Biei, Hokkaido

Biei

美瑛びえい町まち
Biei 美瑛びえい町まち
Town
	Flag Emblem
	Location of Biei in Hokkaido (Kamikawa Subprefecture)
	Biei Location in Japan
	Coordinates: 43°35′N 142°28′E / 43.583°N 142.467°E
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Kamikawa Subprefecture)
District	Kamikawa (Ishikari)
Government
• Mayor	Satoshi Hamada
Area
• Total	677.16 km2 (261.45 sq mi)
Population (September 30, 2016)
• Total	10,374
• Density	15/km2 (40/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	4-6-1 Motomachi, Biei-chō, Kamikawa-gun, Hokkaidō; 071-0292
Website	www.town.biei.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
Flower	Lily of the Valley
Tree	Japanese White Birch

Biei (美瑛びえい町まち, Biei-chō) is a town located in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 10,374, and a density of 15 persons per km². The total area is 677.16 km².

Overview[edit]

Biei is famous for its views of wide fields and hills, and is used as a backdrop for many Japanese commercials and TV programmes. The bright colours of its fields attract thousands of visitors in July and August.

The town also houses the Shinzo Maeda Photo Art Gallery.

Since 1992, Biei has held the "Biei Healthy Marathon", which attracts runners from all around Japan.^[1]

Climate[edit]

Climate data for Biei, Hokkaido (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	6.0 (42.8)	11.4 (52.5)	14.9 (58.8)	27.0 (80.6)	34.4 (93.9)	36.0 (96.8)	36.1 (97.0)	37.1 (98.8)	32.7 (90.9)	25.7 (78.3)	20.2 (68.4)	12.1 (53.8)	37.1 (98.8)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−3.9 (25.0)	−2.6 (27.3)	2.0 (35.6)	10.2 (50.4)	18.0 (64.4)	22.3 (72.1)	25.7 (78.3)	25.8 (78.4)	21.3 (70.3)	14.2 (57.6)	5.6 (42.1)	−1.6 (29.1)	11.4 (52.6)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−8.7 (16.3)	−7.9 (17.8)	−3.0 (26.6)	4.4 (39.9)	11.3 (52.3)	15.9 (60.6)	19.7 (67.5)	20.0 (68.0)	15.2 (59.4)	8.3 (46.9)	1.5 (34.7)	−5.5 (22.1)	5.9 (42.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−14.8 (5.4)	−14.7 (5.5)	−9.1 (15.6)	−1.3 (29.7)	4.7 (40.5)	10.0 (50.0)	14.7 (58.5)	15.2 (59.4)	9.8 (49.6)	3.0 (37.4)	−2.9 (26.8)	−10.8 (12.6)	0.3 (32.6)
Record low °C (°F)	−33.2 (−27.8)	−32.7 (−26.9)	−27.5 (−17.5)	−14.2 (6.4)	−4.7 (23.5)	−0.9 (30.4)	3.8 (38.8)	4.7 (40.5)	−0.6 (30.9)	−6.0 (21.2)	−20.8 (−5.4)	−27.3 (−17.1)	−33.2 (−27.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	41.1 (1.62)	38.3 (1.51)	47.0 (1.85)	49.5 (1.95)	68.5 (2.70)	69.5 (2.74)	121.2 (4.77)	168.3 (6.63)	129.0 (5.08)	96.0 (3.78)	94.5 (3.72)	73.5 (2.89)	996.4 (39.24)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	164 (65)	141 (56)	129 (51)	28 (11)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3 (1.2)	79 (31)	182 (72)	726 (287.2)
Average rainy days	15.2	13.1	13.6	11.4	11.0	9.9	10.9	11.7	12.3	14.1	17.9	18.2	159.3
Average snowy days	21.1	18.8	17.0	3.3	0	0	0	0	0	0.4	8.2	21.1	89.9
Mean monthly sunshine hours	67.5	83.2	122.1	154.0	181.5	166.0	161.6	156.2	149.8	123.4	60.1	47.9	1,473.3
Source 1: JMA^[2]
Source 2: JMA^[3]