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 had a

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 2,215, 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 9.3 persons per km². The total area of the town is , and located west 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 ...

, the capital and economic hub of Hokkaido. Shakotan occupies the north 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 ...

. It was founded in 1869 as part of the short-lived Shiribeshi Province, which was dissolved in 1882 to become Hokkaido. Shakotan, along with neighboring

Otaru is a Cities of Japan, city and Seaports of Japan, port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the main port of the bay. With its many historical ...

, is home to Japan's only national-level

marine sanctuary A marine protected area (MPA) is a protected area of the world's seas, oceans, estuaries or in the US, the Great Lakes. These marine areas can come in many forms ranging from wildlife refuges to research facilities. MPAs restrict human activity ...

. Shakotan is home to the three great capes of the Shakotan Peninsula:

Kamui A ''kamuy'' (; ) is a spiritual or divine being in Ainu mythology, a term denoting a supernatural entity composed of or possessing spiritual energy. The Ainu people have many myths about the ''kamuy'', passed down through oral traditions and ri ...

, Shakotan, and Ōgon.

Etymology

The name of the town originates from the word "ShakKotan" in the

Ainu language Ainu (, ), or more precisely Hokkaido Ainu (), is a language spoken by a few elderly members of the Ainu people on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido. It is a member of the Ainu language family, itself considered a language family isola ...

. It is formed from two words, the first, "shak", meaning "summer", and the second, "kotan", meaning "village". In the

Japanese language is the principal language of the Japonic languages, Japonic language family spoken by the Japanese people. It has around 123 million speakers, primarily in Japan, the only country where it is the national language, and within the Japanese dia ...

the name of the town is written with ''

ateji In modern Japanese, principally refers to kanji used to phonetically represent native or borrowed words with less regard to the underlying meaning of the characters. This is similar to in Old Japanese. Conversely, also refers to kanji used s ...

'', or

kanji are logographic Chinese characters, adapted from Chinese family of scripts, Chinese script, used in the writing of Japanese language, Japanese. They were made a major part of the Japanese writing system during the time of Old Japanese and are ...

characters used to phonetically represent native or borrowed words. The first, , means to "store" or "accumulate", and the second, , means "red" or "red earth". The meaning of the written form of Shakotan has no relationship to the meaning of "Shakotan" in the Ainu language.

History

Shakotan was first settled by the Japanese immigrants in the Edo period (1603 – 1868). The

Tokugawa shogunate The Tokugawa shogunate, also known as the was the military government of Japan during the Edo period from 1603 to 1868. The Tokugawa shogunate was established by Tokugawa Ieyasu after victory at the Battle of Sekigahara, ending the civil wars ...

, the

feudal Feudalism, also known as the feudal system, was a combination of legal, economic, military, cultural, and political customs that flourished in Middle Ages, medieval Europe from the 9th to 15th centuries. Broadly defined, it was a way of struc ...

rulers of Japan of the period, granted the

Matsumae Clan The was a Japanese aristocratic family who were daimyo of Matsumae Domain, in present-day Matsumae, Hokkaidō, from the Azuchi–Momoyama period until the Meiji Restoration. They were given the domain as a march fief in 1590 by Toyotomi ...

rights to trade with the

Ainu people The Ainu are an Indigenous peoples, indigenous ethnic group who reside in northern Japan and southeastern Russia, including Hokkaido and the Tōhoku region of Honshu, as well as the land surrounding the Sea of Okhotsk, such as Sakhalin, the Ku ...

in the southern Hokkaido region. With the decline of the fortune of

samurai The samurai () were members of the warrior class in Japan. They were originally provincial warriors who came from wealthy landowning families who could afford to train their men to be mounted archers. In the 8th century AD, the imperial court d ...

families during the Edo period, many chose to give up life as a warrior and migrate to Shakotan and other coastal areas of southern Hokkaido to farm and develop the rich herring industry. The settlements on Shakotan were connected to the rest of Japan only by sea; the construction of roads across Hokkaido did not occur until the early 20th century. During the

Bakumatsu were the final years of the Edo period when the Tokugawa shogunate Meiji Restoration, ended. Between 1853 and 1867, under foreign diplomatic and military pressure, Japan ended its isolationist foreign policy known as and changed from a Feudali ...

(1853 – 1867), the final years of the Edo period, fishermen began using large nets to harvest herring. Shakotan developed a large population, rivaling that of nearby

. A census taken in 1879 revealed that the Funama area of Shakotan consisted of 75 households, had a population of 350, 10 horses, a school, a temple, and three Shinto shrines. The census noted the catch of Pacific herring and salmon, as well as the gathering of

abalone Abalone ( or ; via Spanish , from Rumsen language, Rumsen ''aulón'') is a common name for any small to very large marine life, marine gastropod mollusc in the family (biology), family Haliotidae, which once contained six genera but now cont ...

and

konbu ''Konbu'' (from ) is edible kelp mostly from the family Laminariaceae and is widely eaten in East Asia. It may also be referred to as ''dasima'' () or ''haidai'' (). Kelp features in the diets of many civilizations, including Chinese and Icela ...

. Shakotan was connected to other areas of Hokkaido by steam ferry in 1892. By 1899 the town had a post and telegraph office, as well as a police station, a brothel, a shipping office, and a restaurant. The era of the herring industry ended due to

overfishing Overfishing is the removal of a species of fish (i.e. fishing) from a body of water at a rate greater than that the species can replenish its population naturally (i.e. the overexploitation of the fishery's existing Fish stocks, fish stock), resu ...

by 1917, and the population on the Shakotan Peninsula decreased rapidly. The modern town of Shakotan was formed in 1956 by a merger of the town of Bikuni and the villages of Irika and Yobetsu.

Geography

The town of Shakotan is located on the north of the

in western Hokkaido, and occupies one fourth of the area of the peninsula. The border of the town is defined by the three great capes of the Shakotan Peninsula:

, Shakotan, and Ōgon. The town faces the

Japan Sea 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 ...

and has a long, scenic sea coast. Much of the coast of Shakotan is faced by steep sea

cliff In geography and geology, a cliff or rock face is an area of Rock (geology), rock which has a general angle defined by the vertical, or nearly vertical. Cliffs are formed by the processes of weathering and erosion, with the effect of gravity. ...

s. The population of the town is concentrated in small villages along the coast. The interior of the town is rugged with little flat land, and is made up of the mountainous areas centered on the twin peaks of Mount Shakotan () and Mount Yobetsu (). The entire coast of Shakotan is protected as part of

Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park is a quasi-national park in the Shiribeshi Subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan.List o ...

. The park, established in 1962, covers , and is managed by the prefectural government of Hokkaido. Shakotan's capes and dramatic Shimamui Coast are important parts of the park. The

marine park A marine park is a designated park consisting of an area of sea (or lake) set aside to achieve ecological sustainability, promote marine awareness and understanding, enable marine recreational activities, and provide benefits for Indigenous peo ...

of Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park, located off the shore of Shakotan and Otaru, is the only designated marine sanctuary in the national parks system of Japan. Fishing is prohibited along the length of the marine sanctuary.

Capes

The three major capes of the Shakotan Peninsula, Cape Kamui, Cape Shakotan, and Cape Ōgon, define the coast of the Shakotan Peninsula. All are located in the town of Shakotan, and numerous smaller capes dot the coastline of the town. *Cape Ōgon is located at the east of Shakotan. Bikuni area and its fishing port sit near the cape. Cape Ōgon is topped by a popular observation post which offers a panorama of the coastal areas of the Sea of Japan and the Shakotan Peninsula. The summit of Cape Ōgon can be reached by foot in only 10 minutes, making it a popular tourist destination in the summer. *Cape Shakotan is located at the north of Shakotan. Irika area and its fishing port sit near the cape. Cape Shakotan rises over above the Sea of Japan, and offers views of the rugged coast and mountains of the Shakotan Peninsula. Cape Shakotan heads the scenic Shimamui Coast, and is home to the Cape Shakotan Lighthouse. *Cape Kamui is located at the west of Shakotan. The Yobetsu area and its fishing port sit near the cape. Cape Kamui is designated a Prefectural Natural Landscape by Hokkaido. Its lighthouse, the

Cape Kamui Lighthouse A cape is a clothing accessory or a sleeveless outer garment of any length that hangs loosely and connects either at the neck or shoulders. They usually cover the back, shoulders, and arms. They come in a variety of styles and have been used thr ...

, overlooks the Sea of Japan.

Ports and harbors

Shakotan is home to four natural harbors and several small ports. Bikuni, Irika, and Yobetsu are active fishing ports. Smaller ports in the town include Kōzaki, Iwanai, and Furubira. All the fishing ports of Shakotan were once thriving centers of Pacific herring production, but now remain as general fishing ports.

Islands

The heavily forested Takara Island, with a coastline of , sits just beyond Cape Ōgon in the Bikuni area of Shakotan. Takara, meaning "treasure" in Japanese, was possibly given its name by fishermen who found rich shoals of herring around the island in the early 19th century. The smaller Gome Island sits near Takara Island, and takes its name from its similarity in shape to the Gome seagull.

Rivers

Three short rivers cut through the town. The Uendo, the Isanai, and the Ōtaki flow north from Mount Shakotan and form the Shakotan River, which flows into the Japan Sea. Smaller rivers includes the Bikuni and the Yobetsu.

Climate

The climate of Shakotan is similar to that of other Japanese coastal areas along the Sea of Japan. The town, however, receives more precipitation than other coastal areas of Hokkaido. From spring to summer Shakotan town is warm with numerous sunny days. Winters are severe, with strong winds and heavy snowfall. The coast of Shakotan is battered by strong waves throughout the winter. Level areas of the Shakotan are generally covered with snow from mid-November to mid-April.

Fauna and flora

Shakotan has large tracts of unspoiled natural areas. Gyōja garlic, taranome, and udo, all parts of traditional

Japanese cuisine Japanese cuisine encompasses the regional and traditional foods of Japan, which have developed through centuries of political, economic, and social changes. The traditional cuisine of Japan (Japanese language, Japanese: ) is based on rice with m ...

, are gathered in the wild during spring in Shakotan. A lily species, the '' ezokanzō'', blooms on the Shimamui Coast in summer. Shakotan is noted for its population of brown bears, which live in the mountainous areas of the town. The Ezo deer and Hokkaido squirrel, both native to Hokkaido, are also found in Shakotan. Populations of

seal Seal may refer to any of the following: Common uses * Pinniped, a diverse group of semi-aquatic marine mammals, many of which are commonly called seals, particularly: ** Earless seal, also called "true seal" ** Fur seal ** Eared seal * Seal ( ...

s and

sea lion Sea lions are pinnipeds characterized by external ear flaps, long foreflippers, the ability to walk on all fours, short and thick hair, and a big chest and belly. Together with the fur seals, they make up the family Otariidae, eared seals. ...

s both inhabit the coastal areas of Shakotan.

Neighboring municipalities

*Shiribeshi Subprefecture ** Furubira, Furubira District ** Kamoenai, Furuu District

Neighborhoods

* * * * * * * * * *

Population

Shakotan is in a period of significant, ongoing

population decline Population decline, also known as depopulation, is a reduction in a human population size. Throughout history, Earth's total world population, human population has estimates of historical world population, continued to grow but projections sugg ...

which mirrors that of other areas of rural Japan.

Economy

The fishing industry remains an important part of the economy of Shakotan. Shakotan is noted for its catch of

sea urchin Sea urchins or urchins () are echinoderms in the class (biology), class Echinoidea. About 950 species live on the seabed, inhabiting all oceans and depth zones from the intertidal zone to deep seas of . They typically have a globular body cove ...

(''uni''),

squid A squid (: squid) is a mollusc with an elongated soft body, large eyes, eight cephalopod limb, arms, and two tentacles in the orders Myopsida, Oegopsida, and Bathyteuthida (though many other molluscs within the broader Neocoleoidea are also ...

Olive flounder The olive flounder (''Paralichthys olivaceus''), bastard halibut, Japanese flounder or Korean halibut is a temperate marine species of large-tooth flounder native to the North-western Pacific Ocean. It is the highest valued finfish in the world, ...

cod Cod (: cod) is the common name for the demersal fish genus ''Gadus'', belonging to the family (biology), family Gadidae. Cod is also used as part of the common name for a number of other fish species, and one species that belongs to genus ''Gad ...

, and

Alaska pollock The Alaska pollock or walleye pollock (''Gadus chalcogrammus'') is a marine fish species of the cod genus ''Gadus'' and family Gadidae. It is a semi-pelagic Shoaling and schooling, schooling fish widely distributed in the North Pacific Ocean, No ...

. Pork, beef, and dairy farms are located on the highland areas of the town, notably northwest of the Bikuni area of Shakotan. Small-scale farm products of the town include potatoes and ''

kabocha Kabocha (; from Japanese language, Japanese , ) is a type of winter squash, a Japanese variety of the species ''Cucurbita maxima.'' It is also called kabocha squash or Japanese pumpkin in North America. In Japan, "''kabocha''" may refer to eithe ...

'', a Japanese

winter squash Winter squash is an annual fruit representing several squash species within the genus '' Cucurbita''. Late-growing, less symmetrical, odd-shaped, rough or warty varieties, small to medium in size, but with long-keeping qualities and hard rinds, ...

. Tourism is an important part of the economy of Shakotan, with most tourists visiting in the summer. There is a single bank branch in Shakotan, the Bikuni Branch of the Hokkai Shinkin Bank.

Culture

The Sakura-masu Salmon Sanctuary Center, located near Cape Kamui on the Yobetsu River, is an information center built to explain the ecology of the ''

Oncorhynchus masou The masu salmon (''Oncorhynchus masou''), also known as masu () or in Japan, is a species of salmonid belonging to the genus ''Oncorhynchus'', found in the North Pacific along Northeast/East Asian coasts from the Russian Far East ( Primorsky, K ...

'', cherry salmon. The center features aquariums of sakuramasu at various stages of its development. The Misaki-no-Ichiba is a traditional open-air Japanese market near Cape Shakotan. Fresh seafood and local vegetables are sold at the market from April through November. Shakotan is noted for its catch of ''uni'', or sea urchins.

Festivals

The town of Shakotan is home to several annual festivals. The Shakotan Soran Mikaku Festival is held in June in Bikuni. An enormous vat of a local hotpot is prepared throughout the day, followed by fireworks at night. The Fire Festival is held at Bikuni Shrine from July 5 to 6. A massive statue of a

tengu ''Tengu'' ( ; , , ) are a type of legendary creature found in Shinto belief. They are considered a type of ''yōkai'' (supernatural beings) or Shinto ''kami'' (gods or spirits). The ''Tengu'' were originally thought to take the forms of bird of ...

is passed through fire as part of a

Shinto , also called Shintoism, is a religion originating in Japan. Classified as an East Asian religions, East Asian religion by Religious studies, scholars of religion, it is often regarded by its practitioners as Japan's indigenous religion and as ...

cleansing ritual.

Recreation

Shakotan is a popular tourist destination. The three capes, Kamui, Ōgon, and Shakotan, are popular hiking destinations. The peak of Mount Shakotan can be reached via numerous hiking trails, all beginning at Japan National Route 229. The reef areas off the coast of Shakotan, noted for the deep blue color of the water, can be viewed via glass-bottomed boats from Bikuni Harbor. Shakotan has a single primitive campground, the Hokkaido Notsuka Campsite, which is free and maintained by the town of Shakotan. The campsite is open from June through September. Recreational fishing is popular in the town, and a swimming beach is open in the town briefly during the summer from June through August.

Government

Shakotan is administered from the town hall in Bikuni. The Shakotan Board of Education oversees the middle school, elementary schools, and community education centers of the town. The Shakotan Town Assembly, by law, can consist of 15 members; there are currently nine members of the assembly. Assembly members serve a four-year term. None are affiliated with a political party. Shakotan has four post offices: one each in Bikuni, Nozuka, Irika, and Yobetsu. The town does not maintain a municipal police force. The regional police office, located in Yoichi, has branches serving the town of Shakotan in Bikuni, Irika, and Yobetsu.

Education

There are no high schools or institutions of higher education in Shakotan. Two high schools are accessible by public transportation from Shakotan: the prefectural

Hokkaidō Yoichi Kōshi High School 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 ...

and the private Hokuseigakuen Yoichi High School, both in the nearby city of Yoichi. The Town of Shakotan Board of Education maintains one middle school: Bikuni Middle School, and four elementary schools: Bikuni Elementary School, Hizuka Elementary School, Nozuka Elementary School, and Yobetsu Elementary School. The town maintains two nursery schools: Bikuni Nursery School and Minato Nursery School.

Transportation

Public transport

Shakotan is not connected by rail to other areas of Hokkaido. The town is connected to nearby Otaru and the prefectural capitol Sapporo by

Hokkaidō Chūō Bus Company 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 ...

. The Bikuni area of Shakotan can be reached by bus in 75 minutes from 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 ...

Otaru Station is a railway station in Otaru, Hokkaido, Japan, operated by the Hokkaido Railway Company (JR Hokkaido). It is numbered "S15". Lines Otaru Station is served by the Hakodate Main Line. Station layout The station consists of two island platform ...

Highways

Japan National Route 229 National Route 229 is a national highway of Japan connecting Otaru, Hokkaido is a city and port in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, northwest of Sapporo. The city faces Ishikari Bay and the Sea of Japan, and has long served as the ...

, a national highway of

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

and Esashi. Japan National Route 229 was completed in 1971.

Hokkaidō Prefectural Route 568 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 ...

connects Funama and Mikuni, both within the town of Shakotan. Hokkaidō Prefectural Route 913 runs along the coastline of the Shakotan Peninsula between Nozuka and Fumi, and provides access to many sightseeing locations in the town, notably Cape Kamui.

Noted places

The Bikuni Shrine was founded in 1725 as Inari Shrine in the Kodomari area of Shakotan, and renamed Bikuni Shrine in 1892. In 1911, numerous other small Inari shrines in the Shakotan area were absorbed into Bikuni Shrine. In 1914 the shrine structures were moved in their entirety to their present-day location in the central Bikuni area of Shakotan. The festival of Bikuni Shrine is held annually from July 5 to 6. Kamui Shrine, located in the hilly forested areas of Raikishi west of the port of Yobetsu, was established in the 19th century. The shrine, after absorbing several smaller Inari shrines around Yobetsu, was rebuilt in 1931 using hinoki cypress from

Aomori Prefecture is a Prefectures of Japan, prefecture of Japan in the Tōhoku region. The prefecture's capital, largest city, and namesake is the city of Aomori (city), Aomori. Aomori is the northernmost prefecture on Japan's main island, Honshu, and is border ...

. The festival of Kamui Shrine is held annually on July 17.

Sister city

The town of Shakotan has a

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 with the city of Seaside,

Oregon Oregon ( , ) is a U.S. state, state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is a part of the Western U.S., with the Columbia River delineating much of Oregon's northern boundary with Washington (state), Washington, while t ...

, in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

. * Seaside,

, in the

Footnotes

:A.Cape Ōgon is also known as Cape Kannon; the latter name is less frequently used.

References

External links

Official Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shakotan, Hokkaido Towns in Hokkaido Shiribeshi Subprefecture