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

Oshima Subprefecture is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. As of 2004 it had a population of 456,621 and an area of 3,715.38 km2. Hakodate Airport is located in the City of Hakodate. Geography The subprefecture is located on the Oshima Penins ...

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 total area of the town is . As of September 2016, the town had a population of 16,299, and a population density of 44 persons per km². Mount Komagatake, an active volcano, is located to the east of Mori, and much of the town is part of Ōnuma Quasi-National Park. Mori is the home of

ikameshi is a Japanese dish of rice-filled squid. It is a regional dish from the Oshima area of Hokkaidō. Preparation Ikameshi is prepared by removing tentacles from and gutting the squid, which is then stuffed with washed rice and cooked in dashi. To ...

, a squid and rice dish invented in the mid-20th century.

Etymology

The name of the town originates from the word "Oniushi", meaning "a forested area" in the

Ainu language Ainu (, ), or more precisely Hokkaido Ainu, is a language spoken by a few elderly members of the Ainu people on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. It is a member of the Ainu language family, itself considered a language family isolate ...

. In the

Japanese language 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 or Japanese- Ryukyuan language family. There have been ma ...

the name of the town is written as , meaning ''forest''. The suffix "", denoting town status in Japan, is pronounced as ''-chō'' in every municipality of Hokkaido with the exception of Mori, where it is read as ''-machi''.

Geography

Mori sits on the eastern coast of the

Oshima Peninsula The Oshima Peninsula (渡島半島 ''Oshima-hantō'') is the southernmost part of Hokkaidō, the northernmost of the Japanese islands. Where the peninsula starts is open to interpretation. A more generous interpretation is to draw a line southe ...

and overlooks

Uchiura Bay The or is a bay southeast of the island of Hokkaido in northern Japan. It has also been known as Iburi Bay and Volcano Bay. History The shoreline of Uchiura Bay was first settled by the Jōmon people as early as 4000 BC. Trade settlements have ...

( in diameter). The bay, also known as Funka Bay, is rich in

squid True squid are molluscs with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight arms, and two tentacles in the superorder Decapodiformes, though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also called squid despite not strictly fitting t ...

and is the site 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 ...

aquaculture Aquaculture (less commonly spelled aquiculture), also known as aquafarming, is the controlled cultivation ("farming") of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, mollusks, algae and other organisms of value such as aquatic plants (e.g. lot ...

, both a mainstay of the town economy. Much of the town of Mori is mountainous or hilly.

Hokkaidō Komagatake , also , , or just is a andesitic stratovolcano on the border between Mori, Shikabe, and Nanae, all within the Oshima Subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan. Occurrence of volcanic activity started some 30,000 years ago. Following roughly 5,00 ...

is an active

andesitic Andesite () is a volcanic rock of intermediate composition. In a general sense, it is the intermediate type between silica-poor basalt and silica-rich rhyolite. It is fine-grained (aphanitic) to porphyritic in texture, and is composed predomina ...

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 ...

on the east of Mori where the town borders the nearby municipalities of Shikabe and Nanae. Major eruptions of Komagatake are recorded as early as 1640, and ash fallout from the volcano is frequent.

Mount Gujin Mount is often used as part of the name of specific mountains, e.g. Mount Everest. Mount or Mounts may also refer to: Places * Mount, Cornwall, a village in Warleggan parish, England * Mount, Perranzabuloe, a hamlet in Perranzabuloe parish, ...

(1,113) sits to the west. Volcanic ash from Komagatake covers the town and provides a rich soil for vegetable cultivation. Mori is crossed by several small rivers, including the Torizaki River (), Oshironai River(),

Katsura River The is a continuation of two other rivers, the Hozu River, a small, speedy river which begins in the mountains near Kameoka and then slithers through the mountains separating Kameoka and Kyoto; and the Ōi River (大堰川 ''Ōi-gawa''), which ...

(), Nigori River (), Shukunobe River (), and the 茂無部川 (). Mori, along with the town of Nanae, shares a coastline on Lake Ōnuma (). Ōnuma, connected to Lake Konuma in Nanae, is technically a shallow pond. Ōnuma and Konuma, which sit at the southern foot of Mount Komagatake, were created when

mudflow A mudflow or mud flow is a form of mass wasting involving fast-moving flow of debris that has become liquified by the addition of water. Such flows can move at speeds ranging from 3 meters/minute to 5 meters/second. Mudflows contain a significa ...

s from an eruption of the mountain dammed the Orito River. Komagatake, as well as Ōnuma and Konuma, are protected as part of Ōnuma Quasi-National Park (), which covers much of eastern Mori. The park is home to

alpine plant Alpine plants are plants that grow in an alpine climate, which occurs at high elevation and above the tree line. There are many different plant species and taxa that grow as a plant community in these alpine tundra. These include perennial grasses, ...

species such as ''iwabukuro'', a flowering plant of the family

Scrophulariaceae The Scrophulariaceae are a family of flowering plants, commonly known as the figwort family. The plants are annual and perennial herbs, as well as shrubs. Flowers have bilateral (zygomorphic) or rarely radial (actinomorphic) symmetry. The Scr ...

, and ''urajirotade'', a flowering plant of the family

Polygonaceae The Polygonaceae are a family of flowering plants known informally as the knotweed family or smartweed—buckwheat family in the United States. The name is based on the genus ''Polygonum'', and was first used by Antoine Laurent de Jussieu in 1789 ...

. The middle reaches of Komagatake is home to stands of broadleaf trees, including ''mineyanagi'', a species of

willow Willows, also called sallows and osiers, from the genus ''Salix'', comprise around 400 speciesMabberley, D.J. 1997. The Plant Book, Cambridge University Press #2: Cambridge. of typically deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist s ...

, ''doronoki'', a

Populus ''Populus'' is a genus of 25–30 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar (), aspen, and cottonwood. The we ...

species, birches, and ''mizunara'', a species of

oak An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus ''Quercus'' (; Latin "oak tree") of the beech family, Fagaceae. There are approximately 500 extant species of oaks. The common name "oak" also appears in the names of species in related genera, notably ''L ...

. Ōnuma is home to watershields,

carp Carp are various species of oily freshwater fish from the family Cyprinidae, a very large group of fish native to Europe and Asia. While carp is consumed in many parts of the world, they are generally considered an invasive species in parts of ...

, and wakasagi, a species of

smelt Smelt may refer to: * Smelting, chemical process * The common name of various fish: ** Smelt (fish), a family of small fish, Osmeridae ** Australian smelt in the family Retropinnidae and species ''Retropinna semoni'' ** Big-scale sand smelt ''At ...

used in

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese: ) is based on rice with miso soup and other ...

Neighboring municipalities

The coast of

forms the northern border of Mori. The town is bordered by five other municipalities by land: Hokuto and Nanae make up the town's broad southern border, Shikabe and Yakumo make up its short eastern and western borders respectively. Mori shares a border with Assabu to the southwest, high in the Oshima Mountain Range. *

** Shikabe ** Hokuto ** Nanae ** Yakumo *

Hiyama Subprefecture is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan located on the Oshima Peninsula on the Sea of Japan side. It includes Okushiri Island. It was established in 1897. Geography Mergers History *1897: Hiyama Subprefecture was established. *20 ...

** Assabu

Climate

History

Mori was settled early in Japanese history as evidenced by the Jōmon-period

archaeological sites An archaeological site is a place (or group of physical sites) in which evidence of past activity is preserved (either prehistoric or historic or contemporary), and which has been, or may be, investigated using the discipline of archaeology and ...

now designated as the Washinoki Site. The town was settled by the Japanese in the 15th century. The settlement, like many other coastal areas of Hokkaido, was established as a

Pacific herring The Pacific herring (''Clupea pallasii'') is a species of the herring family associated with the Pacific Ocean environment of North America and northeast Asia. It is a silvery fish with unspined fins and a deeply forked caudal fin. The distribut ...

fishing base. Fishermen operating out of

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 ...

noted the richness of herring in the Mori area, and soon established a base in Mori. The base became the village of Washinoki, and was administered as part of

Kōbō Abe , pen name of , was a Japanese writer, playwright, musician, photographer, and inventor. He is best known for his 1962 novel '' The Woman in the Dunes'' that was made into an award-winning film by Hiroshi Teshigahara in 1964. Abe has often bee ...

(1836 – 1908), a

samurai were the hereditary military nobility and officer caste of medieval and early-modern Japan from the late 12th century until their abolition in 1876. They were the well-paid retainers of the '' daimyo'' (the great feudal landholders). They h ...

and naval commander 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 ...

, lost the capitol at

Edo Edo ( ja, , , "bay-entrance" or "estuary"), also romanized as Jedo, Yedo or Yeddo, is the former name of Tokyo. Edo, formerly a ''jōkamachi'' (castle town) centered on Edo Castle located in Musashi Province, became the ''de facto'' capital of ...

to forces loyal to the

Meiji Emperor , also called or , was the 122nd emperor of Japan according to the traditional order of succession. Reigning from 13 February 1867 to his death, he was the first monarch of the Empire of Japan and presided over the Meiji era. He was the figure ...

as 1868 as part of 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 ...

(1868 – 1869). Enomoto fled from Edo and landed his fleet of eight steam warships, the remainder of the Tokugawa Navy, a Washinoki en route to establishing a base at

. The present-day town of Mori became part of Enomoto's

Republic of Ezo 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 ...

. Enomoto and the republic were soon defeated in the

Naval Battle of Hakodate The was fought from 4 to 10 May 1869, between the remnants of the Tokugawa shogunate navy, consolidated into the armed forces of the rebel Ezo Republic, and the newly formed Imperial Japanese Navy. It was one of the last stages of Battle of H ...

(1869), and all of Hokkaido, including the villages of Mori, came under the rule of the central Japanese government. Mori was incorporated as a town in 1921. A great fire broke out in the town in 1961 and half of Mori was burned, with 554 homes destroyed . The town of Sawara (from Kayabe District) was merged into Mori on April 1, 2005.

Economy

The fishing industry of Mori focuses on the

s. The volcanic ash from Mount Komagatake has created a rich soil for fruit and vegetable production in Mori. The town is noted for its production of melons, tomatoes, pumpkins and prunes. Sawara is noted for its production of blueberries and at the town's Michi No Eki, you can sample blueberry jam and ice cream.

Transportation

Rail

Mori is connected by rail via 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 ...

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 ...

, which connects

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 ...

, and continues to

Asahikawa is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo. It has been a core city since April 1, 2000. The city is currently well known for the Asahiy ...

in north-central Hokkaido. Stations along the Hakodate Main Line in Mori were completed between 1903 and 1904. Mori Station serves the central business and administrative district of the town. The Sawara Branch Line, which runs between Mori Station and

Ōnuma Station is a railway station on the Hakodate Main Line located in Nanae, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is operated by JR Hokkaido and has the station number "H68". Lines The station is served by the Hakodate Main Line and is located 27.0 km from the start ...

in Nanae, serves several small stations in the Sawara area. Stations along the Hakodate Main Line in Mori were completed in 1945. *Hakodate Main Line **Stations: Akaigawa -- Komagatake -- Higashiyama -- Himekawa—Mori -- Katsuragawa -- Ishiya -- Hon-Ishikura -- Ishikura *Sawara Branch Line **Stations: Oshima-Mumajiri -- Oshima-Sawara -- Kakarima -- Oshironai -- Higashi-Mori—Mori Station

Highways

Japan National Route 5 is a major highway on the island and prefecture of Hokkaido in northern Japan. The highway begins at an intersection with National Routes 279 and 278 in Hakodate. It travels north across the southern half of the island, traveling through Ot ...

, a national highway of

, runs through the town and is the main highway to Hakodate with the rest of Hokkaido. Route 5 runs north through Yakumo and Oshamanbe and then veers east towards the Shakotan peninsula and into the town

Otaru is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical buildings, Otaru is a popular tou ...

before connecting to Sapporo. Japan National Route 229 was completed in 1971.

Culture and cuisine

Festivals

The annual town ''

matsuri Japanese festivals are traditional festive occasions often celebrated with dance and music in Japan. Many festivals have their roots in Traditional Chinese holidays, traditional Chinese festivals, but have undergone extensive changes over time ...

'' festival of Mori is held in early August. The festival is associated with the Mori Inari Shrine, and includes the carrying of

mikoshi A is a sacred religious palanquin (also translated as portable Shinto shrine). Shinto followers believe that it serves as the vehicle to transport a deity in Japan while moving between main shrine and temporary shrine during a festival or when ...

throughout the central Mori district,

taiko are a broad range of Japanese percussion instruments. In Japanese, the term refers to any kind of drum, but outside Japan, it is used specifically to refer to any of the various Japanese drums called and to the form of ensemble drumming m ...

drumming, and stalls serving

ramen is a Japanese dish, Japanese noodle dish. It consists of served in a broth; common flavors are soy sauce and miso, with typical toppings including , nori (dried seaweed), menma (bamboo shoots), and scallions. Ramen has its roots in Chinese ...

and other Japanese cuisine.

Ikameshi

Mori is the home of

, a dish composed of squid cooked with rice inside. Mori Station

bentō A is the Japanese cuisine, Japanese iteration of a single-portion take-out or home-packed meal, often for lunch. Outside Japan, it is common in other East and Southeast Asian culinary styles, especially within Chinese cuisine, Chinese, Korean c ...

vendor Abe Bentōten invented ikameshi in 1941 as a result of food rationing during World War II.

Japanese flying squid The Japanese flying squid, Japanese common squid or Pacific flying squid, scientific name ''Todarodes pacificus'', is a squid of the family Ommastrephidae. This animal lives in the northern Pacific Ocean, in the area surrounding Japan, along the e ...

were caught in plentiful supply near Mori, and used as a way to ration rice. The Abe Bentōten store continues as the Ikameshi Abeshoten Co., a bentō and prepared foods company, located in Mori, with a shop at Mori Station.

Education

Mori is home to one high school, Mori Prefectural High School, a public high school operated by the Prefecture of Hokkaido. The high school was established in 1941 as a girl's high school run by the Town of Mori, but became a coeducation high school run by the prefecture in 1948. The Town of Mori Board of Education maintains two middle schools: Mori Middle School and Sawara Middle School. The town is home to six elementary schools. There are several empty elementary school buildings due to the declining population of the town, the most recent closings being Ishikura elementary school in 2017 and Akaigawa elementary school in 2011.

Services

Post

The town of Mori is served by four post offices. The main post office is in the Miyukichō district, in close proximity to the Mori Town Hall.

Local government

Keizō Kajiya (b. 1956), a graduate of

Ashikaga Institute of Technology is a private university in Ashikaga, Tochigi, 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 ...

and mayor of the former town of Sawara, was elected mayor of Mori on October 16, 2012.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Mori, Hokkaido Towns in Hokkaido Populated places established in the 15th century