Ashibetsu

Ashibetsu (芦別市, Ashibetsu-shi) is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 17,984 and a density of 20.8 persons per km². The total area is 865.02 km².

History

The city was once a prosperous coal mining city, its population exceeding 70,000 at its peak, but its population has fallen since the closing of the coal mines.^[1]

1893 Satō Denjirō (originally from Yamagata Prefecture) founds Ashibetsu
1897 Nae Village (now Sunagawa City) and part of Takikawa Village (now City) split off to form Utashinai Village
1900 Ashibetsu Village split off of Utashinai Village.
1906 Ashibetsu becomes a Second Class Municipality
1917 Kuhara Mining Industry Yuya Ashibetu Coal Mine opened
1923 First Class Municipality
1924 Mitsubishi Mining Industry Ashibetsu Coal Mine opened
1935 Meiji Mining Industry Meiji-Kamiashibetsu Coal Mine opened
1938 Ashibetsu-Takane Colliery Takane Mining Station opened
1941 Ashibetsu Village becomes Ashibetsu Town
1943 Mitsui-Ashibetsu Mining Industry Mitsui-Ashibetsu Coal Mine opened
1953 Ashibetsu Town becomes Ashibetsu City
1963 Meiji Mining Industry Meiji-Kamiashibetsu Coal Mine closed
1964 Mitsubishi Mining Industry Ashibetsu Coal Mine closed
1967 Ashibetsu-Takane Colliery Takane Mining Station closed
1969 Yuya Mining Industry Yuya Ashibetu Coal Mine closed
1992 Mitsui-Ashibetsu Mining Industry Mitsui-Ashibetsu Coal Mine closed
1991 Canadian World park opened
1997 Canadian World business failure (to transform munincipal park in 1999)