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

Shiribeshi Subprefecture is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The subprefecture's capital is Kutchan. As of July 31, 2004, the estimated population was 256,184 and the area was 4,305.65 km2. Geography Municipalities Mergers History *18 ...

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 ...

. Kyōgoku sits at the eastern foot of

Mount Yōtei is an active stratovolcano located in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is also called , "Ezo" being an old name for the island of Hokkaido, because it resembles Mount Fuji. The mountain is also known as and . It is one of the ...

(), an active

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

volcano which dominates the skyline of the town. The town borders the south ward ( Minami-ku) of

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 ...

, but car traffic from Kyōgoku must drive over an hour through the Nakayama Toge mountain pass to enter Sapporo. Tourists visit the town to drink the spring water in Fukidashi Park, where the water from

bubbles out of the ground. The town has a sister city relationship with the city of

Marugame is a city located in Kagawa Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 108,541 in 46101 households and a population density of 970 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Geography Marugame is located in north-ce ...

Kagawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Prefecture borders Ehime Prefecture to the southwest and Tok ...

Geography

Kyōgoku is mountainous, with several peaks above . The town sits between Mount Yotei to the east, and Mount Muine (), Mount Nakadake , and Mount Kimobetsu () to the west. The Shiribetsu River (), which emerges from

Lake Shikotsu is a caldera lake in Chitose, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is a part of the Shikotsu-Toya National Park. Geography Lake Shikotsu is located in the south-west part of Hokkaidō. It has an average depth of and a maximum depth of , making it the sec ...

to the south, runs through Kyōgoku between Mount Yotei and the western peaks in the town. The river eventually flows into 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 ...

Neighboring municipalities

* Ishikari Subprefecture: **

( Minami-ku) *

: ** Yoichi District: Akaigawa ** Abuta District:

Kutchan is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Kutchan lies slightly north of the volcano Mount Yōtei, and is approximately 50 kilometers west of Sapporo. The subprefecture government offices are located in this town, making it ...

** Abuta District: Kimobetsu **The town also borders

Niseko Niseko ( ja, ニセコ町, , ) is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. To Japanese people, Niseko principally refers to a mountain range and a municipal area. However, overseas the name has come to refer to a wider area o ...

and Makkari at a single point at the top of

History

Kyōgoku was first settled by the Japanese in 1897.

Takanori Kyōgoku Takanori (written: 貴教, 貴紀, 貴徳, 貴則, 孝敬, 孝紀, 孝徳, 孝典, 孝憲, 孝法, 孝則, 隆典, 隆則, 陽功, 聖典, 雅男, 崇典 or 鎬則) is a masculine Japanese given name. Notable people with the name include: *, Japa ...

(1858-1928) was a former noble of the

Kyōgoku clan The were a Japanese ''daimyō'' clan which rose to prominence during the Sengoku period, Sengoku and Edo period, Edo periods. The clan descend from the Emperor Uda, Uda Minamoto clan, Genji through the Sasaki clan.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)''Nobi ...

and head of the

Marugame Domain 270px, Kyōgoku Akiyuki 270px, Marugame Castle was a feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now Kagawa Prefecture on the island of Shikoku. It was centered around Marugame Castle, and was ruled throughout mu ...

Sanuki Province was a province of Japan in the area of northeastern Shikoku. Nussbaum, Louis-Frédéric. (2005). "''Sanuki''" in . Sanuki bordered on Awa to the south, and Iyo to the west. Its abbreviated form name was . In terms of the Gokishichidō system, ...

in present-day

Shikoku is the smallest of the four main islands of Japan. It is long and between wide. It has a population of 3.8 million (, 3.1%). It is south of Honshu and northeast of Kyushu. Shikoku's ancient names include ''Iyo-no-futana-shima'' (), '' ...

. Kyōgoku was given permission to set up an agricultural operation in the area, as part of Kutchan.History entry at Namara Hokkaido
/ref> * 1898,1899,1900 - Three waves of settlement from

Ishikawa Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,140,573 (31 October 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,186 km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Prefecture borders Toyama Prefecture to ...

and

Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 1,044,588 (1 June 2019) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...

* 1910 - With a population of 6,783, the new settlement becomes a separate village called Higashikutchan. * 1940 - The village is renamed Kyōgoku. * 1962 - Kyōgoku becomes a

Transportation

Public transport

Kyōgoku is not connected by rail to other areas of Hokkaido. The town was formerly a stop on the

Japanese National Railways The abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pref ...

(JR) Iburi Line which ceased operation in 1986.

Highways

Japan National Route 227 National Route 227 is a national highway of Japan connecting Hakodate, Hokkaido is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estima ...

, a national highway of

, runs through the east of Kyōgoku and connects the town to

Hakodate is a city and port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of July 31, 2011, the city has an estimated population of 279,851 with 143,221 households, and a population density of 412.8 ...

and Esashi.

Education

Elementary schools: * Kyōgoku Elementary School * Minami Kyōgoku Elementary School (permanently closed) Junior high school: *Kyōgoku Junior High School

Annual events

* Town recreation day - summer and winter * Attakai festival - held in March * Fukidashi choral singing festival - held in July on the outdoor stage in Fukidashi park * Shakkoi festival - also held in July in Fukidashi park * Furusato festival - held during the Obon season in August on the main shopping street

Geography

Neighboring municipalities

History

Transportation

Public transport

Highways

Education

Annual events

Sister city

Notable people from Kyōgoku

References

External links