Yoichi, Hokkaido

Yoichi
余市町
Town

Location of Yoichi in Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)
Yoichi

Location in Japan

Coordinates: 43°12′N 140°47′E / 43.200°N 140.783°E / 43.200; 140.783Coordinates: 43°12′N 140°47′E / 43.200°N 140.783°E / 43.200; 140.783
Country Japan
Region Hokkaido
Prefecture Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)
District Yoichi
Government
  Mayor Tamotsu Shima
Area
  Total 140.60 km2 (54.29 sq mi)
Population (2008)
  Total 21,908
  Density 160/km2 (400/sq mi)
Symbols
  Tree Apple
  Flower Apple
  Bird Common gull
Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address 26 Asahi-cho, Yoichi, Yoichi-gun, Hokkaido
046-8546
Website www.town.yoichi.hokkaido.jp

Yoichi (余市町 Yoichi-chō) is a town located in the Yoichi District, Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

Demographics

As of 2008, the population of Yoichi is estimated to be 21,908 with a density of 160 persons per km². The total area of Yoichi is 140.60 km². The climate is mild (8.2 °C average), with temperatures ranging from -6 °C to 26 °C.[1]

Geography

Yoichi is located on the southeastern of the Shakotan Peninsula and faces the Sea of Japan. A north part of the town belongs to Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park.[2]

Neighboring municipalities

Industry

Yoichi is the home of the Yoichi distillery owned by Nikka Whisky Distilling. Yoichi is famous for fruit, particularly apples, and wine, and Yoichi apple juice is also famous throughout Japan. Yoichi is also the home of Kosugi Motors, one of the oldest car dealerships in Shiribeshi region of Hokkaido.[3]

Culture and tourism

A coastal town, with a particularly nice beach, Yoichi is popular with surfers for a large part of the year, and also a popular tourist destination for Japanese holiday makers during the hotter months of July and August.

Yoichi is the birthplace of the "Soran" folk song, known throughout Japan, and recently associated with the Hokkaidan Yosakoi dance. The Yoichi Soran festival, featuring dancing, fireworks and delicious food and drink, is held every year in the first weekend of July, a few weeks after the Yoichi shrine festival.

The cave paintings at Fugoppe Cave in Yoichi are the first known signs of prehistoric life on Hokkaido.

Yoichi is easily accessible by bus and train, which run approximately hourly to and from Otaru, Sapporo, and Kutchan, a town 45 minutes south of Yoichi where world class skiing and snowboarding may be enjoyed.

Twin Town

Education

High schools

Hokkaido Yoichi High School was merged with Hokkaido Niki High School (Niki) and Hokkaido Furubira High School (Furubira) in 2010.

Junior high school

Elementary school

Notable people

Yoichi is the birthplace of Mamoru "Mark" Mohri, the first Japanese astronaut; he attended elementary and junior high schools here. The Yoichi Space Museum, also called the Space Apple), was dedicated in his honor when it opened in 1998. Other Yoichi luminaries include ski-jump gold medallists in Winter Olympic Games.

References

  1. Web Japan (http://web-japan.org)
  2. Introduction of Yoichi
  3. Yoichi Dealer
  4. Hokkaido Yoichi Koshi High School
  5. Hokusei Gakuen Yoichi High School

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Yoichi, Hokkaidō.


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Saturday, November 07, 2015. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.