is a
town located in
Rumoi Subprefecture,
Hokkaido,
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 September 2016, the town has an estimated
population of 4,634 and a
density of 13 persons per km
2. The total area is 369.64 km
2.
Mashike's main distinction is the
sake brewery
Kunimare, which is well known throughout Hokkaido. Mashike also has several fruit farms, and it is easy to buy directly from the farmers.
Mashike was the terminus of the
JR Hokkaido Rumoi Main Line which ran from , but the section of the line between and was closed on 4 December 2016, owing to declining passenger use.
Mashike has a small ski resort with only two lifts, although it is the biggest one in Rumoi District. Driving further up into the mountains from the ski resort is
and
Mt. Shokanbetsu (1491 meters). Camping facilities are available in the park.
Climate
Mascot
Mashike's mascot is who is a shy sailor seagull. He is known to protect anyone (especially children). His get his energy from eating shrimp, cherries, apples and sake. His charm point is his eyes which allows him to sense any incoming danger. He is unveiled on July 1, 1990.
References
External links
*
Official Website
Towns in Hokkaido
{{Hokkaido-geo-stub