280px, Mt. Arashiyama in Takasu is a

town A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

Kamikawa Subprefecture is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from ...

Hokkaido is the list of islands of Japan by area, second-largest island of Japan and comprises the largest and northernmost prefectures of Japan, prefecture, making up its own list of regions of Japan, region. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaidō fr ...

Japan Japan is an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean off the northeast coast of the Asia, Asian mainland, it is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan and extends from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea ...

. Translated into English, Takasu means "hawk's nest," the original Ainu name for the town. , the town had an estimated

population Population is a set of humans or other organisms in a given region or area. Governments conduct a census to quantify the resident population size within a given jurisdiction. The term is also applied to non-human animals, microorganisms, and pl ...

of 6,441 in 3071 households, and a

population density Population density (in agriculture: Standing stock (disambiguation), 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 geog ...

of 21 people per km². The total area of the town is .

Geography

Takasu is located in the central area of Hokkaido, the most northern island in Japan. The town is located in central Hokkaido, north of the Kamikawa Basin. It is a small basin surrounded by small hills. Roads are laid out in a grid pattern throughout almost the entire town. The Osarappe River flows from north to south and empties into the

Ishikari River The , at long, is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaidō. The river drains an area of , making it the second largest in Japan, with a total discharge of around per year. It originates from Mount Ishikari in the Daisetsuzan ...

at the southern end of the town.

Neighbouring municipalities

Asahikawa is a Cities of Japan, 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 cities of Japan, core city since April 1, 2000. The city i ...

Wassamu file:和寒東山スキー場.JPG, 280px, Wassamu Higashiyama Ski Resort is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 2,804 in 1459 households, and a population den ...

Climate

From late November to mid-April, Takasu experiences a heavy snowfall, with depths reaching 1.3 metres. Mid-January to late February is the coldest period, with minimum temperatures reaching as low as -30 °C. Summer temperatures occasionally exceed 30 °C; however, low humidity means that Takasu enjoys a mild and comfortable summer. Overall, Takasu experiences four distinct seasons. Winter brings a heavy blanket of powder snow; in fact, Takasu features the largest snow park in Japan. Spring sees the bloom of

cherry blossom The cherry blossom, or sakura, is the flower of trees in ''Prunus'' subgenus '' Cerasus''. ''Sakura'' usually refers to flowers of ornamental cherry trees, such as cultivars of ''Prunus serrulata'', not trees grown for their fruit (although ...

s and beach morning glory; summer provides a landscape filled with green, as harvest prospers; and the autumn brings the crisp red leaves of

Japanese maple ''Acer palmatum'', commonly known as Japanese maple, palmate maple, or smooth Japanese maple (Korean: ''danpungnamu'' []; Japanese: ''irohamomiji'' [] or ''momiji'' []), is a species of woody plant native to Korea, Japan, China, eastern Mongol ...

trees.

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Takasu is as shown below. The town is in a long period of sustained population loss.

History

The area of Pippu was part of Matsumae Domain in the

Edo period The , also known as the , is the period between 1600 or 1603 and 1868 in the history of Japan, when the country was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and some 300 regional ''daimyo'', or feudal lords. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengok ...

. In 1892, the area on the right bank of the Ishikari River in Kamikawa County, Ishikari Province, was made Takasu Village. In 1906, Pippu was separated from Takasu. On June 4, 1924, this Takasu Village was divided into three villages: Higashitakasu Village (currently Higashitakasu District of Asahikawa City), Takasu Village (currently Takasu Town), and Etanbetsu Village (currently Etanbetsu District of Asahikawa City). Takasu was elevated to town status in 1969.

Government

Takasu has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a

unicameral Unicameralism (from ''uni''- "one" + Latin ''camera'' "chamber") is a type of legislature consisting of one house or assembly that legislates and votes as one. Unicameralism has become an increasingly common type of legislature, making up nearly ...

town council of 12 members. Takasu, collectively with the other municipalities of Kawakami sub-prefecture, contributes three members to the Hokkaidō Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Hokkaidō 6th district of the

lower house A lower house is the lower chamber of a bicameral legislature, where the other chamber is the upper house. Although styled as "below" the upper house, in many legislatures worldwide, the lower house has come to wield more power or otherwise e ...

of the

Diet of Japan , transcription_name = ''Kokkai'' , legislature = 215th Session of the National Diet , coa_pic = Flag of Japan.svg , house_type = Bicameral , houses = , foundation=29 November 1890(), leader1_type ...

Economy

With an abundance of fertile land, Takasu has developed an agricultural sector centred on rice growing. Rice accounts for 80 per cent of Takasu's total agricultural product. In recent years, Takasu has been one of the eminent producers of Hokkaido ''Hoshi no Yume'' and ''Kirara 397'' rice in terms of quality and harvest. The next biggest industry in Takasu is the production of vegetables, particularly tomatoes. Takasu is the centre of production for a range of ''Ookami no momo'' brand tomato products, such as tomato juice and puree. It also ranks in the top 20 cucumber producers in Japan. Takasu is also home to one of Honda's "Proving Grounds". Honda tests new products to see how they stand up to the harsh winter conditions found in central Hokkaido. The other Honda development facility is found in Tochigi Prefecture. Honda not only test cars at the Takasu Proving Grounds, but bikes and snowblowers.

Education

Takasu has two public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school operated by the Hokkaido Prefectural Board of Education. Takasu has a domestic school exchange program with Takashima Town in

Nagasaki Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan, mainly located on the island of Kyūshū, although it also includes a number of islands off Kyūshū's northwest coast - including Tsushima and Iki. Nagasaki Prefecture has a population of 1,246,4 ...

. Since 1996 a delegation of ten students from each town visits the other, and stays with local families. The purpose of this domestic exchange program is to strengthen friendship and understanding between citizens in the two towns.

Transportation

Railways

The

Hokkaido Railway Company The is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group (JR Group), and is often referred to by its official abbreviation: . It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart ...

(JR Hokkaido)

Hakodate Main Line The is a railway line connecting the cities of Hakodate, Hokkaido, Hakodate and Asahikawa, Hokkaido, Asahikawa via Sapporo in Hokkaido, Japan. It is one of the trunk lines that is operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). The Sawa ...

passes through the southern end of the town near the Arashiyama Tunnel between Osamunai Station and Chikabumi Station, but there is no station within Takasu town limits. Konbun Station and Nagayama Station on the

Sōya Main Line The is a Japanese railway line operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in Hokkaido. The line connects Asahikawa Station in Asahikawa and Wakkanai Station in Wakkanai, and is the northernmost railway line in Japan. The name c ...

(both in Asahikawa City) are close to the town.

Highways

Dō-Ō Expressway

Sister city relations

* - Gold Coast, in

Queensland Queensland ( , commonly abbreviated as Qld) is a States and territories of Australia, state in northeastern Australia, and is the second-largest and third-most populous state in Australia. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Austr ...

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

. This relationship initially commenced in 1991, as a friendly relations agreement with the Albert Shire region of the Gold Coast. Upon the Albert Shire's amalgamation with the Gold Coast City, the relationship between Takasu and the Gold Coast was upgraded to an official Sister City Agreement in 1995.

Culture

Mascot

Takasu's mascot is . He is a hawk. He carries a flask of "Wolf's Peach" tomato juice in his blue backpack. He sometimes disguises himself as a snowman. He first appeared on 8 August 1995 as an unofficial mascot, before being promoted to official mascot in 2013.

Emblem and symbols

The Takasu town emblem was established on January 1, 1968, from ideas submitted by the local citizens. The town emblem incorporates four meaningful elements. Firstly, it is a modern representation of a hawk, the town's namesake, with wings spread in full flight. The oval in the centre symbolises a grain of rice, which is a major produce in Takasu. Finally, the single line making a circle symbolises the harmony and unity between the citizens, while the twist of the line represents the bright future of Takasu.

References

External links

*
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Takasu, Hokkaido Towns in Hokkaido Kamikawa Subprefecture