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Asahikawa (旭川市, Asahikawa-shi) is a city in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of the subprefecture, and the second-largest city in Hokkaido, after Sapporo.[1][2] It has been a core city since April 1, 2000. The city is currently well known for the Asahiyama Zoo, the Asahikawa ramen and a Ski resort city. On July 31, 2011, the city had an estimated population of 321,906, with 173,961 households, and a population density of 431 persons per km² (1,100 persons per mi²). The total area is 747.66 km2 (288.67 sq mi).[2]
On August 1, 1922, Asahikawa was founded as Asahikawa City. As the central city in northern Hokkaido, Asahikawa has been influential in industry and commerce. There are about 130 rivers and streams including the Ishikari River and Chūbetsu River, and over 740 bridges in the city.[4]Asahibashi, a bridge over Ishikari River, has been one of the symbols of Asahikawa since its completion in 1932, and it was also registered as one of the Hokkaido Heritage sites on October 22, 2001.[5]
Every winter, the Asahikawa Winter Festival is held on the bank of the Ishikari River, making use of Asahikawa's cold climate and snow. On January 25, 1902, a weather station recorded −41 °C (−41.8 °F), the lowest temperature in Japanese history.[6] Due to its climate and location surrounded by mountains, there are some ski resorts in the outskirts of the city.
Name
The Ainu called the Asahi River Chiu Pet meaning "River of Waves", but it was misunderstood as Chup Pet, meaning "Sun River", and so it came to be called Asahi River in Japanese (Asahi meaning "morning sun").
History
View of Asahikawa, circa 1920
Asahikawa was populated by the mainland Japanese in the Meiji period (1868 – July 1912) as a tondenhei, or state-sponsored farmer-militia settlement.[1]
KamikawaDistrict set up under Ishikari Province with the villages of Asahikawa, Nagayama and Kamui in 1890.
A panoramic view of Asahikawa from Mt. Arashiyama, 2016
Climate
The climate is hemiboreal humid continental (Dfb, according to Köppen classification).[8] Asahikawa winters are long and cold, with below-freezing average monthly temperatures from December through March. The city also sees an extraordinary amount of snowfall, averaging just under 7.6 m (25 ft) of snow per year. Summers are generally warm and humid in Asahikawa, with average high temperatures in the warmest months hovering around 26 °C (79 °F). Spring and autumn are generally short and transitional in the city. [citation needed]
It is one of the coldest Japanese cities as well as one of the most "continental". Japan's lowest temperature ever (−41.0 °C (−41.8 °F)) was recorded in Asahikawa, colder than other cities registered in Hokkaido,[9][10][11] but warmer in absolute numbers than Mount Fuji.[12] On January 12, 1909 the temperature did not rise above −22.5 °C (−9 °F), being one of the coldest in history.[9] Some sources consider it the coldest city in Japan.[13][14][15]
Climate data for Asahikawa (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1888−present)
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. Updates on reimplementing the Graph extension, which will be known as the Chart extension, can be found on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Per Japanese census data,[19] the population of Asahikawa peaked around the year 2000 and has declined slightly in the decades since.
Economy
Skyline of Asahikawa City
Asahikawa developed as an industrial center in Hokkaido after World War II. The city is noted for its lumber and brewing industries, as well as the production of furniture and paper pulp.[1]
Asahikawa is served by Asahikawa Airport which stretches over the outskirts of Asahikawa City and Higashikagura, Hokkaido. The airport was first proposed by the Asahikawa City Council in 1955, opened in 1961, and daily flights to Tokyo started in 1970. The present terminal of Asahikawa Airport opened in 2000. It is a second class airport, and also a single-runway regional airport. It serves domestic destinations including Tokyo, but some airlines offer destinations in South Korea.[21] EVA Air added Asahikawa as a destination from Taipei on May 2, 2013.
Asahikawa's mascots are Asappy (あさっぴー, Asappī) and Yukkirin (ゆっきりん).
Asappy is a mixture of a harbor seal and a polar bear. He wears a shirt designed after Daisetsuzan National Park with fringes that resembled ramen, his belt is designed after the Asahi Bridge and his pants were designed after the Ishikari River. His red scarf shows his status as a hero.[22]
Yukkirin is a strong but kind snow giraffe (technically a kirin). Her dress has an apple, a snowflake and a flower motif. She wears Etanbetsu boots with fringes. Her antennae resemble snowballs. She can use them to gather information.[23]
^ abcd旭川市 [Asahikawa]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC173191044. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
^旭川空港 [Asahikawa Airport]. Nihon Rekishi Chimei Taikei (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC173191044. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2013-11-19.
