Mombetsu is a city located in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan; on the Sea of Okhotsk. The name comes from Ainu Mopet, Ainu "-pet" would be interpreted "-betsu" in Japanese as well of other city names in Hokkaido. 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. Most of Mombetsu's economy is dedicated to fishing for cold-water species such as crab. The crab from Mombetsu 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
1889: Village office established in Mombetsu
1909: Mobetsu Village and Mombetsu Village merge to form Monbetsu Village
1919: Mombetsu Village becomes Mombetsu Town
July 1, 1954: Shokotsu Village and Kamishokotsu Village merge with Mombetsu to form the city of Mombetsu
Geography
flows through the city.
Climate
Mombetsu has a humid continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation falls throughout the year, but is heaviest from July to September.
Mombetsu 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 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 Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum of Hokkaido, 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.
