Hokuto, Hokkaido

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 Hakodate.[1]

Hokuto
北斗市
Hokuto City Hall
Hokuto City Hall
Flag of Hokuto
Official seal of Hokuto
Location of Hokuto in Hokkaido (Oshima Subprefecture)
Location of Hokuto in Hokkaido (Oshima Subprefecture)
Hokuto is located in Japan
Hokuto
Hokuto
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 41°49′27″N 140°39′10″E
CountryJapan
RegionHokkaido
PrefectureHokkaido (Oshima Subprefecture)
Government
  MayorToshimine Takaya
Area
  Total397.29 km2 (153.39 sq mi)
Population
 (March 1, 2020)
  Total46,083
  Density120/km2 (300/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address1-3-10 Chūō, Hokuto-shi, Hokkaidō
049-0192
ClimateDfb
Websitewww.city.hokuto.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
FlowerSpring: Sakura
Summer: Marigold
Autumn: Mukuge
MascotZushihocky
TreeJapanese Black Pine and Japanese beech

Geography

Hokuto 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

Climate

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)
20.8
(69.4)
15.4
(59.7)
34.5
(94.1)
Average high °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)
Average low °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

  • 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

Rail

Oshima-Ōno Station was scheduled to be rebuilt and renamed Shin-Hakodate-Hokuto Station by the time the Hokkaido Shinkansen in March 2016.

Road

Education

High schools

  • Hokkaido Kamiiso High School
  • Hokkaido Ono Agricultural High School
  • Hokkaido Hakodate fisheries High School

References

  1. "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.
  2. "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.
  3. 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  4. 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved February 17, 2022.


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