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 ...

located in the

Sorachi Subprefecture is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, 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 J ...

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 lar ...

, Japan. Takikawa City is located in the central area of

, it is conveniently located between the cities 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 cit ...

(biggest city) and

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 ...

(the second biggest city). Takikawa has an inland climate which causes great temperature difference between summer and winter. The average temperature in Takikawa is about 19 degrees Celsius in summer, and –5.9 degrees Celsius (21.4 Fahrenheit) in winter. Takikawa is one of the snowiest locations in Hokkaido, the average amount of snowfall in the past 10 years is 7.77 meters (25 feet, 6 inches). Takikawa is also the biggest city in northern Sorachi, making it a hub for neighboring towns. Takikawa is situated between 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 V ...

and Sorachi River, about 60 percent of Takikawa is covered in greenery by either forest or agriculture farmland. Takikawa is surrounded by rich nature. As of December, 2016, the city has 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 41,306, with 21,561

household A household consists of two or more persons who live in the same dwelling. It may be of a single family or another type of person group. The household is the basic unit of analysis in many social, microeconomic and government models, and is i ...

s. The total area is 115.82 km².

Origin of the name

The name of Takikawa City originates from the Ainu Language Sorapuchi which means "area under the waterfall". Also, along the mid-streams of Sorachi River, there is a difference in level which creates a mini waterfall, so the Ainu people have called it Sorapuchipetsu (Taki no kawa) which translates to Waterfall River, since then, the area has been called Takikawa.

History

In 1890, under the ordinance of Hokkaido Prefectural Government, Takikawa Village was established to be a transportation hub to support the coal production of the neighbouring towns. *1890 - Takikawa Village opened. *1906 - Takikawa becomes a Second Class Municipality. *1909 - Takikawa becomes a First Class Municipality. Ebeotsu Village splits off. *1910 - Takikawa Village becomes Takikawa Town. *1952 - Ebeotsu Village becomes Ebeotsu Town. *July 1, 1958 - Takikawa Town becomes Takikawa City. *1971 - Ebeotsu Town merged.

Climate

Tourism

Festivals

*Lantern Festival - The event was founded by Igarashi Takenobu, an artist born in Takikawa with the goal of giving people the joy of crafting their own piece of artwork. It is an annual event that happens every Winter in Takikawa, and involves the hand crafting of lanterns by attendees *Nanohana Festival - Nanohana (English: canola flowers) is a local food festival where signature dishes of the region can be tasted. The specialty of Takikawa is

Jingisukan is a Japanese grilled mutton dish prepared on a convex metal skillet or other grill. It is often cooked alongside beansprouts, onions, mushrooms, and bell peppers, and served with a sauce based in either soy sauce or sake. The dish is particula ...

, a grilled mutton dish. The festival is held in Spring.

Places

*Takikawa Sky Park / Takikawa Sky Museum - Takikawa Sky Park is located along the river bed of Ishikari River. *Fureai no Sato-onsen - A public outdoor hot spring. *Takikawa Art and Natural History Museum - The museum contains both local and foreign art and artefacts. *Takikawa Regional History Center - A museum dedicated to the history of Takikawa. *Children's Science Museum *Maruka Highlands-Cloud Terrace (Unkai) - A hill with scenic views of the city, popular for its panoramas. “Unkai” is the Japanese word for "sea of clouds". *B&G Canoe and Yacht Center - Yacht and canoe rental and lessons. *Matsuo Jingisukan BBQ - A popular restaurant in the city that specialises in Jingisukan.

Transportation

*Takikawa is 90 minutes away by JR or by car from

New Chitose Airport is an international airport located south-southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. By both traffic and land area, it is the largest airport in Hokkaidō. It is adjacent to Chitose Air Ba ...

. Takikawa is 50 min away by JR or 75 min by car from Sapporo City. Takikawa is 30 min away by JR or 80 min by car from Asahikawa Airport. Furano is also just 50 min away by car. *

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 ...

: Takikawa - Ebeotsu *

Nemuro Main Line is a railway line in Hokkaido operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), connecting Takikawa Station in Takikawa and Nemuro Station in Nemuro, including Obihiro and Kushiro. Higashi-Nemuro is the most easterly situated station on ...

: Takikawa - Higashi-Takikawa *

Hokkaidō Expressway 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 lar ...

: Takikawa IC

High schools

* Hokkaido Takikawa High School * Hokkaido Takikawa Technical High School * Hokkaido Takikawa Nishi High School (Municipa

Sister cities

Tochigi, Tochigi is a city located in Tochigi Prefecture, in the northern Kantō region of Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 159,056 in 66,018 households, and a population density of 480 persons per km². The total area of the city is . Because t ...

Nago, Okinawa ''Nagu'', Kunigami: ''Naguu'' is a city located in the northern part of Okinawa Island, Okinawa Prefecture, Japan. As of December 2012, the city has an estimated population of 61,659 and a population density of 288 persons per km2. Its tota ...

* Springfield, Massachusetts, United States – an American city where

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...

was invented. It has 160,000 residents and is known as "The City of Homes" for its architecture.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Takikawa, Hokkaido Cities in Hokkaido