Ebetsu


Ebetsu is a city in Ishikari Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

History

Ebetsu was settled originally by Japanese people in 1871, who came from the Miyagi Prefecture on Honshu. In 1878, tondenhei began moving into the area. When the Meiji Government, in 1878, designated Hokkaido as part of Japan, settlers began to flood the area. Ebetsu earned township status in 1916 and city status in 1954. During the 1960s and 1970s, a burgeoning population in Sapporo caused the population in Ebetsu to concurrently boom. In 1991, the city reached 100,000 people.
The name Ebetsu is derived from the Ainu name of the Chitose River which flows into the Ishikari River in the city. According to John Batchelor in his "An Ainu-English Dictionary" the Ainu name was E-pet or "humour river" based on its murky colour.

Demographics

As of May 1, 2017, the city has an estimated population of 119,086, with 56,325 households, and a population density of 630 persons per km². The total area is 187.57 km².

Geography and transportation

The majority of commercial Ebetsu is on or immediately surrounding Route 12. The northern limits of town are delineated by the Ishikari River, the southern sub-city of Oasa by Ebetsu's boundary with Sapporo. It bounds the city limits of Kitahiroshima, Iwamizawa, Nanporo, Tōbetsu, and Shinshinotsu.
Ebetsu is about 16 km from downtown Sapporo. It is accessed by the Hokkaido Expressway, by Chūō or JR Hokkaidō bus lines, or by the Asahikawa-Hakodate train line that approximately follows Route 12 through town, joining with the northwest-southeast running main line that extends from Chitose Airport to Sapporo Station in Shinsapporo.
The extensive Nopporo Forest State Park is behind Ebetsu's Rakunō Gakuen University, encompassing 2015 hectares of preserved forest. Because of Ebetsu's location approximately in the middle of the Ishikari Plain, it is known for having wind year-round.

Climate

The 10-year average temperature for Ebetsu is 7.1 degrees Celsius. The hottest and coldest temperatures, respectively, ever recorded are 34.5 °C and -27.7 °C.

Sister city and friendship city

Sister city

Universities

Public