Akabira
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Akabira
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Coordinates: 43°33′N 142°3′E / 43.550°N 142.050°E | |
Country | Japan |
Region | Hokkaido |
Prefecture | Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture) |
Government | |
• Mayor | Wataru Hatakeyama (since May 2019) |
Area | |
• Total | 129.88 km2 (50.15 sq mi) |
Population (January 31, 2024) | |
• Total | 8,709 |
• Density | 67/km2 (170/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
City hall address | 4-1 Izumimachi, Akabira-shi, Hokkaidō 079-1192 |
Website | www |
Symbols | |
Bird | Varied tit |
Flower | Lily |
Tree | Maple |
Akabira (
As of January 2024, the city has a population of 8,709 people living in 5,333 households.[1] The total area is 129.88 km2. The city was once a prosperous coal-mining city, its population reaching 59,430 in 1960. The population has been gradually declining. There have been efforts to create tourism around the city's coal mining heritage and other sights in order to strengthen the local economy. Other than that, there are also hot springs and campsites.
History[edit]
- 1891 - Settlement begins.
- 1918 - Moshiri Coal Mine opens.
- 1922 - Second-class municipality Akabira Village split off of first-class municipality Utashinai.
- 1929 - Akabira becomes a First-Class municipality.
- 1937 - Shōwa Denkō Toyosato Mine opened.
- 1938 - Sumitomo Coal Mine, Hokkaido Coal Mine Railroad and Akama Coal Mine opened.
- 1943 - Akabira Village becomes Akabira Town.
- July 1, 1954 - Akabira Town becomes Akabira City.
- 1967 - Shōwa Denkō Toyosato Mine closed.
- 1969 - Moshiri Coal Mine closed.
- 1973 - Akama Coal Mine closed.
- 1994 - Sumitomo Coal Mine closed.
- 2003 - Mid-Sorachi Merger Committee established.
- 2007 - A major elementary school in Akabira closed down. It once had about 5000 students but has dropped rapidly after the closure of the coal mines.
- 2008 - Hokkaido provides the city with a low-interest loan to support the city
- February 28, 2015 - Guinness World Record for number of snowmen made in an hour (2036) for the filming of the drama Fuben na Benriya ("Inconvenient Handyman").
Geography[edit]
Akabira is located in the central region of the Hokkaido Sorachi Sub-prefecture jurisdiction. The Sorachi River flows through the city limits from east to west. Originally, development stretched from Utashinai (
Main Mountains[edit]
- Mt. Irumukeppu (
イルムケップ山 ) - Mt. Akabira (
赤平山 ) - Mt. Kamui (
神威岳 )
Main Rivers[edit]
- Sorachi River (
空知川 ) - Horokura River (
幌 倉川 ) - Akamazawa River (
赤間沢川 ) - Katsura River (
桂川 )
Neighborhoods[edit]
- Akabira (
赤平 ) - Izumachi (
泉町 ), Blocks 1-4 - Erumuchō (エルム
町 ) - Oomachi (
大町 ), Blocks 1-4 - North Bunkyōchō (
北文京 町 ), Blocks 1-5 - Kyowachō (
共和 町 ) - Saiwaichō (
幸 町 ), Blocks 1-7 - Sakuragichō (
桜木 町 ), Blocks 1-5 - Shōwachō (
昭和 町 ), Blocks 1-6 - Sumiyoshichō (
住吉 町 ) - Toyookachō (
豊丘 町 ), Blocks 1-3 - Toyosato (
字 豊里 ) - Nishikimachi (
錦 町 ), Blocks 1-3 - West Toyosatochō (
西豊里 町 ) - West Bunkyōchō (
西文京 町 ), Blocks 1-5 - East Oomachi (
東大 町 ), Blocks 1-3 - East Toyosatochō (
東豊里 町 ) - East Bunkyōchō (
東文京 町 ), Blocks 1-4 - Hyakkochō East (
百戸町東 ), Blocks 1-5 - Hyakkochō West (
百戸町西 ), Blocks 1-6 - Hyakkochō North (
百戸町北 ) - Hiragishikatsurachō (
平岸桂 町 ) - Hiragishishinkōchō (
平岸新光 町 ), Blocks 1-9 - Hiragishinakamachi (
平岸仲 町 ), Blocks 1-6 - Hiragishihigashimachi (
平岸東 町 ), Blocks 1-6 - Hiragishinishimachi (
平岸西 町 ), Blocks 1-6 - Hiragishiminamimachi (
平岸南 町 ) - Hiragishiakebonochō (
平岸曙 町 ), Blocks 1-6 - Hōeichō (
豊栄 町 ), Blocks 1-5 - Horookachō (
幌岡 町 ) - Honchō (
本町 ), Blocks 1-3 - Misonochō (
美園 町 ), Blocks 1-5 - Miyashitachō (
宮下 町 ), Blocks 1-5 - Mojiri (
茂尻 ) - Mojiriasahimachi (
茂尻旭 町 ), Blocks 1-3 - Mojirikasugachō (
茂尻春日 町 ), Blocks 1-3 - Mojirisakaemachi (
茂尻栄 町 ), Blocks 1-5 - Mojirishinkasugachō (
茂尻新春日 町 ), Blocks 1-2 - Mojirishinmachi (
茂尻新 町 ), Blocks 1-5 - Mojirichūōchō South (
茂尻中央町南 ), Blocks 1-6 - Mojirichūōchō North (
茂尻中央町北 ), Blocks 1-2 - Mojirihonchō (
茂尻本 町 ), Blocks 1-4 - Mojirimiyashitachō (
茂尻宮下 町 ) - Mojirimotomachi South (
茂尻元町南 ), Blocks 1-5 - Mojirimotomachi North (
茂尻元町北 ), Blocks 1-6 - Wakakichō East (
若木町東 ), Blocks 1-9 - Wakakichō West (
若木町西 ), Blocks 1-6 - Wakakichō South (
若木町南 ), Blocks 1-5 - Wakakichō North (
若木町北 ), Blocks 1-8
Population[edit]
As of October 2019, the population dropped below 10,000.
According to the 2015 census, three communities within Akabira disappeared, with a population of 0 recorded by the census.
- Hiragishi (
平岸 ) - Hyakkochō North (
百戸町北 ) - Mojirimiyashitachō (
茂尻宮下 町 )
Transportation[edit]
Nemuro Main Line: Akabira - Moshiri - Hiragishi
Education[edit]
Junior high school[edit]
- Akabira junior high school
Elementary schools[edit]
- Akama elementary school
- Toyosato elementary school
- Mojiri elementary school
In popular culture[edit]
A climactic scene in the 2021 Academy Awards winning film Drive My Car was shot in Akabira, leading to interest from visitors.[2][3]
Friendship cities[edit]
- Kaga, Ishikawa, Japan (since 1995)[4]
- Samcheok, Gangwon, South Korea (since 1997)
- Miluo City, Hunan, China (since 1999)
References[edit]
- ^ "Official website of Akabira City" (in Japanese). Japan: Akabira City. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "ドライブ・マイ・カー」ロケ
地 の北海道 赤平 市 アカデミー賞 受賞 で高 まる期待 ". The Sankei News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022. - ^ Tandler, Agnes. "Drive My Car'....To Akabira". JapanForward. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
- ^ Friendship cities of Akabira
External links[edit]
- Official website (in Japanese)