Akabira
赤平市
City
Flag of Akabira
Flag
Official seal of Akabira
Emblem
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
 (October 31, 2022)
 • Total9,081
 • Density70/km2 (180/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 (赤平市, 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 October 2022, the city has a population of 9,081 people living in 5,503 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

  • 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

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) to Mojiri (茂尻), but now is an urban region along the Sorachi River.

Main Mountains

  • Mt. Irumukeppu (イルムケップ山)
  • Mt. Akabira (赤平山)
  • Mt. Kamui (神威岳)

Main Rivers

  • Sorachi River (空知川)
  • Horokura River (幌倉川)
  • Akamazawa River (赤間沢川)
  • Katsura River (桂川)

Neighborhoods

  • 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

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

Nemuro Main Line: Akabira - Moshiri - Hiragishi

Education

Junior high school

  • Akabira junior high school

Elementary schools

  • Akama elementary school
  • Toyosato elementary school
  • Mojiri elementary school

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

References

  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.
  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
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