Chitose, Hokkaido
| Chitose 千歳市 | ||
|---|---|---|
| City | ||
| ||
 Location of Chitose in Hokkaido (Ishikari Subprefecture) | ||
  Chitose Location in Japan | ||
| Coordinates: 42°49′N 141°39′E / 42.817°N 141.650°ECoordinates: 42°49′N 141°39′E / 42.817°N 141.650°E | ||
| Country | Japan | |
| Region | Hokkaido | |
| Prefecture | Hokkaido (Ishikari Subprefecture) | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Kōtarō Yamaguchi | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 594.95 km2 (229.71 sq mi) | |
| Population (March 2008) | ||
| • Total | 92,323 | |
| • Density | 155/km2 (400/sq mi) | |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | |
| Symbols | ||
| - Tree | Japanese White Birch and Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum) | |
| - Flower | Azalea and Hanashōbu (Iris ensata var. ensata) | |
| - Bird | Common Pheasant and Crested Kingfisher | |
| - Fish | Sockeye salmon and Chum salmon | |
| Address |
2-34 Shinonomechō, Chitose-shi, Hokkaido 066-8686 | |
| Phone number | 0123-24-3131 | |
| Website |
www | |
Chitose (千歳市 Chitose-shi) is a city located in Ishikari Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan, and home to the New Chitose Airport, the biggest international airport in Hokkaido and closest airport to Sapporo, as well as the neighboring Chitose Air Base. The city is bounded by Eniwa in the north and by Tomakomai in the south.
As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 92,323 and a population density of 155 persons per km². The total area is 594.95 km². The city was founded on July 1, 1958.
Chitose is one of the gateways to the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Lake Shikotsu and Mount Tarumae. Chitose also has a university (Chitose Institute of Science and Technology), two high schools, 18 junior high schools, and 10 elementary schools.
The city is notable for having a Peace Pagoda, built by the Japanese Buddhist order Nipponzan Myohoji in 1978.
Origin of the name
In the Ainu language Chitose was originally called shikot, meaning big depression or hollow, like Lake Shikotsu a caldera lake. To the Japanese, this sounded too much like dead bones (死骨 shikotsu), so it was changed to Chitose.[1]
Economy
China Airlines operates its Sapporo office on the third floor of the airport building.[2]
The airline Hokkaido Air System was at one time headquartered at the New Chitose Airport in Chitose.[3] Now its head office is on the property of Okadama Airport in Higashi-ku, Sapporo.[4]
Education
Universities
Transport
Chitose is accessed by two expressways with an interchange in the west and another in the north on a separate expressway and the Chitose-Eniwa Junction connecting with the Eastern Hokkaido Expressway in the northwest. Chitose is also linked by National Route 36, National Route 274, National Route 276, National Route 337, and National Route 453.
Twinnings
Chitose has sister city relationships with:
Anchorage, Alaska, United States
Ibusuki, Kagoshima, Japan
Kongsberg, Norway
History
- 1880: The village of Chitose (consisting of a merger of the localities of Chitose, Osatsu, Usakumai, Rankoshi, Izari, Shimamatsu) is established.
- 1897: The village of Eniwa (consisting of the localities of Izari and Shimamatsu) (now a city) splits off.
- 1915: Chitose (consisting of the localities of Chitose, Osatsu, Usakumai, Rankoshi) becomes a Second Class Municipality.
- 1939: Chitose becomes a First Class Municipality.
- 1942: Chitose promoted to town status.
- Post World War II - Chitose hosts a US Air Force base.
- July 1, 1958: Chitose promotes to city status.
Climate
The hottest and coldest temperatures, respectively, ever recorded are 34.2°C and -30.7°C.
| Climate data for Chitose (1981～2010年) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.2 (46.8) |
9.1 (48.4) |
14.4 (57.9) |
24.1 (75.4) |
29.9 (85.8) |
31.4 (88.5) |
33.1 (91.6) |
34.2 (93.6) |
30.5 (86.9) |
24.6 (76.3) |
20.9 (69.6) |
15.0 (59) |
34.2 (93.6) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −1.4 (29.5) |
−0.8 (30.6) |
3.2 (37.8) |
10.7 (51.3) |
16.0 (60.8) |
19.3 (66.7) |
22.4 (72.3) |
24.6 (76.3) |
21.6 (70.9) |
15.8 (60.4) |
8.3 (46.9) |
1.5 (34.7) |
11.77 (53.18) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −6.7 (19.9) |
−6 (21) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
5.3 (41.5) |
10.4 (50.7) |
14.5 (58.1) |
18.3 (64.9) |
20.4 (68.7) |
16.5 (61.7) |
10.0 (50) |
3.3 (37.9) |
−3.4 (25.9) |
6.78 (44.17) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −13.9 (7) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−6.9 (19.6) |
−0.1 (31.8) |
5.2 (41.4) |
10.5 (50.9) |
15.3 (59.5) |
17.1 (62.8) |
11.4 (52.5) |
3.7 (38.7) |
−2.4 (27.7) |
−9.6 (14.7) |
1.41 (34.54) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −30.7 (−23.3) |
−30.3 (−22.5) |
−25.7 (−14.3) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−3.8 (25.2) |
— | — | — | — | — | −18.1 (−0.6) |
−25.9 (−14.6) |
−30.7 (−23.3) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 39.5 (1.555) |
34.3 (1.35) |
49.9 (1.965) |
70.3 (2.768) |
97.1 (3.823) |
70.4 (2.772) |
127.4 (5.016) |
177.6 (6.992) |
162.8 (6.409) |
109.6 (4.315) |
77.4 (3.047) |
52.8 (2.079) |
1,069.1 (42.091) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 54 (21.3) |
57 (22.4) |
33 (13) |
5 (2) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
— | — | — | — |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency,New Chitose Aviation Weather Station[5] | |||||||||||||
References
- ↑ Akagi Sanpei (赤木 三兵), Journey of Hokkaido Place Names—Notes on Ainu Language Place Names (北海道 地名の旅—アイヌ語地名解 Hokkaidō Chimei no Tabi — Ainugo Chimei Kai), pp 60 and 79
- ↑ "Northeast Asia." China Airlines. Retrieved on August 30, 2011. "Sapporo 3F, New Chitose Airport, Bibi, Chitose City 066-0012, Hokkaido, Japan"
- ↑ "会社概要." Hokkaido Air System. Retrieved on May 19, 2009. "本社事務所 ： 千歳市美々新千歳空港ターミナルビル内"
- ↑ "会社概要." Hokkaido Air System. Retrieved on August 30, 2011. "〒007-0880 札幌市東区丘珠町 丘珠空港内"
- ↑ 新千歳航空測候所の天気概況 [Weather records at New Chitose Aviation Weather Station] (in Japanese). Japan Meteorological Agency. December 2012. Retrieved December 17, 2012.
External links
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