is a

city A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

located in

Sorachi Subprefecture is a Subprefectures of Hokkaido, subprefecture of Hokkaido, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. As of 2004, its estimated population is 373,736 and its area is 6,558.26 km2. Geography Cities 10 cities are located in Sorachi Subprefecture: Town ...

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 ...

. As of 1 October 2020, the city 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 12,555 and a

density Density (volumetric mass density or specific mass) is the ratio of a substance's mass to its volume. The symbol most often used for density is ''ρ'' (the lower case Greek letter rho), although the Latin letter ''D'' (or ''d'') can also be u ...

of 15 persons per km². The total area is 865.02 km².

History

Ashibetsu was once a prosperous

coal mining Coal mining is the process of resource extraction, extracting coal from the ground or from a mine. Coal is valued for its Energy value of coal, energy content and since the 1880s has been widely used to Electricity generation, generate electr ...

city, its population exceeding 70,000 at its peak, but its population has fallen since the closing of the coal mines. *1893 - Satō Denjirō (originally from

Yamagata Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Tōhoku region of Honshu. It has a population of 1,005,926 (1 February 2025) and an area of 9,325 Square kilometre, km2 (3,600 Square mile, sq mi). Its neighbours are Akita Prefectu ...

) founds Ashibetsu. *1897 - Nae

Village A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban v ...

(now Sunagawa City) and part of Takikawa Village (now City) split off to form

Utashinai is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is Japan's smallest city by population. History Utashinai was formerly a prosperous coal mining city, but its fortunes has declined greatly since the closing of the coal mines. Th ...

Village. *1900 - Ashibetsu Village split off of Utashinai Village. *1906 - Ashibetsu becomes a Second Class Municipality. *1917 - Kuhara Mining Industry Yuya Ashibetu Coal Mine opened. *1923 - First Class Municipality. *1924 - Mitsubishi Mining Industry Ashibetsu Coal Mine opened. *1935 - Meiji Mining Industry Meiji-Kamiashibetsu Coal Mine opened. *1938 - Ashibetsu-Takane Colliery Takane Mining Station opened. *1941 - Ashibetsu Village becomes Ashibetsu Town. *1943 - Mitsui-Ashibetsu Mining Industry Mitsui-Ashibetsu Coal Mine opened. *1953 - Ashibetsu Town becomes Ashibetsu City. *1963 - Meiji Mining Industry Meiji-Kamiashibetsu Coal Mine closed. *1964 - Mitsubishi Mining Industry Ashibetsu Coal Mine closed. *1967 - Ashibetsu-Takane Colliery Takane Mining Station closed. *1969 - Yuya Mining Industry Yuya Ashibetu Coal Mine closed. *1992 - Mitsui-Ashibetsu Mining Industry Mitsui-Ashibetsu Coal Mine closed. *1991 - Canadian World Park opened. *1997 - Canadian World business failure (to become a municipal park).

Geography

Ashibetsu is in the northern part of

Yūbari Mountains is a mountain range of Hokkaido, Japan. Part of this range is protected by the . Geology The Yūbari Mountains continue the north–south line begun by the Teshio Mountains. The mountains are the result of the collision between the Kurile Isl ...

Mount Ashibetsu is a mountain located on the border between Ashibetsu and Furano, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is part of the Yūbari Mountains is a mountain range of Hokkaido, Japan. Part of this range is protected by the . Geology The Yūbari Mountains continu ...

is south of the city.

Name

There are two theories about the origin of "Ashibetsu". In both theories the name means Ashibetsu River, which flows through the city. * "as pet", the river that flows in a shrub * "hasi pet", the standing river

Locations of interest

*The Hokkaido Kannon is the third-tallest statue in Japan and is the tenth-tallest in the world. It was considered the tallest statue in the world when it opened in 1989 at , holding the world record until 1991. *Canadian World is a scale model of the Canadian seaside village of Avonlea, the setting of ''

Anne of Green Gables ''Anne of Green Gables'' is a 1908 novel by Canadian author Lucy Maud Montgomery (published as L. M. Montgomery). Written for all ages, it has been considered a classic children's novel since the mid-20th century. Set in the late 19th century, t ...

.'' It was built in 1990, which is said to be the origin of the

sister city A sister city or a twin town relationship is a form of legal or social agreement between two geographically and politically distinct localities for the purpose of promoting cultural and commercial ties. While there are early examples of inte ...

relationship between Ashibetsu and

Charlottetown Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County, Prince Edward Island, Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlott ...

, the real city in Canada that Avonlea was based on. The park went bankrupt in 1997 and closed 1998, reopening in 1998 as a city-run park. It closed in October of 2019 and reopened in April 2020, and is now run by the Canadian World Promotion Association which operates the park independently after receiving the buildings and other facilities free of charge from the city.

Neighbourhoods

* Asahimachi (旭町) * Asahimachi Yuya (旭町油谷) * Ashibetsu (芦別) * Fukuzumichō (福住町) * Higashiraijōchō (東頼城町) * Honchō (本町) * Horonai (幌内) * Izumi (泉) * Kamiashibetsuchō (上芦別町) * Kawagishi (川岸) * Kita 1 Jōhigashi (北1条東) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) * Kita 2 Jōhigashi (北2条東) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) * Kita 3 Jōhigashi (北3条東) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) * Kita 4 Jōhigashi (北4条東) * Kita 5 Jōhigashi (北5条東) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) * Kita 6 Jōhigashi (北6条東) * Kita 1 Jōnishi (北1条西) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) * Kita 2 Jōnishi (北2条西) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) ** 3 chōme (3丁目) * Kita 3 Jōnishi (北3条西) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) ** 3 chōme (3丁目) * Kita 4 Jōnishi (北4条西) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) ** 3 chōme (3丁目) ** 4 chōme (4丁目) * Kita 5 Jōnishi (北5条西) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) ** 3 chōme (3丁目) ** 4 chōme (4丁目) ** 5 chōme (5丁目) * Kita 6 Jōnishi (北6条西) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) ** 3 chōme (3丁目) ** 4 chōme (4丁目) ** 5 chōme (5丁目) * Kita 7 Jōnishi (北7条西) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) ** 3 chōme (3丁目) ** 4 chōme (4丁目) ** 5 chōme (5丁目) ** 6 chōme (6丁目) * Koganechō (黄金町) * Minami 1 Jōhigashi (南1条東) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) * Minami 2 Jōhigashi (南2条東) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) ** 3 chōme (3丁目) * Minami 3 Jōhigashi (南3条東) ** 1 chōme (1丁目) ** 2 chōme (2丁目) ** 3 chōme (3丁目) * Minami 1 Jōnishi (南1条西) * Nakanookachō (中の丘町) * Nishiashibetsuchō (西芦別町) * Nokananchō (野花南町) * Raijōchō (頼城町) * Rokusenchō (緑泉町) * Shinjōchō (新城町) * Takanechō (高根町) * Takisatochō (滝里町) * Tokiwa (常磐) * Tokiwachō (常磐町) * Toyooka (豊岡) * Toyookachō (豊岡町)

Climate

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Ashibetsu has declined precipitously over the past half-century. Of the residents who remain, nearly half are age 65 or older.

Education

University

* Seisa University

College

* Kitanippon Automobile Technical College

High schools

Public

* Hokkaido Ashibetsu High School

Private

* Seisa Kokusai High School

Transportation

Nemuro Main Line is a railway line in Hokkaido. Following the closure of the Furano-Shintoku section on 1 April 2024 the line is operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido) in two sections, being Takikawa to Furano and Shintoku to Nemuro (including O ...

: Ashibetsu - Kami-Ashibetsu - Nokanan * Route 38

Sister cities

Prince Edward Island Prince Edward Island is an island Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. While it is the smallest province by land area and population, it is the most densely populated. The island has several nicknames: "Garden of the Gulf", ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

References

External links

Official Website
{{Authority control Cities in Hokkaido Ashibetsu, Hokkaido