of Japan from their vast, hereditary land holdings. They were subordinate to the shogun and nominally ...
''. During this period, there is no registration of continuous human settlement in this place. The nearest populations were composed of
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 ...
Tribes. Nowadays, one of their old settlements has become the
Tokoro Ruins
is a small town, once was an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all f ...
. The history began to appear in the final years of the Edo period, as a result of the
Meiji Restoration
The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored practical imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Although there were ...
and the
Boshin War
The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperi ...
.
* 1856: Japanese explorer
Matsuura Takeshirō
was a Japanese explorer, cartographer, writer, painter, priest, and antiquarian. During the late Edo period and Bakumatsu he journeyed six times to Ezo, including to Sakhalin and the Kuriles. In the early Meiji period he was an official in the ...
passed over the region for the first time on the
Tokoro River.
Meiji Era
The
Meiji era
The is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.
The Meiji era was the first half of the Empire of Japan, when the Japanese people moved from being an isolated feudal society at risk of colonization b ...
is an
era
An era is a span of time defined for the purposes of chronology or historiography, as in the regnal eras in the history of a given monarchy, a calendar era used for a given calendar, or the geological eras defined for the history of Earth.
Compa ...
of
Japanese history
The first human inhabitants of the Japanese archipelago have been traced to prehistoric times around 30,000 BC. The Jōmon period, named after its cord-marked pottery, was followed by the Yayoi period in the first millennium BC when new invent ...
that extended from October 23, 1868, to July 30, 1912. In this period, the
Boshin War
The , sometimes known as the Japanese Revolution or Japanese Civil War, was a civil war in Japan fought from 1868 to 1869 between forces of the ruling Tokugawa shogunate and a clique seeking to seize political power in the name of the Imperi ...
was over and the short-lived
Ezo Republic
The was a short-lived separatist state established in 1869 on the island of Ezo, now Hokkaido, by a part of the former military of the Tokugawa shogunate at the end of the ''Bakumatsu'' period in Japan. It was the first government to attempt t ...
was conquered by the Japanese Imperial Army. Due to the risk of having new revolts in the border of the empire and the constant expansion of the
Russian Empire
The Russian Empire was an empire and the final period of the Russian monarchy from 1721 to 1917, ruling across large parts of Eurasia. It succeeded the Tsardom of Russia following the Treaty of Nystad, which ended the Great Northern War. ...
at the north, the imperial bureau started the mass colonisation of the region and the "Japanization" of the natives through forced assimilation and segregation.
* 1869 (Meiji 2): The Meiji government renames Ezo as "Hokkaido" and creates the
Hokkaidō Development Commission
The , sometimes referred to as Hokkaidō Colonization Office or simply Kaitakushi, was a government agency in early Meiji Japan. Tasked with the administration, economic development, and securing of the northern frontier in what, at the time of e ...
.
* 1872 (Meiji 5): The village of is founded, starting the process of settle in the region.
* 1882 (Meiji 15):
Hokkaidō Development Commission
The , sometimes referred to as Hokkaidō Colonization Office or simply Kaitakushi, was a government agency in early Meiji Japan. Tasked with the administration, economic development, and securing of the northern frontier in what, at the time of e ...
is abolished, and the first three prefectures are established in Hokkaido. This area belonged to Nemuro prefecture, one of those firstly created.
* 1897 (Meiji 30): 112 immigrants arrives and settle, which led to the substantial growth of the region.
* 1899 (Meiji 32): Is produced the first mint in the region.
* 1904 (Meiji 37): Rice cultivation begins.
* 1910 (Meiji 43): Train service arrives (then called the Ikeda Railway Line), connecting the village to
Sapporo
( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island of the country. It ranks as the fifth most populous city ...
, capital of Hokkaido.
Taishō Era
Taishō is a period dating from 30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926, coinciding with the reign of the
Emperor Taishō
was the 123rd Emperor of Japan, according to the traditional order of succession, and the second ruler of the Empire of Japan from 30 July 1912 until his death in 1926.
The Emperor's personal name was . According to Japanese custom, while reigni ...
. During this Era, the emperor wasn't capable of using his power due to
cerebral meningitis
Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion o ...
contracted in his childhood. Because of his personal limitations, the imperial government was led informally by an
oligarchy
Oligarchy (; ) is a conceptual form of power structure in which power rests with a small number of people. These people may or may not be distinguished by one or several characteristics, such as nobility, fame, wealth, education, or corporate, r ...
of notables called
Genrō
was an unofficial designation given to certain retired elder Japanese statesmen who served as informal extraconstitutional advisors to the emperor, during the Meiji, Taishō, and Shōwa eras in Japanese history.
The institution of ''genrō' ...
(元老). Thanks to this power vacuum, Japan developed a political system that allowed a liberal government, with the creation of political parties and a major role of the
National Diet
The is the national legislature of Japan. It is composed of a lower house, called the House of Representatives (Japan), House of Representatives (, ''Shūgiin''), and an upper house, the House of Councillors (Japan), House of Councillors (, ...
.
* 1914 (Taisho 3):
Pearson Museum Pearson may refer to:
Organizations Education
*Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
*Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC
* Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation)
Companies
*Pearson PLC, a UK-based in ...
is opened in the old house of the Pearson, an American couple of missionaries.
* 1915 (Taisho 4): Tokoro Village is created.
* 1921 (Taisho 10): Rubeshibe Town is created.
Showa Era
This
chapter of
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 ...
ese history corresponds to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (
Hirohito
Emperor , commonly known in English-speaking countries by his personal name , was the 124th emperor of Japan, ruling from 25 December 1926 until his death in 1989. Hirohito and his wife, Empress Kōjun, had two sons and five daughters; he was ...
) from December 25, 1926, until his death on January 7, 1989. This time represents the most intense changes in Kitami, Hokkaido, and Japan. In the beginning, the city started to specialise in the production of Mint, meanwhile, the Empire of Japan was under a militaristic
rule
Rule or ruling may refer to:
Education
* Royal University of Law and Economics (RULE), a university in Cambodia
Human activity
* The exercise of political or personal control by someone with authority or power
* Business rule, a rule perta ...
with expansionist actions that led to the participation of the country in the Second World War.
After the end of the conflict, Japan started to concentrate its economic efforts on mass industrialisation, which, in consequence, led Japan to the second most important economy in the world. Kitami had an industrial development during this progress and the city reached its highest population in the middle of the 80s.
* 1928 (Showa 3): Mr. and Mrs. Pearson leave Kitami and come back to the United States.
* 1934 (Showa 9): The
Japanese Red Cross
The is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.
The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with the Empress as Honorary President and other imperial family members as vice presidents. Its headquarters i ...
hospital is completed.
* 1934 (Showa 9): Kitami's Mint Memorial Hall is opened.
* 1939 (Showa 14): Kitami's mint production gets 70% of the world market and reaches its peak.
* 1942 (Showa 17): Kitami becomes a city.
* 1947 (Showa 22): 50th anniversary of the creation of Kitami City. Enactment of the Kitami City coat of arms.
* 1954 (Showa 29): "Kitami Commerce and Industry Festival" is held for the first time
* 1960 (Showa 35): Establishment of the
Kitami College of Technology.
* 1971 (Showa 46): "Kitami Winter Festival" held for the first time.
* 1979 (Showa 54): The population of Kitami City exceeds 100,000.
* 1983 (Showa 58): The 100th anniversary of the creation of Tokoro.
* 1984 (Showa 59): Kitami Cultural Center in the Kitami area opens.
* 1988 (Showa 63): Tokorocho Curling Hall (currently Tokorocho Curling Hall, Kitami City ) was completed.
Heisei Era
Is the
period
Period may refer to:
Common uses
* Era, a length or span of time
* Full stop (or period), a punctuation mark
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Period (music), a concept in musical composition
* Periodic sentence (or rhetorical period), a concept ...
corresponding to the reign of Emperor
Akihito
is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.
Bo ...
from 8 January 1989 until his
abdication
Abdication is the act of formally relinquishing monarchical authority. Abdications have played various roles in the succession procedures of monarchies. While some cultures have viewed abdication as an extreme abandonment of duty, in other societ ...
on 30 April 2019. Heisei's era was marked by turbulent politics and a prolonged economic slowdown. Since the economic downturn, Kitami never recovered its economic dimensions since the burst of the
Japanese financial crisis and its population started to slowly decrease until nowadays. In this era, the actual city administrative divisions were created.
* 1991 (Heisei 3): "Solar Challenge in Hokkaido" (solar car race) held for the first time (ended in 2003).
* 1996 (Heisei 8): Marks the 100th anniversary of the creation of Kitami.
* 1997 (Heisei 9): The "Kaoryanse Festival" is held for the first time.
* 1999 (Heisei 11): Hokkaido's
Japanese Red Cross College of Nursing
is a private university in Hiroo, Shibuya, Tokyo, Japan with an auxiliary suburban campus in Musashino, Tokyo.
History
Nursing education was started at the Japanese Red Cross Hospital in 1890. And The Japanese Red Cross Junior College for Women ...
is opened in the city.
* 2000 (Heisei 12): "Kitami Severe Cold Yakiniku Festival" was held for the first time.
* 2001 (Heisei 13): The
Pearson Museum Pearson may refer to:
Organizations Education
*Lester B. Pearson College, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
*Pearson College (UK), London, owned by Pearson PLC
* Lester B. Pearson High School (disambiguation)
Companies
*Pearson PLC, a UK-based in ...
and
Wakka Wild Flower Garden are selected as "Hokkaido Heritage".
* 2004 (Heisei 16): A record blizzard hits (snow cover , Ancient archaeological sites along the Okhotsk coast including the Tokoro archaeological site have been selected as " Hokkaido heritage ".
* 2006 (Heisei 18): Kitami, Tokoro, Rubeshibe and Tanno surges as City of Kitami.
* 2008 (Heisei 20): The first community broadcast "FM Okhotsk" opens.
* 2009 (Heisei 21): "Kitami Half Marathon" held for the first time.
* 2014 (Heisei 26): Kitami's daily maximum temperature recorded the highest value (37.2 degrees).
Reiwa Era
Reiwa
is the current era of Japan's official calendar. It began on 1 May 2019, the day on which Emperor Akihito's elder son, Naruhito, ascended the throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan. The day before, Emperor Akihito abdicated the Chrysanthemum ...
is the current
era of Japan's official calendar. It began on 1 May 2019, the day on which Emperor
Akihito
is a member of the Imperial House of Japan who reigned as the 125th emperor of Japan from 7 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. He presided over the Heisei era, ''Heisei'' being an expression of achieving peace worldwide.
Bo ...
's elder son,
Naruhito
is the current Emperor of Japan. He acceded to the Chrysanthemum Throne on 1 May 2019, beginning the Reiwa era, following the abdication of his father, Akihito. He is the 126th monarch according to Japan's traditional order of succession.
...
,
ascended the throne as the 126th
Emperor of Japan
The Emperor of Japan is the monarch and the head of the Imperial House of Japan, Imperial Family of Japan. Under the Constitution of Japan, he is defined as the symbol of the Japanese state and the unity of the Japanese people, and his positio ...
.
* 2019 (first year of Reiwa): On May 26, the highest temperature in the history of observation was observed in Kitami City at 38.1 C.
Towns and Autonomous Regions
Kitami is the result of the administrative unification of small towns with the main city, which was made in 2006. Thanks to this merging, Kitami is the biggest city in the
Okhotsk Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It was renamed from the earlier Abashiri Subprefecture on April 1, 2010. Abashiri Subprefecture was established in 1897.
Etymology
Abashiri Prefecture was named after the subprefectural office ...
. These small towns still exist as ''Autonomous Region Districts'' (自治区). There are 4 autonomous regions/towns in total.
City of Kitami
Translated as ''North View'' (北見), it is the main urban area of the region. The city flourished during the prewar era through the production of mint, which at the time accounted for 70% of world production. Nowadays Kitami is the commercial, industrial, and service center of the
Okhotsk
Okhotsk ( rus, Охотск, p=ɐˈxotsk) is an types of inhabited localities in Russia, urban locality (a urban-type settlement, work settlement) and the administrative center of Okhotsky District of Khabarovsk Krai, Russia, located at the mou ...
area. The government makes efforts to develop the city through an industry-academia-government collaboration involving universities and other higher education institutions that are also based in the area
Town of Tanno
Translated as ''Edge Field'' (端野) which is based in the native Ainu name ''nufu-un-keshi'' (''edge of the field''), the district is mainly a farm field with smooth hills and a rural landscape in the
Tokoro
is a small town, once was an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all f ...
river basin. The district has an educational zone with elementary and junior high schools, social education facilities, and parks in the main centre of the district. The rural landscape is also shaped by farms with urban convenience. In the last population survey (2005) the town had 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 5,425 and a
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 33 persons per km
2. The total area was 163.50 km
2.
Town of Tokoro
Agriculture and fisheries thrive in this district with abundant nature, including Wakka Wild Flower Park, where flowers stand out on the sandbar between the Sea of Okhotsk and
Lake Saroma
, also Saroma Lagoon, is a coastal lagoon (hence a body of brackish water) in Saroma, Kitami, and Yūbetsu Hokkaidō, Japan. It is located in Abashiri Quasi-National Park. By area, the lake is the third largest in Japan and the largest in Hokkai ...
. It has a year-round curling hall, which is one of the largest of its kind in Japan, as well as historical sites such as the Tokoro Site and the birthplace of scallop cultivation
As of 2004, the town had 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 4,885 and a
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 17.55 persons per km
2. The total area was 278.29 km
2.
Town of Rubeshibe
Translated as ''Legacy of the Detained Pistils'' (留辺蘂), the district is surrounded by thick forests at the foot of the
Taisetsu
The is a limited express service operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) between and in Hokkaido via the Sekihoku Main Line since 4 March 2017. The ''Taisetsu'' train service name was also formerly used for express services operate ...
mountains and along the Muka River. Its key industries are
White Flower (shirohana-mame) beans production, for which it boasts the nation's largest yield, and the forest products industry, which uses locally produced wood. As a tourist spot, Yama no Aquarium (Kita no Daichi no Aquarium) in the Onneyu Onsen resort is attracting nationwide attention with its unique display tanks
Before the unification with Kitami, the town had 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 8,704 and a
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 15.41 persons per km
2. The total area was 564.69 km
2.
Economy
History and actual situation
Kitami's first economy was the natural production of ''Mentha'' (
Mentha, Mint). During at one time (pre-war) the region exported
mint
MiNT is Now TOS (MiNT) is a free software alternative operating system kernel for the Atari ST system and its successors. It is a multi-tasking alternative to TOS and MagiC. Together with the free system components fVDI device drivers, XaAES g ...
(known as ''hakka'' locally) in a scale that represented the supply of 70% of the world's mint consumption at its peak.
Nowadays It is the most important city of the
Okhotsk region. Due to its size, Kitami is the main industrial and commercial pole of the region. The number of employees by industry is divided by 7.6% for the primary industry, 18.8% for the secondary industry, and 73.6% for the tertiary industry (2010). These economic proportions are comparable to major cities in Hokkaido but, in terms of primary industry, the percentage is higher when compared with other cities alike.
Agriculture
The extensive farmlands of the city are surrounded by grand nature stretches over 110 km east to west from the foot of the
Taisetsu
The is a limited express service operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) between and in Hokkaido via the Sekihoku Main Line since 4 March 2017. The ''Taisetsu'' train service name was also formerly used for express services operate ...
mountains to the
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...
coast. Abundant sunlight and fertile soil support the production of diverse produce, including rice, wheat/barley, potatoes, beet, beans and other upland crops, onions and other vegetables, as well as dairy products, beef, pork and other livestock products.Efforts are being made to produce diverse farm products by making the most of the climate and characteristics of each district. Clean agriculture harmonious with the natural environment is promoted by minimising the use of chemical fertilisers and synthetic pesticides to deliver safe, reliable and high-quality farm products to consumers.
* Onions
The total production of onions in FY 2019 was approximately 221,000 tons, accounting for roughly 25% of the total production of Hokkaido as well as being the largest yield in Japan. The total area of onion fields in the city is approximately 3,500 hectares. Farmers are busy transplanting seedlings in spring, and rows of large, plump onions fill vast fields in autumn.
* White Pea Beans
White Pea Beans are known as the “queen of beans”. These pure white, large-grained beans are used as an ingredient for the white bean paste in high-class Japanese confectionery. Kitami, which has a cool, inland climate, is ideal for cultivating white pea beans and is a major production area in Hokkaido. The large and tasty white pea beans produced in Kitami are distributed as high-grade beans throughout Japan.
Fishery
In Kitami, which faces the resource-rich
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...
and
Lake Saroma
, also Saroma Lagoon, is a coastal lagoon (hence a body of brackish water) in Saroma, Kitami, and Yūbetsu Hokkaidō, Japan. It is located in Abashiri Quasi-National Park. By area, the lake is the third largest in Japan and the largest in Hokkai ...
, open-sea scallop and fixed-net salmon/trout fisheries are among the city's key industries. Hairy crabs, sea urchin and flatfish are also caught, and
sustainable fishery
A conventional idea of a sustainable fishery is that it is one that is harvested at a sustainable rate, where the fish population does not decline over time because of fishing practices. Sustainability in fisheries combines theoretical discipl ...
is promoted. Scallop and oyster farming and Hokkai shrimp fishing are popular on the lake. The Tokoro Fishing Port is being developed to provide safer and more reliable seafood. With an eye on the conservation of the fishing ground environment, fishing operators are actively engaged in tree planting activities to grow forests.
* Scallops
The
lake Saroma
, also Saroma Lagoon, is a coastal lagoon (hence a body of brackish water) in Saroma, Kitami, and Yūbetsu Hokkaidō, Japan. It is located in Abashiri Quasi-National Park. By area, the lake is the third largest in Japan and the largest in Hokkai ...
is the birthplace of
scallop
Scallop () is a common name that encompasses various species of marine bivalve mollusks in the taxonomic family Pectinidae, the scallops. However, the common name "scallop" is also sometimes applied to species in other closely related families ...
farming. After many hardships, fishermen established propagation and culture technology to build the foundation of the Tokoro area as one of the world's leading scallop producing areas. The scallops grown in Lake Saroma and the Sea of Okhotsk are plump and sweet, and have an exceptional texture. They are distributed all over the world as a luxury food item.
* Oysters and Hokkai shrimp
From mid-October to the end of March, oyster fishing is popular on Lake Saroma. The oysters, which are small yet have a rich flavor, are highly valued especially for eating raw. Hokkai shrimp, which is shipped only in July and August, is mainly boiled in salt. With a saltiness that pairs perfectly with sake, moderate elasticity, crispy texture, and sweetness that spreads in the mouth, it is known as a summer specialty of the Okhotsk area.
Industry
Efforts to revitalise the local economy include the "cultivation" of new sales channels and the development of new products with higher added value to overcome the problem of logistics costs. Product development is promoted via inter-industry collaboration and by attracting enterprises to the Kitami Industrial Complex and Kitami HighTech Park, both of which make the most of local resources. Kitami Institute of Technology's Cooperative Research & Community Collaboration Center serves as a contact point for joint research with the private sector. The Okhotsk Collaborative Research Center and the Kitami Office of the Hokkaido Branch of the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation have been established as “one-stop service bases” to support R&D and commercialization in the local community. Measures to promote local industries, such as the enhancement of technological capabilities and the development of new products, are taken while strengthening industry-academia-government collaboration. There is important private enterprises installed in the city like
Kyocera Corporation
is a Japanese multinational ceramics and electronics manufacturer headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. It was founded as in 1959 by Kazuo Inamori and renamed in 1982. It manufactures industrial ceramics, solar power generating systems, telecommunic ...
and
Hitachi, Ltd.
() is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Chiyoda, Tokyo, Japan. It is the parent company of the Hitachi Group (''Hitachi Gurūpu'') and had formed part of the Nissan ''zaibatsu'' and later DKB Group and Fuyo G ...
Commerce
As the central city of the Okhotsk area, Kitami has expanded its retail trading zone in the last years. The commercial district in the downtown area, where retail, service and restaurant establishments are concentrated, has long been a place for interaction among citizens. Various events are held to make the commercial district more attractive. A new shopping zone formed in the suburbs has further livened up the commercial sector of Kitami. Lively and diverse commercial activities are promoted by making the most of local creativity while facilitating the participation of local residents in the development of a community. In financial matters, the annual sales of both wholesale and retail businesses in Kitami City are declining, and the number of business establishments and employees is also declining. This decline occur mainly due the
Japanese economic crisis,
faster ageing population and
urban exodus. In the tourism industry, there are about 1.5 million tourists a year, mainly in Lake Saroma and Onneyu Onsen. However, the total number of overnight guests has been around 450,000 a year, making it a so-called “passing-type” tourist destination.
File:Kitami street.jpg, Downtown of the City
File:AEON-Kitami1.JPG, An Aeon's retail store in Kitami
File:TOBU.EAST-MALL01.JPG, Tobu East Mall, one of the largest in the region.
Education
Kitami is home to the
Kitami Institute of Technology
is a national university in Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. Founded as the Kitami Junior College of Technology on 6 January 1960, it was chartered as a university (Kitami Institute of Technology) on 6 January 1966. In 2004, it became part of the Nation ...
, an engineering university that originally opened in 1960,
and the
Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing
or JRCH is a private university in Kitami, Hokkaidō, Japan, established in 1999.
History
The forerunners of Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing are the school of Nursing in Asahikawa (founded in 1923), Kitami (1939),and Kushiro (196 ...
, established in 1999 by the
Japanese Red Cross
The is the Japanese affiliate of the International Red Cross.
The Imperial Family of Japan traditionally has supported the society, with the Empress as Honorary President and other imperial family members as vice presidents. Its headquarters i ...
through consolidation of several other institutions.
The ''Kitami Central Library'' is the main library of the city. In December 2015, the library was relocated to a new building on the south side, making it easily accessible from the downtown area. The library has a collection of approximately 330,000 books and supports the learning of residents with a network of nine facilities in the city, which have 799,000 books in total. It provides an audiovisual area where DVDs and music can be enjoyed and a literature museum area that exhibits valuable materials of the poet
Mokichi Saito
Mokichi (written: ) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include:
*, Japanese religious leader
*, Japanese poet
{{given name
Japanese masculine given names
Masculine given names ...
. PCs and Wi-Fi can be used freely by residents and non-residents alike. New services such as e-books are also available.
Universities
National
*
Kitami Institute of Technology
is a national university in Kitami, Hokkaido, Japan. Founded as the Kitami Junior College of Technology on 6 January 1960, it was chartered as a university (Kitami Institute of Technology) on 6 January 1966. In 2004, it became part of the Nation ...
Private
*
Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing
or JRCH is a private university in Kitami, Hokkaidō, Japan, established in 1999.
History
The forerunners of Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing are the school of Nursing in Asahikawa (founded in 1923), Kitami (1939),and Kushiro (196 ...
High schools
Public
* Hokkaido Kitami Hokuto High School
* Hokkaido Kitami Hakuyou High School
* Hokkaido Kitami Ryokuryo High School
* Hokkaido Kitami Commercial High School
* Hokkaido Kitami Technical High School
* Hokkaido Rubeshibe High School
* Hokkaido Tokoro High School
Private
* Kitami Fuji Girls' High School
Festivals
*The Kitami Winter Festival, held annually during the 2nd week of February.
*The Kitami Bonchi Festival (Summer Festival) in early July.
*The Kitami Chrysanthemum festival in mid October−early November.
Mascots
Kitami's mascots are , , , , , and .
*Mint-kun and Pepper-chan are married squirrels. They ate so much food that they are rounded. Mint-kun likes to hack things (he once boosted 70% of the world market) while Pepper-chan likes fresh air. They represent technology and cuisine.
*Nonta-kun and Nonta-chan are farmers from Tanno. They wear red hat with wheat ears. Their faces looked like onions and their shoes look like rice. They represent agriculture.
*Matsubo is a pinecone from Rubeshibe. He loves shopping. His charms points are his scales and his eyes. He represents tourism.
*Tokoro-kun is a sporty scallop from Tokoro. He represents sports and fisheries.
*Ecolon is a seed (which resembled the recycling symbol) with wings. Her hair (seedling) can spin like
Doraemon
''Doraemon'' ( ja, ドラえもん ) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Fujiko F. Fujio. The manga was first serialized in December 1969, with List of Doraemon chapters, its 1,345 individual chapters compiled into 45 ' ...
's take-copter. When she flies by, everything turns green. She represents the environment.
Mass Media
Newspapers
*
Hokkaido Shimbun
The , which is often abbreviated as , is a Japanese language daily newspaper published mainly in Hokkaidō, Japan by . As of June 2022, its morning edition has a circulation of 8,40,000. It was first published in Sapporo in 1887.
See also
*liber ...
- Kitami Branch
*
Yomiuri Shimbun
The (lit. ''Reading-selling Newspaper'' or ''Selling by Reading Newspaper'') is a Japanese newspaper published in Tokyo, Osaka, Fukuoka, and other major Japanese cities. It is one of the five major newspapers in Japan; the other four are t ...
- Hokkaido's Kitami Branch
*
Asahi Shimbun
is one of the four largest newspapers in Japan. Founded in 1879, it is also one of the oldest newspapers in Japan and Asia, and is considered a newspaper of record for Japan. Its circulation, which was 4.57 million for its morning edition and ...
- Hokkaido's Kitami Branch
*
Mainichi Shimbun
The is one of the major newspapers in Japan, published by
In addition to the ''Mainichi Shimbun'', which is printed twice a day in several local editions, Mainichi also operates an English language news website called ''The Mainichi'' (previ ...
Hokkaido's Kitami Communication Department
* Hokkaido Construction Newspaper - Kitami Branch
Tabloids
* Densho Hato Kitami Headquarters, Rubeshibe Office
* Doshin information magazine "Mint"
* Gra Style
Broadcasting stations
TV
*
NHK
, also known as NHK, is a Japanese public broadcaster. NHK, which has always been known by this romanized initialism in Japanese, is a statutory corporation funded by viewers' payments of a television license fee.
NHK operates two terrestri ...
Kitami Broadcasting Station
*
Hokkaido Broadcasting
, also known as HBC, is a Japanese broadcast network affiliated with the Japan News Network (JNN). Their headquarters are located in Hokkaidō.
HBC was established on November 30, 1951; radio broadcasts officially commenced on March 10, 1952 ...
(HBC) Kitami Broadcasting Station
*
Sapporo Television Broadcasting
STV News Center "D・Tera・s"
is a TV station of Nippon News Network (NNN) and Nippon Television Network System (NNS) in Hokkaidō, Japan. Headquartered in Sapporo, the capital city of Hokkaidō prefecture, the TV station was established on ...
(STV) Kitami Broadcasting Station
Radio
* FM Okhotsk
Sports
Curling
The city has strong associations with the sport of
curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...
, inherited from the former town of
Tokoro
is a small town, once was an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all f ...
absorbed into the city in 2006. Interest in the sport grew following a friendship visit in 1980 by a curling team from
Alberta
Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...
in Canada.
An outdoor curling rink was built in Tokoro the following year, and it hosted the 1st NHK Cup Curling Championship.
In January 1988, the town built a dedicated 5-lane
curling
Curling is a sport in which players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area which is segmented into four concentric circles. It is related to bowls, boules, and shuffleboard. Two teams, each with four players, take turns sliding ...
hall, the first in Japan.
This eventually closed in early 2013, replaced by a new, larger, all-year-round structure.
Curling was introduced in schools in Tokoro as part of the
physical education
Physical education, often abbreviated to Phys Ed. or P.E., is a subject taught in schools around the world. It is usually taught during primary and secondary education, and encourages psychomotor learning by using a play and movement explorati ...
curriculum, and the two produced a number of Olympic curlers.
Five members of the Japanese curling team at the
1998 Winter Olympics
The 1998 Winter Olympics, officially known as the and commonly known as Nagano 1998 ( ja, 長野1998), was a winter multi-sport event held from 7 to 22 February 1998, mainly in Nagano, Japan, with some events taking place in the ...
in Nagano were from Tokoro, three members of the Japanese curling team at the
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially the XX Olympic Winter Games ( it, XX Giochi olimpici invernali) and also known as Torino 2006, were a winter multi-sport event held from 10 to 26 February 2006 in Turin, Italy. This marked the second t ...
in Torino were from Tokoro, and three members of the Japanese curling team at the
2010 Winter Olympics
)''
, nations = 82
, athletes = 2,626
, events = 86 in 7 sports (15 disciplines)
, opening = February 12, 2010
, closing = February 28, 2010
, opened_by = Governor General Michaëlle Jean
, cauldron = Catriona Le May DoanNancy GreeneWayne Gretz ...
in Vancouver were from Tokoro.
Geography
Kitami City is located in a mild valley close to the
Kitami Mountains
is a mountain range of Hokkaidō, Japan. Unlike much of the rest of Japan, the Kitami Mountains are not very seismically active.
The Kitami Mountains are north of the Ishikari Mountains and east of the Teshio Mountains. A depression separates ...
. This Mountains, especially the Mount Mikuni, is where the headwaters of the
Tokoro River are located. The river belongs to in-Mukagawa basin, which leads to the
Sea of Okhotsk
The Sea of Okhotsk ( rus, Охо́тское мо́ре, Ohótskoye móre ; ja, オホーツク海, Ohōtsuku-kai) is a marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. It is located between Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on the east, the Kuril Islands ...
. This course has more than 110 km of extension. Tokoro Autonomous Region district has its limits based in the course of the basin. Besides of the Sea of Okhotsk and Lake Saroma, there is the Abashiri Quasi-National Park, where is located the Wakka Natural Flower Garden. The park is listed as a Hokkaido heritage site.
Terrain and Mounts
* Mt. Mukayama (1,759 m)
* Mt. Mikuni (1,541 m)
* Kitami Fuji (1,291 m)
* Nikoroyama (829 m)
Rivers
*
Tokoro River
* Kunneppu River
* Mukagawa
* Nikoro River
* Komachigawa
Lakes
*
Lake Saroma
, also Saroma Lagoon, is a coastal lagoon (hence a body of brackish water) in Saroma, Kitami, and Yūbetsu Hokkaidō, Japan. It is located in Abashiri Quasi-National Park. By area, the lake is the third largest in Japan and the largest in Hokkai ...
* Lake Tomisato
Vegetation
* Mainly Wakka Primitive Flower
Climate
Kitami has a
humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...
with cold winters and relatively warm summers. The coldest month is January, with an average low of , and the warmest month is August, with an average high of . Kitami's inland location creates a larger temperature range than some coastal cities. Due to the mountains nearby, the
Foehn wind
A Foehn or Föhn (, , ), is a type of dry, relatively warm, downslope wind that occurs in the lee (downwind side) of a mountain range.
It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of ...
effect occurs in summer when prevailing winds are from the southeast, so that Kitami often has the hottest temperatures in Hokkaido during this season and averages about 5 °C (9 °F) hotter than
Kushiro
is a city in Kushiro Subprefecture on the island of Hokkaido, Japan. It serves as the subprefecture's capital and it is the most populated city in the eastern part of the island.
Geography
Mountains
* Mount Oakan
* Mount Meakan
* Mount Akan ...
. Traces of snow fall every day during the winter and cover is heavy, usually peaking at , though Kitami still receives less overall precipitation than any other town in Japan as it is shielded from the heaviest moisture from both the
Sea of Japan
The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it h ...
and Pacific Ocean. University of Tokyo's snow monitoring system is located in the city, which main coverage consist in the area of eastern Hokkaido.
Transportation
Highway
*
Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway
The is a two-lane national expressway in Tokachi Subprefecture and Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of December 2018, the expressway is under construction to connect to link to the Kitami Route of the Dōtō Expressway in Ashoro. As o ...
*
Bus
The Hokkaido Kitami Bus Company has a number of inter-city as well as out-of-city routes.
Rail
The
JR Hokkaido
The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a sm ...
Sekihoku Main Line
is a railway line in Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) between in Asahikawa and Abashiri Station in Abashiri. The name comes from the first Kanji characters of and , names of ancient provinces along the lin ...
that passes through Kitami reached the city on October 19, 1910, when the town was still called Notsukeushi. The largest station is
Kitami Station, with
Nishi-Kitami Station,
Hakuyo Station, and
Itoshino Station also located in Kitami.
Air
The city is served by
Memanbetsu Airport
is an airport in the Memanbetsu section of Ōzora, a town in Hokkaidō, Japan. The airport is close to Shiretoko National Park and consistently has over one million passengers per year.
History
The current airfield was opened in April 1985 ...
in the neighboring town of
Ōzora.
Sister cities
*
Elizabeth
Elizabeth or Elisabeth may refer to:
People
* Elizabeth (given name), a female given name (including people with that name)
* Elizabeth (biblical figure), mother of John the Baptist
Ships
* HMS ''Elizabeth'', several ships
* ''Elisabeth'' (sch ...
, New Jersey, United States. Signed on June 12, 1969.
*
Poronaysk
Poronaysk (russian: Порона́йск; ja, 敷香町 ''Shisuka-chō''; Ainu: ''Sistukari'' or ''Sisi Tukari'') is a town and the administrative center of Poronaysky District of Sakhalin Oblast, Russia, located on the Poronay River north of ...
,
Sakhalin Oblast
Sakhalin Oblast ( rus, Сахали́нская о́бласть, r=Sakhalínskaya óblast', p=səxɐˈlʲinskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subjects of Russia, federal subject of Russia (an oblast) comprising the island of Sakhalin and the K ...
, Russia. Signed on August 13, 1972.
*
Jinju
Jinju () is a city in South Gyeongsang Province, South Korea. It was the location of the first (1592) and second (1593) Sieges of Jinju by Japanese forces during the Imjin War. The Republic of Korea Air Force Education and Training Command is ...
,
Gyeongsangnam-do
South Gyeongsang Province ( ko, 경상남도, translit=Gyeongsangnam-do, ) is a province in the southeast of South Korea. The provincial capital is at Changwon. It is adjacent to the major metropolitan center and port of Busan. The UNESCO World H ...
, South Korea
*
Barrhead
Barrhead ( sco, Baurheid, gd, Ceann a' Bharra) is a town in East Renfrewshire, Scotland, southwest of Glasgow city centre on the edge of the Gleniffer Braes. At the 2011 census its population was 17,268.
History
Barrhead was formed when ...
, Alberta, Canada (Barrhead Town had a relationship with the former town of
Tokoro
is a small town, once was an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all f ...
. In 2006,
Tokoro
is a small town, once was an independent administrative division located in Tokoro District, Abashiri Subprefecture (now Okhotsk Subprefecture), Hokkaido, Japan. On March 5, 2006, the division, along with the towns of Rubeshibe and Tanno (all f ...
merged into Kitami city so Kitami takes over the relationship.)
*
Kōchi, Kōchi
is the capital city of Kōchi Prefecture located on the island of Shikoku in Japan. With over 40% of the prefectural population, Kōchi is the main commercial and industrial centre and the "primate city" of the prefecture. , the city had an e ...
, Japan
*
Sakawa, Kōchi
270px, Sakawa Town Office
270px, Rice terraces in Sakawa
270px, Seizan Bunko
is a town located in Takaoka District, Kōchi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 12,306 in 6036 households and a population density of 120 p ...
, Japan
*
Marumori, Miyagi
is a town located in Miyagi Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 13,092, and a population density of 48 persons per km² in 5,050 households. The total area of the town is .
Geography
Marumori is located in the extreme s ...
, Japan
*
Ono, Gifu, Japan
Notable people from Kitami
*
Jake Lee,
Zainichi Korean
comprise ethnic Koreans who have permanent residency status in Japan or who have become Japanese citizens, and whose immigration to Japan originated before 1945, or who are descendants of those immigrants. They are a group distinct from South ...
professional wrestler (Real Name: ''Lee Che-Gyong'',
Hangul
The Korean alphabet, known as Hangul, . Hangul may also be written as following South Korea's standard Romanization. ( ) in South Korea and Chosŏn'gŭl in North Korea, is the modern official writing system for the Korean language. The let ...
: 이 체경)
*
Shinya Abe
is a Japanese curler and curling coach from Sapporo
( ain, サッ・ポロ・ペッ, Satporopet, lit=Dry, Great River) is a city in Japan. It is the largest city north of Tokyo and the largest city on Hokkaido, the northernmost main island ...
, Japanese
curler and curling coach
*
Miz, Japanese pop/rock singer and actress (Real Name: Mizuki Watanabe,
Nihongo
is spoken natively by about 128 million people, primarily by Japanese people and primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language. Japanese belongs to the Japonic languages, Japonic or Japanese-Ryukyuan languages, Ryukyu ...
: 渡邊瑞枝, ''Watanabe Mizuki'')
*
Whiteberry, five-piece all-girl pop/rock band
*
Kosuke Aita
Kosuke Aita (born October 2, 1998 in Kitami, Hokkaido
is a city in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the most populous city and the commercial center in the subprefecture, although the subprefecture capital is Abashiri.
Kitami ...
, Japanese
curler
*
Takuya Furuya
Takuya Furuya (古谷 拓哉, born July 14, 1981, in Kitami, Hokkaidō) is a Japanese former professional baseball pitcher in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball. He played for the Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in J ...
, Japanese
professional baseball
Professional baseball is organized baseball in which players are selected for their talents and are paid to play for a specific team or club system. It is played in baseball league, leagues and associated farm teams throughout the world.
Mod ...
pitcher
In baseball, the pitcher is the player who throws ("pitches") the baseball from the pitcher's mound toward the catcher to begin each play, with the goal of retiring a batter, who attempts to either make contact with the pitched ball or draw ...
for the
Chiba Lotte Marines
The are a professional baseball team in Japan's Pacific League based in Chiba City, Chiba Prefecture, in the Kantō region, and owned by Lotte Holdings Co., Ltd.
History
The Marines franchise began in 1950 as the Mainichi Orions, an inaugural ...
in Japan's
Nippon Professional Baseball
or NPB is the highest level of baseball in Japan. Locally, it is often called , meaning ''Professional Baseball''.
Outside Japan, it is often just referred to as "Japanese baseball". The roots of the league can be traced back to the formation ...
*
Chinami Yoshida
is a Japanese Curling, curler. She currently plays Third (curling), third for Team Loco Solare, which is skipped by Satsuki Fujisawa. The team won the bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Ca ...
, Japanese
curler and older sister of
Yurika Yoshida
is a Japanese curler. She currently plays lead for Team Loco Solare, which is skipped by Satsuki Fujisawa. The team won the bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Career
Yoshida was a membe ...
*
Yurika Yoshida
is a Japanese curler. She currently plays lead for Team Loco Solare, which is skipped by Satsuki Fujisawa. The team won the bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Career
Yoshida was a membe ...
, Japanese
curler and younger sister of
Chinami Yoshida
is a Japanese Curling, curler. She currently plays Third (curling), third for Team Loco Solare, which is skipped by Satsuki Fujisawa. The team won the bronze medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics and the silver medal at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Ca ...
*
Akira Takase
is a Japanese footballer who plays for ReinMeer Aomori
is a Japanese football club based in Aomori, the capital city of Aomori Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colour is blue.
History
Founded in 1995, ReinM ...
, Japanese
footballer
A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association football, American football, Canadian football, Australian rules football, Gaelic football, rugby le ...
(
ReinMeer Aomori
is a Japanese football club based in Aomori, the capital city of Aomori Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colour is blue.
History
Founded in 1995, ReinMeer Aomori was managed by Aomori City Football Association p ...
) and older brother of
Megumi Takase
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a forward for INAC Kobe Leonessa in the WE League and the Japanese national team.
Club career
Takase was born in Kitami on November 10, 1990. After graduating from high school, she joined INAC Kobe Leonessa ...
*
Megumi Takase
is a Japanese footballer who plays as a forward for INAC Kobe Leonessa in the WE League and the Japanese national team.
Club career
Takase was born in Kitami on November 10, 1990. After graduating from high school, she joined INAC Kobe Leonessa ...
, former Japanese football player and younger sister of
Akira Takase
is a Japanese footballer who plays for ReinMeer Aomori
is a Japanese football club based in Aomori, the capital city of Aomori Prefecture. They play in the Japan Football League. Their team colour is blue.
History
Founded in 1995, ReinM ...
*
Sayaka Yoshimura
is a Japanese curler from Sapporo, Hokkaido. She is the skip of the FORTIUS curling team, which won the Japan Curling Championships in both 2015 and 2021. At the international level, she has represented Japan twice at the World Women's Curling ...
, Japanese
curler
*
Makoto Tsuruga
is a Japanese curler. He represented Japan at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where the Japanese team placed 5th. He was the skip
Skip or Skips may refer to:
Acronyms
* SKIP (Skeletal muscle and kidney enriched inositol phosphatase), ...
, Japanese
curler
*
Osamu Uno
thumb
is a Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party, a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature). A native of Rubeshibe, Hokkaido, raised in Tokyo and graduate of Rikkyo University, he was elected to t ...
,
Japanese politician
Politics of Japan are conducted in a framework of a dominant-party bicameral parliamentary constitutional monarchy, in which the Emperor is the head of state and the Prime Minister is the head of government and the head of the Cabinet, which d ...
of the
Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the
House of Representatives
House of Representatives is the name of legislative bodies in many countries and sub-national entitles. In many countries, the House of Representatives is the lower house of a bicameral legislature, with the corresponding upper house often c ...
in the
Diet
Diet may refer to:
Food
* Diet (nutrition), the sum of the food consumed by an organism or group
* Dieting, the deliberate selection of food to control body weight or nutrient intake
** Diet food, foods that aid in creating a diet for weight loss ...
(national legislature).
*
Tsuyoshi Ryutaki
is a Japanese male curler.
At the international level, he is a .
Teams
References
External links
*
Living people
1985 births
People from Kitami
Curlers from Hokkaido
Japanese male curlers