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 ...

. Kyōgoku sits at the eastern foot of

Mount Yōtei is an active stratovolcano located in Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Hokkaidō, Japan. It is also called , "Ezo" being an old name for the island of Hokkaido, because it resembles Mount Fuji. The mountain is also known as . It is one of the 100 Fa ...

(), an active

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a typically conical volcano built up by many alternating layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with ...

volcano which dominates the skyline of the town. The town borders the south ward ( Minami-ku) of

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 ...

, but car traffic from Kyōgoku must drive over an hour through the Nakayama Toge mountain pass to enter Sapporo. Tourists visit the town to drink the spring water in Fukidashi Park, where the water from

bubbles out of the ground. The town has a sister city relationship with the city of Marugame in

Kagawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located on the island of Shikoku. Kagawa Prefecture has a population of 949,358 (as of 2020) and is the List of Japanese prefectures by area, smallest prefecture by geographic area at . Kagawa Pr ...

Geography

Kyōgoku is mountainous, with several peaks above . The town sits between Mount Yotei to the east, and Mount Muine (), Mount Nakadake , and Mount Kimobetsu () to the west. The Shiribetsu River (), which emerges from Lake Shikotsu to the south, runs through Kyōgoku between Mount Yotei and the western peaks in the town. The river eventually flows into the

Sea of Japan The Sea of Japan is the marginal sea between the Japanese archipelago, Sakhalin, the Korean Peninsula, and the mainland of the Russian Far East. The Japanese archipelago separates the sea from the Pacific Ocean. Like the Mediterranean Sea, it ...

Neighboring municipalities

* Ishikari Subprefecture: **

( Minami-ku) *

: ** Yoichi District: Akaigawa ** Abuta District: Kutchan ** Abuta District: Kimobetsu **The town also borders Niseko and Makkari at a single point at the top of

History

Kyōgoku was first settled by the Japanese in 1897. Takanori Kyōgoku (1858–1928) was a former noble of the

Kyōgoku clan The were a Japanese ''daimyō'' and samurai clan which rose to prominence during the Sengoku and Edo periods. The clan descend from the Uda Genji through the Sasaki clan.Papinot, Jacques. (2003)''Nobiliare du Japon'', pp. 27–28./ref> The ...

and head of the

Marugame Domain file:Kyōgoku Akiyuki.jpg, 270px, Kyōgoku Akiyuki file:香川県丸亀市丸亀城 - panoramio (45).jpg, 270px, Marugame Castle was a Han (Japan), feudal domain under the Tokugawa shogunate of Edo period Japan, in what is now Kagawa Prefecture ...

, Sanuki Province in present-day

Shikoku is the smallest of the List of islands of Japan#Main islands, four main islands of Japan. It is long and between at its widest. It has a population of 3.8 million, the least populated of Japan's four main islands. It is south of Honshu ...

. Kyōgoku was given permission to set up an agricultural operation in the area, as part of Kutchan.History entry at Namara Hokkaido
/ref> * 1898, 1899, 1900 - Three waves of settlement from

Ishikawa Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu island. Ishikawa Prefecture has a population of 1,096,721 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,186 Square kilometre, km2 (1,616 sq mi). Ishikawa Pr ...

and

Toyama Prefecture is a prefecture of Japan located in the Chūbu region of Honshu. Toyama Prefecture has a population of 993,848 (1 January 2025) and has a geographic area of 4,247.61 km2 (1,640.01 sq mi). Toyama Prefecture borders Ishikawa Prefecture to the ...

* 1910 - With a population of 6,783, the new settlement becomes a separate village called Higashikutchan. * 1940 - The village is renamed Kyōgoku. * 1962 - Kyōgoku becomes a

Transportation

Public transport

Kyōgoku is not connected by rail to other areas of Hokkaido. The town was formerly a stop on the

Japanese National Railways The , abbreviated JNR or , was the business entity that operated Japan's national railway network from 1949 to 1987. Network Railways As of June 1, 1949, the date of establishment of JNR, it operated of narrow gauge () railways in all 46 pre ...

(JR) Iburi Line which ceased operation in 1986.

Highways

Japan National Route 227, a national highway of

, runs through the east of Kyōgoku and connects the town to

Hakodate is a Cities of Japan, city and seaports of Japan, port located in Oshima Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Oshima Subprefecture. As of January 31, 2024, the city had an estimated population of 239,813 with 138,807 househol ...

and Esashi.

Education

Elementary schools: * Kyōgoku Elementary School * Minami Kyōgoku Elementary School (permanently closed) Junior high school: *Kyōgoku Junior High School

Annual events

* Town recreation day - summer and winter * Attakai festival - held in March * Fukidashi choral singing festival - held in July on the outdoor stage in Fukidashi park * Shakkoi festival - also held in July in Fukidashi park * Furusato festival - held during the Obon season in August on the main shopping street

Sister city

Marugame in

Notable people from Kyōgoku

* Akira Satō, ski jumper

References

External links

*
Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Kyogoku, Hokkaido Towns in Hokkaido Shiribeshi Subprefecture