Esashi, Hokkaido (Hiyama)
One of the oldest towns in Hokkaido, the name Esashi comes from the Ainu word for kombu, a type of edible kelp well known in Japan. It is the birthplace of a folk music tradition called Esashi oiwake. Geography. Esashi is a district and port town located on the western seaboard of Hokkaido on the Assabugawa river, facing the Sea of Japan. Its eastern part is mountainous. The town is bordered by the municipalities of Kaminokuni, Assabu and Otobe. It has a ferry connection to Okushiri island. The rail link was discontinued in 2014; Esashi Station was  the terminus of the Esashi Line. Kamome Island in the town is part of Hiyama Prefectural Natural Park. Climate. Esashi has a humid subtropical climate (Köppen climate classification "Cfa") with far less snow in winter than elsewhere in Hokkaido due to the influence of the warming "tsushima-kairyu" ocean current. Culture. The area is home to Esashi Oiwake, a traditional Japanese folk music derived from mago-uta verses from Shinshu which spread throughout Japan during the Edo era and have become an Esashi art form. The district holds a national oiwake convention each September. The oiwake musician 青坂満 comes from  Esashi. The ubagami-daijingu dogyo festival, based around the ubagami-daijingu shrine, is celebrated in August. Esashi was the subject of the 1992 single "Esashi love-song" by Yuka Õne. The town also has a celebrated historical dance: Doba Shishimai. The dance's three acts include a Shinto ritual dance of three fawns, a pestle-swinging dance and a dance of hinds quarreling over a fawn. Esashi has an official sister town, Notogawa (now part of Higashiо̄mi city) in Shiga prefecture. It also has official friendship status with Suzu city in Ishikawa prefecture. History. In the Edo period, Esashi grew  wealthy as a herring fishing town. The town's prosperity coined a saying, "Even Edo is not as busy as Esashi in May" and visitors to the town described the quantity of herring being so great that it turned the color of the sea white. Several Meiji-era residences of those who grew wealthy on the trade are preserved in the town today, including the Sekikawa family country house and the Nakamura family house. The majority of Esashi's historic buildings are located on Esashi Inishie Road. The fisheries failed around the turn of end of the 19th century and  the town tried to replace its major industry with tourism. The town advertised itself using the Min'yo classical Japanese folk song, the main part of which was originally from the village of Oiwake in central Japan, but became known as Esashi Oiwake as the town's version gained renown.