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 ...

located in

Hidaka Subprefecture is a subprefecture of Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The west side of the Hidaka mountains occupies most of the area. Hidaka is sparsely populated and has many of Hokkaido's natural resources. The governmental office is located in Urakawa. ...

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 ...

Geography

Hidaka Town is divided into two exclaves, which coincide with the former towns of Hidaka and Monbetsu. The town of Biratori lies between the two wards separating them. Hidaka Ward (Hidaka-ku) lies in the

Hidaka Mountains The are a mountain range in southeastern Hokkaido, Japan. It runs from Mount Sahoro or Karikachi Pass in central Hokkaidō south, running into the sea at Cape Erimo. It consists of folded mountains that range from in height. Mount Poroshiri ...

at a cross road leading to

Sapporo is a Cities designated by government ordinance of Japan, designated city in Hokkaido, Japan. Located in the southwest of Hokkaido, it lies within the alluvial fan of the Toyohira River, a tributary of the Ishikari River. Sapporo is the capital ...

, Furano,

Obihiro is a Cities of Japan, city in Tokachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. Obihiro is the only designated city in the Tokachi Subprefecture, Tokachi area. As of July 31, 2023, the city had an estimated population of 163,084. The next most populou ...

, and Biratori. These crossroads lead to Hidaka and Nisshō passes. Monbetsu Ward (Monbetsu-ku) lies on the coast of the

Pacific Ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest of Earth's five Borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Southern Ocean, or, depending on the definition, to Antarctica in the south, and is ...

at the outlet of the Saru River. A train line used to run up to Hidaka along the Saru River. The train carried lumber from the logging camps down to the coast. The train line is no longer used. The entire town has an area of . Hidaka ward has an area of and Monbetsu ward has an area of .

Climate

Transport

Rail

Hidaka was served by the

JR Hokkaido 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 c ...

Hidaka Main Line The is a railway line in Hokkaido, Japan, operated by Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido), between Tomakomai Station in Tomakomai and Samani Station in Samani, running along the coast of Hidaka Subprefecture. Services on the 116.0 ...

. However, no services have operated between and since January 2015, due to storm damage. Plans to restore this section of the line have been abandoned, due to declining passenger numbers and very high maintenance costs, and the section was officially closed on 1 April 2021 and replaced by a bus service. Stations in Hidaka: - - - -

Demographics

As of September 2016, Hidaka had a population of 12,596.

History

On March 1, 2006, the town of Monbetsu was merged into Hidaka.

Sports

Hidaka also has a ski slope called the Hidaka Skijo, which has 4 chairlifts and an onsen called Kogenso.

Art and Culture

There is also a ''Shonen Shizen no Ie'' Boys' Nature House.

Mascot

Hidaka's mascot is . Her name means "walnut". She is a squirrel who loves walnuts grown in the town. Her companion is who is a horse from Monbetsu. Tonekko-kun's designer is Hiroshi Kurogane.

References

External links

*
Official Website
Towns in Hokkaido Hidaka, Hokkaido {{Hokkaido-geo-stub