Hokuto (北斗市, Hokuto-shi) is a city in the center of the Oshima Subprefecture in Japan's northern island of Hokkaido.[1] It serves as a bedroom community for Hakodate, to the east of the city.[2] Hokuto was formed on February 1, 2006, from merging the town of Kamiiso, from Kamiiso District, and the town of Ōno, from Kameda District. Hokuto is the third city to be established in Oshima. (The second, Kameda, no longer exists, being dissolved just two years after its founding in 1971). Hokuto is the second largest city in Oshima by population after the city of Hakodate.[1]
Hokuto
北斗市 | |
|---|---|
 Hokuto City Hall | |
 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Hokuto in Hokkaido (Oshima Subprefecture) | |
  Hokuto Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates: 41°49′27″N 140°39′10″E / 41.82417°N 140.65278°E | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Hokkaido |
| Prefecture | Hokkaido (Oshima Subprefecture) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Toshimine Takaya |
| Area | |
• Total | 397.29 km2 (153.39 sq mi) |
| Population (March 1, 2020) | |
• Total | 46,083 |
| • Density | 120/km2 (300/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 1-3-10 Chūō, Hokuto-shi, Hokkaidō 049-0192 |
| Climate | Dfb |
| Website | www |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Spring: Sakura Summer: Marigold Autumn: Mukuge |
| Mascot | Zushihocky |
| Tree | Japanese Black Pine and Japanese beech |
Geography
editHokuto is in the middle of Oshima, a peninsula in Hokkaido's south. The southeast portion is mostly plains and the western part is more mountainous. The south borders the Hakodate Bay. The Ōno River runs north and south through the middle of Hokuto.
- Mountain: Katsuratake (734m)
- Rivers: Ōno, Hekirichi
- Lake: Kamiiso
- Forest parks: Hachirounuma Koen
Neighboring regions
edit- Oshima Subprefecture
- Hakodate City
- Kamiiso District: Kikonai Town
- Kameda District: Nanae Town
- Kayabe District: Mori Town
- Hiyama Subprefecture
Climate
edit| Climate data for Hokuto, Hokkaido (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 9.2 (48.6) |
10.7 (51.3) |
16.7 (62.1) |
25.1 (77.2) |
28.2 (82.8) |
29.5 (85.1) |
33.6 (92.5) |
34.5 (94.1) |
32.5 (90.5) |
28.2 (82.8) |
21.2 (70.2) |
16.3 (61.3) |
34.5 (94.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0.2 (32.4) |
1.0 (33.8) |
5.0 (41.0) |
11.6 (52.9) |
16.9 (62.4) |
20.5 (68.9) |
23.9 (75.0) |
25.8 (78.4) |
22.9 (73.2) |
16.7 (62.1) |
9.3 (48.7) |
2.4 (36.3) |
13.0 (55.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −3.5 (25.7) |
−2.9 (26.8) |
0.9 (33.6) |
6.6 (43.9) |
11.8 (53.2) |
15.9 (60.6) |
19.8 (67.6) |
21.5 (70.7) |
18.0 (64.4) |
11.5 (52.7) |
5.0 (41.0) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
8.6 (47.5) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −8.1 (17.4) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
1.5 (34.7) |
7.0 (44.6) |
11.9 (53.4) |
16.6 (61.9) |
17.9 (64.2) |
13.4 (56.1) |
6.3 (43.3) |
0.6 (33.1) |
−5.2 (22.6) |
4.2 (39.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −19.6 (−3.3) |
−19.4 (−2.9) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−10.8 (12.6) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
4.0 (39.2) |
8.4 (47.1) |
9.2 (48.6) |
2.0 (35.6) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−18.6 (−1.5) |
−19.6 (−3.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 67.0 (2.64) |
55.8 (2.20) |
56.1 (2.21) |
68.6 (2.70) |
86.4 (3.40) |
79.8 (3.14) |
129.5 (5.10) |
158.5 (6.24) |
142.6 (5.61) |
111.7 (4.40) |
106.2 (4.18) |
87.5 (3.44) |
1,149.7 (45.26) |
| Average rainy days | 14.8 | 12.3 | 12.2 | 10.1 | 10.3 | 8.3 | 9.6 | 9.4 | 11.0 | 12.1 | 14.3 | 16.1 | 140.5 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 66.8 | 83.1 | 133.5 | 172.2 | 189.2 | 161.7 | 116.7 | 137.2 | 152.8 | 147.9 | 97.0 | 63.5 | 1,521.6 |
| Source 1: JMA[3] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: JMA[4] | |||||||||||||
History
edit- 1900: Kamiiso village and Ono village were founded.
- 1918: Kamiiso village became Kamiiso town.
- 1955: Mobetsu village was merged into Kamiiso town.
- 1957: Ono village became Ono town.
- 2006: Kamiiso town and Ono town were merged to form Hokuto city.
Transportation
editRail
editOshima-Ōno Station was scheduled to be rebuilt and renamed Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station by the time the Hokkaido Shinkansen in March 2016.
- Esashi Line: Nanaehama - Higashi-Kunebetsu - Kunebetsu - Kiyokawaguchi - Kamiiso - Moheji - Oshima-Tōbetsu
- Hakodate Main Line: Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
- Hokkaido Shinkansen: Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto
Road
edit
Hakodate-Esashi Expressway: Hokuto-Oiwake IC - Hokuto-chūō IC - Hokuto-Tomigawa IC - Hokuto-Moheji IC
Education
editHigh schools
edit- Hokkaido Kamiiso High School
- Hokkaido Ono Agricultural High School
- Hokkaido Hakodate fisheries High School
References
edit- ^ a b "北斗（市）" [Hokuto]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
- ^ "上磯" [Kamiiso]. Nihon Daihyakka Zensho (Nipponika) (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2012. OCLC 153301537. Archived from the original on 2007-08-25. Retrieved 2012-12-02.
- ^ 観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）. JMA. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
- ^ 気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）. JMA. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
External links
edit
Hokuto (Hokkaido) travel guide from Wikivoyage- Official Website (in Japanese)
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