Akabira

Coordinates: 43°33′N 142°3′E / 43.550°N 142.050°E / 43.550; 142.050
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Akabira
赤平あかびら
Flag of Akabira
Official seal of Akabira
Location of Akabira in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Location of Akabira in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Akabira is located in Japan
Akabira
Akabira
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 43°33′N 142°3′E / 43.550°N 142.050°E / 43.550; 142.050
CountryJapan
RegionHokkaido
PrefectureHokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Government
 • MayorWataru Hatakeyama (since May 2019)
Area
 • Total129.88 km2 (50.15 sq mi)
Population
 (January 31, 2024)
 • Total8,709
 • Density67/km2 (170/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address4-1 Izumimachi, Akabira-shi, Hokkaidō
079-1192
Websitewww.city.akabira.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
BirdVaried tit
FlowerLily
TreeMaple

Akabira (赤平あかびら, Akabira-shi) is a city located in central Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. The name comes from the Ainu language but the meaning is uncertain; possibly it means "mountain ridge" or "cliff".

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 (歌志内うたしない) to Mojiri (茂尻もしり), but now is an urban region along the Sorachi River.

Main Mountains[edit]

  • Mt. Irumukeppu (イルムケップ山いるむけっぷやま)
  • Mt. Akabira (赤平山あかびらやま)
  • Mt. Kamui (神威岳かむいだけ)

Main Rivers[edit]

  • Sorachi River (空知川そらちがわ)
  • Horokura River (ほろ倉川くらかわ)
  • Akamazawa River (赤間沢川あかまさわがわ)
  • Katsura River (桂川かつらがわ)

Neighborhoods[edit]

  • Akabira (赤平あかびら)
  • Izumachi (泉町いずみちょう), Blocks 1-4
  • Erumuchō (エルムまち)
  • Oomachi (大町おおまち), Blocks 1-4
  • North Bunkyōchō (北文京きたぶんきょうまち), Blocks 1-5
  • Kyowachō (共和きょうわまち)
  • Saiwaichō (さいわいまち), Blocks 1-7
  • Sakuragichō (桜木さくらぎまち), Blocks 1-5
  • Shōwachō (昭和しょうわまち), Blocks 1-6
  • Sumiyoshichō (住吉すみよしまち)
  • Toyookachō (豊丘とよおかまち), Blocks 1-3
  • Toyosato (豊里とよさと)
  • Nishikimachi (にしきまち), Blocks 1-3
  • West Toyosatochō (西豊里にしとよさとまち)
  • West Bunkyōchō (西文京にしぶんきょうまち), Blocks 1-5
  • East Oomachi (東大とうだいまち), Blocks 1-3
  • East Toyosatochō (東豊里ひがしとよさとまち)
  • East Bunkyōchō (東文京ひがしぶんきょうまち), Blocks 1-4
  • Hyakkochō East (百戸町東ひゃっこちょうひがし), Blocks 1-5
  • Hyakkochō West (百戸町西ひゃっこちょうにし), Blocks 1-6
  • Hyakkochō North (百戸町北ひゃっこちょうきた)
  • Hiragishikatsurachō (平岸桂ひらぎしかつらまち)
  • Hiragishishinkōchō (平岸新光ひらぎししんこうまち), Blocks 1-9
  • Hiragishinakamachi (平岸仲ひらぎしなかまち), Blocks 1-6
  • Hiragishihigashimachi (平岸東ひらぎしひがしまち), Blocks 1-6
  • Hiragishinishimachi (平岸西ひらぎしにしまち), Blocks 1-6
  • Hiragishiminamimachi (平岸南ひらぎしみなみまち)
  • Hiragishiakebonochō (平岸曙ひらぎしあけぼのまち), Blocks 1-6
  • Hōeichō (豊栄ほうえいまち), Blocks 1-5
  • Horookachō (幌岡ほろおかまち)
  • Honchō (本町ほんまち), Blocks 1-3
  • Misonochō (美園みそのまち), Blocks 1-5
  • Miyashitachō (宮下みやげまち), Blocks 1-5
  • Mojiri (茂尻もしり)
  • Mojiriasahimachi (茂尻旭もじりあさひまち), Blocks 1-3
  • Mojirikasugachō (茂尻春日もじりかすがまち), Blocks 1-3
  • Mojirisakaemachi (茂尻栄もじりさかえまち), Blocks 1-5
  • Mojirishinkasugachō (茂尻新春日もじりしんかすがまち), Blocks 1-2
  • Mojirishinmachi (茂尻新もじりしんまち), Blocks 1-5
  • Mojirichūōchō South (茂尻中央町南もじりちゅうおうちょうみなみ), Blocks 1-6
  • Mojirichūōchō North (茂尻中央町北もじりちゅうおうちょうきた), Blocks 1-2
  • Mojirihonchō (茂尻本もじりほんまち), Blocks 1-4
  • Mojirimiyashitachō (茂尻宮下もじりみやしたまち)
  • Mojirimotomachi South (茂尻元町南もじりもとまちみなみ), Blocks 1-5
  • Mojirimotomachi North (茂尻元町北もじりもとまちきた), Blocks 1-6
  • Wakakichō East (若木町東わかきちょうひがし), Blocks 1-9
  • Wakakichō West (若木町西わかきちょうにし), Blocks 1-6
  • Wakakichō South (若木町南わかきちょうみなみ), Blocks 1-5
  • Wakakichō North (若木町北わかきちょうきた), 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 (平岸ひらぎし)
  • Hyakkochō North (百戸町北ひゃっこちょうきた)
  • Mojirimiyashitachō (茂尻宮下もじりみやしたまち)

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]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Official website of Akabira City" (in Japanese). Japan: Akabira City. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
  2. ^ "ドライブ・マイ・カー」ロケ北海道ほっかいどう赤平あかびら アカデミーしょう受賞じゅしょうたかまる期待きたい". The Sankei News (in Japanese). Archived from the original on 11 November 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  3. ^ Tandler, Agnes. "Drive My Car'....To Akabira". JapanForward. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 11 November 2022.
  4. ^ Friendship cities of Akabira

External links[edit]