Asahikawa
Asahikawa joined UNESCO's Network of Creative Cities as a Design City on October 31, 2019 on the occasion of World Cities’ Day. Overview. On August 1, 1922, Asahikawa was founded as Asahikawa "City". As the central city in northern Hokkaido, Asahikawa has been influential in industry and commerce. There are about 130 rivers and streams including the Ishikari River and Chūbetsu River, and over 740 bridges in the city. Asahibashi, a bridge over Ishikari River, has been one of the symbols of Asahikawa since its completion in 1932, and it was also registered as one of the Hokkaido  Heritage sites on October 22, 2001. Every winter, the Asahikawa Winter Festival is held on the bank of the Ishikari River, making use of Asahikawa's cold climate and snow. On January 25, 1902, a weather station recorded , the lowest temperature in Japanese history. Due to its climate and location surrounded by mountains, there are some ski resorts in the outskirts of the city. Name. The Ainu called the Asahi River "Chiu Pet" meaning "River of Waves", but it was misunderstood as "Chup Pet", meaning "Sun River", and so it came to be called Asahi River in Japanese (Asahi meaning  morning sun). History. Asahikawa was populated by the mainland Japanese in the Meiji period (1868 – July 1912) as a "tondenhei", or state-sponsored farmer-militia settlement. Kamikawa District set up under Ishikari Province with the villages of Asahikawa, Nagayama and Kamui in 1890. Asahikawa was elevated to city status in 1922. Asahikawa thrived as a military city before World War II, when the IJA 7th Division was posted there. Today, the 2nd Division of the Northern Army of the Japan Ground Self-Defense Force is headquartered in Asahikawa. Geography. Climate. The climate is hemiboreal humid continental ("Dfb," according to Köppen  classification). Asahikawa winters are long and cold, with below-freezing average monthly temperatures from November through March. The city also sees an extraordinary amount of snowfall, averaging just under of snow per year. Summers are generally warm and humid in Asahikawa, with average high temperatures in the warmest months hovering around . Spring and autumn are generally short and transitional in the city. It is one of the coolest Japanese cities as well as one of the most "continental". Japan's lowest temperature ever () was recorded in Asahikawa, colder than other cities registered in Hokkaido, but warmer in absolute numbers than  Mount Fuji. On January 12, 1909 the temperature did not rise above , being one of the coldest in history. Some sources consider it the coldest city in Japan. Economy. Asahikawa developed as an industrial center in Hokkaido after World War II. The city is noted for its lumber and brewing industries, as well as the production of furniture and paper pulp. Transportation. Airport. Asahikawa is served by Asahikawa Airport which stretches over the outskirts of Asahikawa City and Higashikagura, Hokkaido. The airport was first proposed by the Asahikawa City Council in 1955, opened in 1961, and daily flights to Tokyo  started in 1970. The present terminal of Asahikawa Airport opened in 2000. It is a second class airport, and also a single-runway regional airport. It serves domestic destinations including Tokyo, but some airlines offer destinations in South Korea. EVA Air added Asahikawa as a destination from Taipei on May 2, 2013. Rail. Asahikawa is one of the major rail hubs of Hokkaido. The Hakodate Main Line connects Asahikawa to Hakodate in the south of Hokkaido, and the Sōya Main Line connects Asahikawa with Wakkanai at the north of Hokkaido. The Sekihoku Main Line connects the city with Abashiri on  the Sea of Okhotsk. The Furano Line connects Abashiri with nearby Furano. Bus. Municipal buses also serve the city.