Kitami

For other uses, see Kitami (disambiguation).

Not to be confused with Kitakyushu; Kitanagoya; Kitahiroshima, Hokkaido; or Kitahiroshima, Hiroshima.

Kitami 北見市
City
Clockwise from top: View of downtown Kitami from Southhill Forest Park, Pierson Memorial Museum, Takinoyu Spa, Kitami BBQ Festival in February, Wakka Nature Center, Street in Onneyu area, Kitami Municipal Curling Arena
Flag Emblem
Location of Kitami in Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
Kitami Location in Japan
Coordinates: 43°48′N 143°54′E
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
Government
• Mayor	Makoto Sakurada
Area
• Total	1,427.56 km2 (551.18 sq mi)
Population  (April 30, 2017)
• Total	119,135
• Density	83/km2 (220/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	1 Higashi Ni-chōme, Kita Go-jō, Kitami-shi, Hokkaido 090-8501
Website	www.city.kitami.lg.jp
Symbols
Flower	Chrysanthemum
Tree	Japanese Yew

Wakka Nature Center

Kitami (北見市, Kitami-shi) is a city in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the most populous city and the commercial center in the subprefecture, although the subprefectural capital is Abashiri.

Kitami is physically in the middle of Okhotsk Subprefecture. The Kitami Mountains are nearby and are the main reason behind the city's name. The city is the result of the merge of Kitami, Tanno, Tokoro and Rubeshibe towns in 2006 administrative's reform. Kitami developed mainly in commerce and industry/service industries, Tanno in agriculture, Tokoro in fishery / agriculture, and Rubeshibe in forestry / hot springs. Due to the characteristics of each region, Kitami City has the highest onion production / shipment volume and white flower bean production volume in Japan, and with a scallop fishing flourishing, is making it as the "birthplace of scallop farming" in the country. In addition, the region is home of historical and touristic places like the Pearson Museum, Wakka Wild Flower Garden, and Tokoro Ruins. which are listed as " Hokkaido Heritage" sites.

As of November of 2021, the city has a population of 115,351, in 61,793 households. The population density is 83 inhabitants per square kilometre (210/sq mi). The total area is 1,427.56 km² (551.18 sq mi).

Etymology

The name came from a suggestion of the Japanese explorer and cartographer Matsuura Takeshirō during the Meiji Era, when imperial bureaucrats were registering the place for initiate the region's development through the Hokkaidō Development Commission. Before the imperial intervention, there was no Ainu name for the place.[1]

The meaning of the name consist in the kanji's combinations of characters 北 (North) 見 (See) and 市 (city), which means "City of the North View". The reason behind this meaning is due to the region's mountains that allow to see the sea and the island of Sakhalin.

Originally, the name refers to a vast area between the Mountains and the Sea of Okhotsk . Since the merger of Kitami City with the surrounding Tokoro, Rubeshibe and Tanno Towns in 2006, it often being referred as the area around the Kitami Basin (so-called Kitami Inland Area ), excluding the former Tokoro Town area in the coastal area.[2]

Chronology

The Edo period

The Edo period is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional daimyo.

• 1856: Japanese explorer Matsuura Takeshirō pass over the region for the first time trough the Tokoro River.

Meiji era

The Meiji era is an era of Japanese history that extended from October 23, 1868 to July 30, 1912.

• 1869 (Meiji 2): The Meiji government renames Ezo as "Hokkaido" and creates the Hokkaidō Development Commission.
• 1872 (Meiji 5): The village of Notsukeushi-mura (ノツケウシ村) is founded, starting the process of settlement in the region.
• 1882 (Meiji 15): Hokkaidō Development Commission is abolished, and the first three prefectures are established in Hokkaido. This area belonged to Nemuro prefecture.
• 1891 (Meiji 24): Central road (Abashiri-Kitami-Asahikawa) excavation started  ..
• 1897 (Meiji 30): 112 immigrants arrives and settled in Kitami, which leaded to the substantial growth of the region.
• 1899 (Meiji 32): Is produced the first mint in the region.
• 1904 (Meiji 37): Rice cultivation begins.
• 1910 (Meiji 43):Train service arrives (then called the Ikeda Railway Line), connecting the village to Sapporo.

Taishō era

Taishō is a period dating from 30 July 1912 to 25 December 1926, coinciding with the reign of the Emperor Taishō.

• 1914 (Taisho 3): Pearson Museum opened.
• 1915 (Taisho 4): Tokoro Village is created.
• 1921 (Taisho 10): Rubeshibe Town is created.

Showa period

Is the period of Japanese history corresponding to the reign of Emperor Shōwa (Hirohito) from December 25, 1926 until his death on January 7, 1989.

• 1928 (Showa 3): Mr. and Mrs. Pearson leaves Kitami and comes back to the United States.
• 1934 (Showa 9): The completion of the Japanese Red Cross hospital.
• 1934 (Showa 9): Kitami Mint Memorial Hall opened..
• 1939 (Showa 14): Kitami's mint production gets 70% of the world market and reach it's peak .
• 1942 (Showa 17): Kitami becomes a city.
• 1947 (Showa 22): 50th anniversary of the opening of Kitami City. Enactment of the Kitami City coat of arms  ..
• 1954 (Showa 29): "Kitami Commerce and Industry Festival" (later Kitami Summer Festival → Kitami Bonchi Festival) held for the first time  .
• 1960 (Showa 35): Establishment of Kitami College of Technology.
• 1971 (Showa 46): "Kitami Winter Festival" held for the first time. Opening of the Pearson Museum.
• 1979 (Showa 54): The population of Kitami City exceeds 100,000.
• 1983 (Showa 58): The 100th anniversary of the creation of Tokoro.
• 1984 (Showa 59): Kitami Cultural Center in the Kitami area opens.
• 1988 (Showa 63): Tokorocho Curling Hall (currently Tokorocho Curling Hall, Kitami City ) was completed.

Heisei Era

Is the period corresponding to the reign of Emperor Akihito from 8 January 1989 until his abdication on 30 April 2019. In this era, the actual city was created.

• 1991 (Heisei 3): "Solar Challenge in Hokkaido" ( solar car race ) held for the first time (end of 2003).
• 1996 (Heisei 8): The 100th anniversary of the opening of Kitami City.
• 1997 (Heisei 9): "Kaoryanse Festival" held for the first time  .
• 1999 (Heisei 11): Is opened the Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing .
• 2000 (Heisei 12): " Kitami Severe Cold Yakiniku Festival " was held for the first time.
• 2001 (Heisei 13): Pearson Museum and Wakka Wild Flower Garden are selected as " Hokkaido Heritage ".
• 2004 (Heisei 16): A record blizzard hits (snow covered 171 cm), Ancient archaeological sites along the Okhotsk coast including the Tokoro archaeological site have been selected as " Hokkaido heritage ".
• 2006 (Heisei 18):Kitami, Tokoro, Rubeshibe and Tanno surges as City of Kitami.
• 2008 (Heisei 20): The first community broadcast "FM Okhotsk " in Abashiri jurisdiction opens.
• 2009 (Heisei 21): "Kitami Half Marathon" held for the first time.
• 2014 (Heisei 26): Kitami's daily maximum temperature recorded the highest value (37.2 degrees) in the history of observation.

Reiwa era

Reiwa is the current era of Japan's official calendar. It began on 1 May 2019, the day on which Emperor Akihito's elder son, Naruhito, ascended the throne as the 126th Emperor of Japan.

• 2019 (first year of Reiwa): On May 26, the highest temperature in the history of observation was observed in Kitami City at 38.1 ℃.

Towns and Autonomous Regions

Kitami is the result of the administrative unification of smalls towns with the main city, which was made in 2006.Thanks to this merging, Kitami is the biggest city in the Okhotsk Subprefecture. These small towns still exists as a Autonomous Region Districts (自治区). There is 4 autonomous regions/towns in tolal.

City of Kitami

Translated as North View (北見), is the main urban area of the region.The city flourished during prewar era through the production of mint, which at the time accounted for 70% of world production. Nowadays Kitami is the commercial, industrial and service center of the Okhotsk area. The government make efforts for develop the city through industry-academia-government collaboration involving universities and other higher education institutions that are also based in the area. [3]

Town of Tanno

Translated as Edge Field (端野) which is based in the native Ainu name nufu-un-keshi (edge of the field), the district is mainly a farm field with smooth hills and a rural landscape in the Tokoro river basin. The district has an educational zone with elementary and junior high schools, social education facilities and parks in the main centre of the district. The rural landscape is also shaped by farms with urban convenience. In the last population survey (2005) the town had an estimated population of 5,425 and a density of 33 persons per km². The total area was 163.50 km².

See also: Tanno, Hokkaido

Town of Tokoro

Agriculture and fisheries thrive in this district with abundant nature, including Wakka Wild Flower Park, where flowers stand out on the sandbar between the Sea of Okhotsk and Lake Saroma. It has a year-round curling hall, which is one of the largest of its kind in Japan, as well as historical sites such as the Tokoro Site and the birthplace of scallop cultivation. [4] As of 2004, the town had an estimated population of 4,885 and a density of 17.55 persons per km². The total area was 278.29 km².

See also: Tokoro, Hokkaido

Town of Rubeshibe

Translated as Legacy of the Detained Pistils (留辺蘂), the district is surrounded by thick forests at the foot of the Taisetsu mountains and along the Muka River. Its key industries are White Flower (shirohana-mame) beans production, for which it boasts the nation’s largest yield, and the forest products industry, which uses locally produced wood. As a tourist spot, Yama no Aquarium (Kita no Daichi no Aquarium) in the Onneyu Onsen resort is attracting nationwide attention with its unique display tanks. [5]. Before the unification with Kitami, the town had an estimated population of 8,704 and a density of 15.41 persons per km². The total area was 564.69 km².

See also: Rubeshibe, Hokkaido

File:Kitami's city map with the autonomous regions.jpg

Map with the actual administrative division of the city. District of Rubeshibe (Pink), City of Kitami (Green), District of Tanno (Red) and District of Tokoro (Yellow).

Economy

History and actual situation

Kitami's first economy was the natural production of Mentha (Mint). During at one time (pre-war) the region exported mint (known as hakka locally) in a scale that represented the supply of 70% of the world's mint consumption at its peak. Nowadays It is the central city of the Okhotsk region. The number of employees by industry is divided by 7.6% for the primary industry, 18.8% for the secondary industry, and 73.6% for the tertiary industry (2010), which is comparable to major cities in Hokkaido. The proportion of primary industry is high when compared with other cities alike.

Agriculture

Extensive farmland of the city are surrounded by grand nature stretches over 110 km east to west from the foot of the Taisetsu mountains to the Sea of Okhotsk coast. Abundant sunlight and fertile soil support the production of diverse produce, including rice, wheat/barley, potatoes, beet, beans and other upland crops, onions and other vegetables, as well as dairy products, beef, pork and other livestock products.　Efforts are being made to produce diverse farm products by making the most of the climate and characteristics of each district. Clean agriculture harmonious with the natural environment is promoted by minimizing the use of chemical fertilizers and synthetic pesticides to deliver safe, reliable and high-quality farm products to consumers.

• Onions

The total production of onions in FY 2019 was approximately 221,000 tons, accounting for roughly 25% of the total production of Hokkaido as well as being the largest yield in Japan. The total area of onion fields in the city is approximately 3,500 hectares. Farmers are busy transplanting seedlings in spring, and rows of large, plump onions fill vast fields in autumn.

• White pea beans

White pea beans are known as the “queen of beans.” These pure white, large-grained beans are used as an ingredient for the white bean paste in high-class Japanese confectionery. Kitami, which has a cool, inland climate, is ideal for cultivating white pea beans and is a major production area in Hokkaido. The large and tasty white pea beans produced in Kitami are distributed as high-grade beans trough Japan.

Fishery

In Kitami, which faces the resource-rich Sea of Okhotsk and Lake Saroma, open-sea scallop and fixed-net salmon/trout fisheries are among the city’s key industries. Hairy crabs, sea urchin and flatfish are also caught, and sustainable fishery is promoted. Scallop and oyster farming and Hokkai shrimp fishing are popular on the lake. The Tokoro Fishing Port is being developed to provide safer and more reliable seafood.　With an eye on the conservation of the fishing ground environment, fishing operators are actively engaged in tree planting activities to grow forests.

• Scallops

The lake Saroma is the birthplace of scallop farming. After many hardships, fishermen established propagation and culture technology to build the foundation of the Tokoro area as one of the world’s leading scallop producing areas. The scallops grown in Lake Saroma and the Sea of Okhotsk are plump and sweet, and have an exceptional texture. They are distributed all over the world as a luxury food item.

• Oysters and Hokkai shrimp

From mid-October to the end of March, oyster fishing is popular on Lake Saroma. The oysters, which are small yet have a rich flavor, are highly valued especially for eating raw.　Hokkai shrimp, which is shipped only in July and August, is mainly boiled in salt. With a saltiness that pairs perfectly with sake, moderate elasticity, crispy texture, and sweetness that spreads in the mouth, it is known as a summer specialty of the Okhotsk area.

Industry

Efforts to revitalize the local economy include the cultivation of new sales channels and the development of new products with higher added value to overcome the problem of logistics costs. Product development is promoted via inter-industry collaboration and by attracting enterprises to the Kitami Industrial Complex and Kitami HighTech Park, both of which make the most of local resources. Kitami Institute of Technology’s Cooperative Research & Community Collaboration Center serves as a contact point for joint research with the private sector. The Okhotsk Collaborative Research Center and the Kitami Office of the Hokkaido Branch of the Organization for Small & Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation have been established as “one-stop service bases” to support R&D and commercialization in the local community. Measures to promote local industries, such as the enhancement of technological capabilities and the development of new products, are taken while strengthening industry-academia-government collaboration. There is important private enterprises installed in the city as Kyocera Corporation and Hitachi, Ltd.

Commerce

As the central city of the Okhotsk area, Kitami has expanded its retail trading zone in the last years. The commercial district in the downtown area, where retail, service and restaurant establishments are concentrated, has long been a place for interaction among citizens. Various events are held to make the commercial district more attractive. A new shopping zone formed in the suburbs has further livened up the commercial sector of Kitami. Lively and diverse commercial activities are promoted by making the most of local creativity while facilitating the participation of local residents in the development of a community. In financial matters, the annual sales of both wholesale and retail businesses in Kitami City are declining, and the number of business establishments and employees is also declining. This decline occur mainly due the Japanese economic crisis, faster ageing population and urban exodus. In the tourism industry, there are about 1.5 million tourists a year, mainly in Lake Saroma and Onneyu Onsen. However, the total number of overnight guests has been around 450,000 a year, making it a so-called “passing-type” tourist destination.

• 
  Downtown of the City
• 
  An Aeon's retail store in Kitami
• 
  Tobu East Mall, one of the largest in the region.

Education

Kitami is home to the Kitami Institute of Technology, an engineering university that originally opened in 1960, and the Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing, established in 1999 by the Japanese Red Cross through consolidation of several other institutions. . The Kitami Central Library is the main library of the city. In December 2015, the library was relocated to a new building on the south side, making it easily accessible from the downtown area. The library has a collection of approximately 330,000 books and supports the learning of residents with a network of nine facilities in the city, which have 799,000 books in total. It provides an audiovisual area where DVDs and music can be enjoyed and a literature museum area that exhibits valuable materials of the poet Mokichi Saito. PCs and Wi-Fi can be used freely by residents and non-residents alike. New services such as e-books are also available.

Universities

National

• Kitami Institute of Technology

Private

• Japanese Red Cross Hokkaido College of Nursing

High schools

Public

• Hokkaido Kitami Hokuto High School
• Hokkaido Kitami Hakuyou High School
• Hokkaido Kitami Ryokuryo High School
• Hokkaido Kitami Commercial High School
• Hokkaido Kitami Technical High School
• Hokkaido Rubeshibe High School
• Hokkaido Tokoro High School

Private

• Kitami Fuji Girls' High School

Festivals

• The Kitami Winter Festival, held annually during the 2nd week of February.
• The Kitami Bonchi Festival (Summer Festival) in early July.
• The Kitami Chrysanthemum festival in mid October−early November.

Mass Media

Newspapers

• Hokkaido Shimbun - Kitami Branch
• Yomiuri Shimbun - Hokkaido's Kitami Branch
• Asahi Shimbun - Hokkaido's Kitami Branch
• Mainichi Shimbun Hokkaido's Kitami Communication Department
• Hokkaido Construction Newspaper - Kitami Branch

Tabloids

• Densho Hato Kitami Headquarters, Rubeshibe Office
• Doshin information magazine "Mint"
• Gra Style

Broadcasting station

TV

• NHK Kitami Broadcasting Station
• Hokkaido Broadcasting (HBC) Kitami Broadcasting Station
• Sapporo Television Broadcasting (STV) Kitami Broadcasting Station

Radio

• FM Okhotsk

Sports

Curling

The city has strong associations with the sport of curling, inherited from the former town of Tokoro absorbed into the city in 2006. Interest in the sport grew following a friendship visit in 1980 by a curling team from Alberta in Canada. An outdoor curling rink was built in Tokoro the following year, and it hosted the 1st NHK Cup Curling Championship. In January 1988, the town built a dedicated 5-lane curling hall, the first in Japan. This eventually closed in early 2013, replaced by a new, larger, all-year-round structure.

Curling was introduced in schools in Tokoro as part of the physical education curriculum, and the two produced a number of Olympic curlers. Five members of the Japanese curling team at the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano were from Tokoro, three members of the Japanese curling team at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino were from Tokoro, and three members of the Japanese curling team at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver were from Tokoro.

Climate

Kitami has a humid continental climate with cold winters and relatively warm summers. The coldest month is January, with an average low of −14.7 °C (5.5 °F), and the warmest month is August, with an average high of 25 °C (77 °F). Kitami's inland location creates a larger temperature range than some coastal cities. Due to the mountains nearby, the Foehn wind effect occurs in summer when prevailing winds are from the southeast, so that Kitami often has the hottest temperatures in Hokkaido during this season and averages about 5 °C (9 °F) hotter than Kushiro. Traces of snow fall every day during the winter and cover is heavy, usually peaking at 0.82 metres (32.28 in), though Kitami still receives less overall precipitation than any other town in Japan as it is shielded from the heaviest moisture from both the Sea of Japan and Pacific Ocean.

Climate data for Kitami, Hokkaido (1981–2010)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	8.0 (46.4)	7.9 (46.2)	24.2 (75.6)	32.2 (90.0)	38.1 (100.6)	34.2 (93.6)	35.9 (96.6)	37.0 (98.6)	32.1 (89.8)	27.7 (81.9)	22.0 (71.6)	14.5 (58.1)	38.1 (100.6)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−2.9 (26.8)	−1.9 (28.6)	2.9 (37.2)	11.3 (52.3)	17.6 (63.7)	21.2 (70.2)	24.3 (75.7)	25.7 (78.3)	21.3 (70.3)	15.4 (59.7)	7.5 (45.5)	0.1 (32.2)	11.9 (53.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−8.5 (16.7)	−7.8 (18.0)	−2.4 (27.7)	5.0 (41.0)	10.9 (51.6)	15.0 (59.0)	18.7 (65.7)	20.2 (68.4)	15.8 (60.4)	9.1 (48.4)	2.1 (35.8)	−5.0 (23.0)	6.1 (43.0)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−14.7 (5.5)	−14.1 (6.6)	−8.1 (17.4)	−0.7 (30.7)	4.7 (40.5)	9.7 (49.5)	14.1 (57.4)	15.8 (60.4)	10.6 (51.1)	3.4 (38.1)	−2.9 (26.8)	−10.6 (12.9)	0.6 (33.1)
Record low °C (°F)	−30.1 (−22.2)	−30.9 (−23.6)	−24.3 (−11.7)	−14 (7)	−4.8 (23.4)	−0.9 (30.4)	3.4 (38.1)	6.3 (43.3)	0.3 (32.5)	−4.6 (23.7)	−16.3 (2.7)	−24.6 (−12.3)	−30.9 (−23.6)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	47.5 (1.87)	32.4 (1.28)	42.5 (1.67)	47.6 (1.87)	56.7 (2.23)	57.3 (2.26)	94.0 (3.70)	113.2 (4.46)	106.3 (4.19)	69.0 (2.72)	43.9 (1.73)	49.4 (1.94)	759.8 (29.92)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	119 (47)	97 (38)	101 (40)	29 (11)	3 (1.2)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	17 (6.7)	87 (34)	453 (177.9)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm)	11.4	9.6	11.2	10.1	9.9	9.0	10.6	10.2	10.6	9.1	9.4	10.8	121.9
Average snowy days (≥ 5 cm)	30.9	28.2	29.4	6.3	0.1	0	0	0	0	0	1.6	20.1	116.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours	114.7	128.6	166.4	164.9	179.6	167.7	154.7	155.3	145.3	155.0	129.7	115.6	1,777.5
Source 1: Japan Meteorological Agency
Source 2: Japan Meteorological Agency

Transportation

Highway

• Tokachi-Okhotsk Expressway
• National Route 39

Bus

The Hokkaido Kitami Bus Company has a number of inter-city as well as out-of-city routes.

Rail

The JR Hokkaido Sekihoku Main Line that passes through Kitami reached the city on October 19, 1910, when the town was still called Notsukeushi. The largest station is Kitami Station, with Nishi-Kitami Station, Hakuyo Station, and Itoshino Station also located in Kitami.

Air

The city is served by Memanbetsu Airport in the neighboring town of Ōzora.

Sister cities

• Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States. Signed on June 12, 1969.
• Poronaysk, Sakhalin Oblast, Russia. Signed on August 13, 1972.
• Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea
• Barrhead, Alberta, Canada (Barrhead Town had a relationship with the former town of Tokoro. In 2006, Tokoro merged into Kitami city so Kitami takes over the relationship.)
• Kōchi, Kōchi, Japan
• Sakawa, Kōchi, Japan
• Marumori, Miyagi, Japan
• Ono, Gifu, Japan

Notable people from Kitami

• Jake Lee, Zainichi Korean professional wrestler (Real Name: Lee Che-Gyong, Hangul: 이 체경)
• Shinya Abe, Japanese curler and curling coach
• Miz, Japanese pop/rock singer and actress (Real Name: Mizuki Watanabe, Nihongo: 渡邊瑞枝, Watanabe Mizuki)
• Whiteberry, five-piece all-girl pop/rock band
• Kosuke Aita, Japanese curler
• Takuya Furuya, Japanese professional baseball pitcher for the Chiba Lotte Marines in Japan's Nippon Professional Baseball
• Chinami Yoshida, Japanese curler and older sister of Yurika Yoshida
• Yurika Yoshida, Japanese curler and younger sister of Chinami Yoshida
• Akira Takase, Japanese footballer (ReinMeer Aomori) and older brother of Megumi Takase
• Megumi Takase, former Japanese football player and younger sister of Akira Takase
• Sayaka Yoshimura, Japanese curler
• Makoto Tsuruga, Japanese curler
• Osamu Uno, Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).
• Tsuyoshi Ryutaki, Japanese male curler
• Kiyofumi Ohno, Japanese pop singer-songwriter
• Yasumasa Tanida, Japanese curler
• Yoshiyuki Ohmiya, Japanese curler and curling coach
• Ayumi Ogasawara, Japanese curler and curling coach
• Mari Motohashi, Japanese curler
• Akemi Niwa, Japanese curler, a three-time Pacific-Asian champion (1993, 1997, 1998) and a three-time Japan women's champion (1997, 1998, 1999)
• Ami Kikuchi, Japanese gravure idol, tarento, radio personality and J-pop idol, former member of J-pop girlgroup Idoling!!!
• Chiharu Kitaoka, Japanese voice actress
• Yuta Matsumura, Japanese curler
• Taro Kondo, Japanese speed skater
• Tatsuki Nara, Japanese footballer who plays for J1 League club Kashima Antlers.
• Kazuhiko Ikawa, Japanese curler
• Takehiko Itō, Japanese manga artist (NG Knight Ramune & 40, Outlaw Star, among others)
• Mao Ishigaki, Japanese curler
• Yumie Funayama, Japanese curler (Real Name: Yumie Hayashi, Nihongo: 林 弓枝, Hayashi Yumie)
• Satsuki Fujisawa, Japanese curler (Skipper)
• Hiroshi Sato, Japanese curler and curling coach
• Yumi Suzuki, Japanese curler
• Yōsuke Shinoda, Japanese politician of the Liberal Democratic Party and a member of the House of Representatives in the Diet (national legislature).

In pop culture

The 2019 manga series Hokkaido Gals Are Super Adorable! is set in Kitami and its author, Kai Ikada, is a native of the city.

References

• "Selected Essays on the History of Kitami City, Hokkaido, Japan". city.kitami.lg.jp. City of Kitami. Archived from the original on May 15, 2011. Retrieved May 29, 2011.

External links

• Kitami travel guide from Wikivoyage
• Official Website (in Japanese)