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

Shiribeshi Subprefecture is a Subprefectures of Hokkaido, subprefecture of Hokkaido, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The subprefecture's capital is Kutchan, Hokkaido, Kutchan. As of July 31, 2004, the estimated population was 256,184 and the area was 4,305.65 km2. ...

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 September 2016, the town has 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 13,210. The total area is 70.64 km².

History

Iwanai is one of the oldest towns in the region. Unlike many Hokkaido towns, it predates the

Meiji Restoration The , referred to at the time as the , and also known as the Meiji Renovation, Revolution, Regeneration, Reform, or Renewal, was a political event that restored Imperial House of Japan, imperial rule to Japan in 1868 under Emperor Meiji. Althoug ...

, having started as a seasonal fishing location c. 1450, and developing into a year-round village in the mid-18th century. (Its official founding date is 1751). Citizens of Iwanai whose families have been native for many generations have a peculiar "fisherman" accent to their Japanese, distinct to others living in the region. (Most Hokkaido citizens speak Kantō, or Tokyo region, dialect; their ancestors emigrated from the

Kantō region The is a geography, geographical region of Honshu, the largest island of Japan. In a common definition, the region includes the Greater Tokyo Area and encompasses seven prefectures of Japan, prefectures: Chiba Prefecture, Chiba, Gunma Prefe ...

in the late 19th century). A massive fire broke out in Iwani in 1954, partly due to the effects of Typhoon Marie, and destroyed most of the traditional buildings, as they were mostly wooden structures. Modern Iwanai is much more Western in style, although there are still extensive Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples intact or rebuilt in the traditional fashion. The town also has a large shrine festival held every July. *1897: Iwanai Subprefecture was established. *1900: Iwanai Town became a First Class Town. *1910: Iwanai Subprefecture was abolished and

was established in Kutchan. *1954: A massive fire occurred. *1955: Iwanai Town was merged with Shimano Village to form the new town of Iwanai. *1985: Iwanai Line was abolished.

Geography

Iwanai is located on the western of the

Shakotan Peninsula The in Shiribeshi, on the west coast of Hokkaidō, Japan, is a mountainous peninsula which projects some into the Sea of Japan. The Shakotan Peninsula forms part of the Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park. Geography The penin ...

. A part of the town is in Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park.

Neighboring towns

* Kyowa * Rankoshi

Economics

Today Iwanai still has a heavy fishing industry, along with farming in the local region. It also has skiing in winter. Although the local slopes are rougher than those of nearby Kutchan, the bay is visible from the slopes. The town is also well known in the region for its sushi restaurants.

Education

* High school ** Hokkaido Iwanai High School * Junior high school ** Iwanai Daiichi Junior High School ** Iwanai Daini Junior High School * Elementary school ** Iwanai Higashi Elementary School ** Iwanai Nishi Elementary School

Culture

Mascot

Iwanai's mascot is , who is an anthropomorphic Alaska pollack. His marks are "nejiri hachimaki" (a traditional Japanese headband), a "kuroi nagagutsu" (a black boot) and his mouth and always carries an asparagus as a weapon. His birthday is 9 August 1985. His siblings are who is his twin sister and who is his littler brother.

Sister cities

* Slavyanka, Primorsky Krai,

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Fukaura, Aomori is a List of towns in Japan, town located in Aomori Prefecture, Japan. , the town had an estimated population of 7,268 in 3553 households, and a population density of 15 persons per km2. The total area of the town is . Geography Fukaura is ...

Jōetsu, Niigata is a Cities of Japan, city located in Niigata Prefecture, Japan. , the city had an estimated population of 189,430, in 76,461 households with a population density of 190 persons per km2. The total area of the city was . Jōetsu borders the S ...

Notable people from Iwanai

* Tetsuo Osawa, cyclist * Chikara Tanabe, wrestler *

Ichiyamamoto Daiki is a Japanese professional sumo wrestler from Iwanai, Hokkaido. A former amateur wrestler at Chuo University, he made his professional debut in January 2017, reaching the top makuuchi division in July 2021. His highest rank has been ''maegashi ...

, professional sumo wrestler

References

External links

*
Official Website
Towns in Hokkaido Shiribeshi Subprefecture {{Hokkaido-geo-stub