Biratori, Hokkaido

Coordinates: 42°35′N 142°8′E / 42.583°N 142.133°E / 42.583; 142.133
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Biratori
平取びらとり町まち
Town
Biratori Town hall
Biratori Town hall
Flag of Biratori
Flag
Official seal of Biratori
Emblem
Location of Biratori in Hokkaido (Hidaka Subprefecture)
Location of Biratori in Hokkaido (Hidaka Subprefecture)
Biratori is located in Japan
Biratori
Biratori
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 42°35′N 142°8′E / 42.583°N 142.133°E / 42.583; 142.133
CountryJapan
RegionHokkaido
PrefectureHokkaido (Hidaka Subprefecture)
DistrictSaru
Government
 • MayorYoshiteru Nakamichi
Area
 • Total743.16 km2 (286.94 sq mi)
Population
 (September 30, 2016)
 • Total5,305
 • Density7.1/km2 (18/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address28, Honchō, Biratori-chō, Saru-gun, Hokkaidō
055-0192
Websitewww.town.biratori.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
BirdGreat spotted woodpecker
FlowerLily of the Valley
MascotBilicky (ビラッキー)
TreeKatsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)

Biratori (平取びらとり町まち, Biratori-chō) (Ainu: ピラ・ウトゥル, romanized: pira-utur[1]) is a town located in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. The name of the town means 'between the rocky cliffs' in the Ainu language.[2]

As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 5,305 and a density of 7.1 persons per km2. The total area is 743.16 km2.

Ainu culture[edit]

The Nibutani Dam was constructed in Nibutani (二風谷にぶたに) district on the Saru River, though there was a strong objection due to a sacred meaning of the place for indigenous Ainu people. Nibutani is the site of the Ainu Cultural center. Nibutani's best known son is perhaps Shigeru Kayano, a 20th-century advocate for the Ainu and Ainu language and culture. The cultural landscape along the Saru River consisting of Ainu traditions and modern settlement within Biratori has been designated an Important Cultural Landscape.[3]

Economy[edit]

Biratori is primarily an agricultural town, growing many different kinds of fruits and vegetables for people and livestock. Tomatoes are one of the top products of the town. It was also known for its lumber industry.

Tourist attractions[edit]

Some noteworthy attractions in Biratori:

  • Biratori Onsen Yukara
  • Family Land
  • Nibutani and the Nibutani Ainu Culture Museum
  • Suzuran Field in Memu, where Lily of the Valley (also known as Maybells) bloom from May to June. The field covers 15 hectares and is the largest in Japan. It opened to the public in 1963, but had to be closed in 1975 due to damage from overpicking and trampling. It was able to open again ten years later..
  • The UFO park (Set up as a UFO observation platform, it was later closed in the 1970s-1980s.)

Culture[edit]

Mascot[edit]

Bilicky, the town's mascot

Biratori's mascot is Bilicky (ビラッキー, Birakkī). His name is a pun on "be lucky". He is a tomato with a horn and hooves of a bull, a pig's nose and a lily of a valley on his back. His birthday is 12 September.[4][5]

Notable people[edit]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "北きたの生命せいめいをはぐくむ夫婦川ふうふがわ" (PDF). MLIT. Archived from the original (PDF) on July 30, 2017. Retrieved July 30, 2017.
  2. ^ "Biratori： the Ainu village a British woman headed for 138 years ago｜The towns of Hokkaido｜Hokkaido Magazine KAI".
  3. ^ "Database of Registered National Cultural Properties". Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved 29 April 2011.
  4. ^ "ビラッキー (北海道ほっかいどう)". Yuru Chara Grand Prix.
  5. ^ "広報こうほうびらとり2014年ねん10月がつ号ごう" (PDF). Biratori.

External links[edit]

Media related to Biratori, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons


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