Monbetsu, Hokkaidō

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This article is about the city in Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan. There is a town in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido with this name, see Monbetsu, Hokkaido (Hidaka). For the district in Abashiri Subprefecture, Hokkaido, see Monbetsu District, Hokkaido.

Monbetsu (紋別市; -shi) is a city located in Abashiri, Hokkaido, Japan, on the Sea of Okhotsk. The name comes from Ainu Mōpetto (Quiet River). It is often called Ōhotsuku-Monbetsu (Okhotsk-Monbetsu) to distinguish from town of Monbetsu in Hidaka Subprefecture (different kanji, but same reading).

Most of Monbetsu's economy is dedicated to fishing for cold-water species such as crab. The crab from Monbetsu is reputably the best in Japan, and is such a source of town pride that a sculpture of a crab claw nearly 10m tall was built down by the waterfront.

The city is also a center for research on sea ice with an international conference held in February (usually the time of peak sea ice) each year. There is also a local Sea Ice Festival held each year that coencides with the Sapporo Snow Festival. The sea ice festival features impressive sculptures actually built out of sea ice along with a large ice maze.

During the summertime, when the sea ice melts, sailors from Russia are a common sight in the city. Many local businesses have banned Russian visitors for their supposed "unruly" behavior, which has led many to criticize Monbetsu as a hotbed of racial discrimination. (See also: Ethnic issues in Japan.)

As of 2003, the city has an estimated population of 27,764 and a density of 33.44 persons per km². The total area is 830.36 km².

Monbetsu does not have passenger rail service. There are buses to Sapporo and Asahikawa, as well as a daily flight to Tokyo from Monbetsu Airport.

[edit] History

1909 Mobetsu Village (藻鼈村) and Monbetsu Village merge to form Monbetsu Village
1919 Monbetsu Village becomes Monbetsu Town
July 1, 1954 Shokotsu Village (渚滑村) and Kamishokotsu Village (上渚滑村) merge with Monbetsu to form Monbetsu City