Mikasa (三笠市, Mikasa-shi) is a city located in SorachiSubprefecture, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. It is one of the birthplaces of the mining and railroad industries in Hokkaido, and the Hokkai Bon song was invented there. Though in the past it flourished due to its natural abundance of coal, the mines have largely closed down and this has caused the population of the city to fall rapidly.
Notable local products include watermelon, musk melon, cucumber, northern plum, and wine.
Quite a few fossil specimens have also been collected there, particularly ammonites and the prehistoric marine reptile Yezosaurus mikasaensis, both of which can be viewed at the city's natural history museum.
As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 11,228 and the density of 37.1 persons per km². The total area is 302.64 km². It is bordered on three sides by mountains, and on its east side is the man-made Lake Katsurazawa.
Media related to Mikasa, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons
