Country Japan Website mombetsu.jp Local time Thursday 1:34 PM | Region Hokkaido Population 22,983 (30 Sep 2016) | |
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Prefecture Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture) Time zone Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) City hall address 2-1-18, Saiwaichō, Monbetsu-shi, Hokkaidō
094-8707 Weather -1°C, Wind NW at 18 km/h, 86% Humidity Points of interest Okhotsk Ryuhyo Park, Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum, Okhotsk Sky Tower (Oyamasanchoen), Monbetsu Park, Seseragi Park | ||
Feb in 2014 icebreaker monbetsu hokkaido japan 1 of 3
Monbetsu (紋別市, Monbetsu-shi) is a city located in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan; on the Sea of Okhotsk. The name comes from Ainu Mopet (Quiet River), Ainu "-pet" would be interpreted "-betsu" in Japanese as well of other city names in Hokkaido. It is often called Okhotsk-Monbetsu to distinguish it from the town of Monbetsu in Hidaka Subprefecture (different kanji, but same reading).
Contents
- Feb in 2014 icebreaker monbetsu hokkaido japan 1 of 3
- Map of Monbetsu Hokkaido Prefecture Japan
- History
- Geography
- Climate
- Transportation
- High school
- Sightseeing
- Sister city
- References
Map of Monbetsu, Hokkaido Prefecture, Japan
As of September 30, 2016, the city has an estimated population of 22,983 and a population density of 27.67 persons per km². The total area is 830.70 km2 (320.74 sq mi).
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 10 m tall was built on the waterfront.
History
Geography
Shokotsu River flows through the city.
Climate
Monbetsu has a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation falls throughout the year, but is heaviest from July to September.
Transportation
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.
Shokotsu Line and Nayoro Main Line used to run in the city.
High school
Sightseeing
Monbetsu is famous for drift ice, a yearly phenomenon which reaches the city every January or February from the northern Sea of Okhotsk. As such, the city has taken on the drift ice as its symbol and has become a center for research on sea ice generally, with an international conference held in February (usually the time of peak sea ice) each year. There is also a yearly Drift Ice Festival that coincides with the Sapporo Snow Festival. The festival features impressive sculptures built out of drift ice along with a large ice maze. Additionally, the Okhotsk Tower is a facility where one can observe sea ice from both high above, and from below the ocean. It is complete with an information center and aquarium. An icebreaker, the Garinko II, departs from nearby and makes regular sightseeing cruises through the drift ice during the winter. Mombetsu is also home to the newly built Drift Ice Museum, which covers all aspects of sea ice and features a sub-zero room and "frozen aquarium" of various fish preserved in ice.
During the summertime, when the sea ice melts, sailors from Russia are a common sight in the city. Some local businesses have banned Russian visitors for their supposed "unruly" behavior, which has led some activists to criticize Monbetsu as a hotbed of racial discrimination. (See also: Ethnic issues in Japan.)