Kimobetsu, Hokkaido

Kimobetsu 喜茂別町
Town
Kimobetsu Town hall
Flag Emblem
Location of Kimobetsu in Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)
Kimobetsu Location in Japan
Coordinates: 42°48′N 140°56′E
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)
District	Abuta
Government
• Mayor	Noriaki Sugawara
Area
• Total	189.51 km2 (73.17 sq mi)
Population  (September 30, 2016)
• Total	2,286
• Density	12/km2 (31/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	123 Kimobetsu, Kimobetsu, Abuta-gun, Hokkaido 044-0292
Website	www.town.kimobetsu.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
Flower	Impatiens walleriana
Tree	Prunus sargenti

Kimobetsu (喜茂別町, Kimobetsu-chō) is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 2,286 and a population density of 12 persons per km². The total area is 189.51 km².

Geography

Route 230 and Route 276 cross each other in Kimobetsu. Nakayama Pass is on the eastern of the town.

The name derived from Ainu word "kim-o-pet", meaning "The river in the mountain".

• Mountains: Mount Yōtei, Mount Shiribetsu
• Rivers: Shiribetsu River, Kimobetsu River

Neighboring municipalities

• Shiribeshi Subprefecture
  • Kyogoku
  • Rusutsu
  • Makkari
• Ishikari Subprefecture
  • Minami-ku, Sapporo
• Iburi Subprefecture
  • Date

History

• 1897: Makkari Village split off from Abuta Village (now Toyako Town).
• 1901: Kaributo Village (now Niseko Town) was split off from Makkari Village.
• 1906: Makkari Village became a Second Class Village.
• 1910: Makkari Village was transferred from Muroran Subprefecture (now Iburi Subprefecture) to Shiribeshi Subprefecture.
• 1917: Kimobetsu Village (now town) was split off from Makkari Village.
• 1946: Kimobetsu Village became a First Class Village.
• 1952: Kimobetsu Village became Kimobetsu Town.

Climate

Due to its mountainous location, Kimobetsu has a humid continental climate (Koppen Dfb). Summers are generally warm and wet, while winters are cold and extremely snowy.

Climate data for Kimobetsu , Japan (1981～2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	7.1 (44.8)	11.0 (51.8)	13.1 (55.6)	23.8 (74.8)	28.6 (83.5)	33.3 (91.9)	33.0 (91.4)	33.4 (92.1)	31.0 (87.8)	23.5 (74.3)	18.3 (64.9)	11.3 (52.3)	33.4 (92.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−2.7 (27.1)	−2.0 (28.4)	1.8 (35.2)	8.8 (47.8)	15.9 (60.6)	20.5 (68.9)	23.7 (74.7)	25.1 (77.2)	20.6 (69.1)	14.0 (57.2)	6.1 (43.0)	−0.4 (31.3)	11.0 (51.8)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−7.4 (18.7)	−7 (19)	−2.8 (27.0)	3.5 (38.3)	9.7 (49.5)	14.6 (58.3)	18.6 (65.5)	19.8 (67.6)	14.7 (58.5)	8.0 (46.4)	1.4 (34.5)	−4.6 (23.7)	5.7 (42.3)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−14.2 (6.4)	−14.2 (6.4)	−9.4 (15.1)	−2.2 (28.0)	3.3 (37.9)	8.9 (48.0)	14.0 (57.2)	14.9 (58.8)	8.8 (47.8)	2.0 (35.6)	−3.3 (26.1)	−10.1 (13.8)	−0.1 (31.8)
Record low °C (°F)	−30.9 (−23.6)	−31.9 (−25.4)	−25.7 (−14.3)	−18.5 (−1.3)	−4.0 (24.8)	−1.6 (29.1)	2.4 (36.3)	4.9 (40.8)	−1.1 (30.0)	−7.3 (18.9)	−20.6 (−5.1)	−27.3 (−17.1)	−31.9 (−25.4)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	90.1 (3.55)	69.1 (2.72)	65.8 (2.59)	64.5 (2.54)	80.3 (3.16)	49.5 (1.95)	101.4 (3.99)	149.6 (5.89)	138.8 (5.46)	114.4 (4.50)	121.1 (4.77)	104.4 (4.11)	1,149.5 (45.26)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	273 (107)	223 (88)	168 (66)	51 (20)	1 (0.4)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	4 (1.6)	106 (42)	275 (108)	1,102 (434)
Source 1: Japan Meteorological Agency
Source 2: Japan Meteorological Agency

Education

• Junior high school
  • Kimobetsu Junior High School
• Elementary school
  • Kimobetsu Elementary School
  • Suzukawa Elementary School

See also

• Shikotsu-Tōya National Park

External links

• Media related to Kimobetsu, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Website (in Japanese)