Monbetsu, Hokkaido

Mombetsu (紋別市, Mombetsu-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.

This article is about the city in Hokkaido Prefecture. For the town in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaido, see Mombetsu, Hokkaido (Hidaka). For the district in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, see Monbetsu District, Hokkaido.
Mombetsu

紋別市
City
The city viewed from Mount Mombetsu
Flag
Emblem
Location of Mombetsu in Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
Mombetsu
Location in Japan
Coordinates: 44°21′N 143°21′E
CountryJapan
RegionHokkaido
PrefectureHokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
Government
 • MayorYoshikazu Miyakawa
Area
 • Total830.70 km2 (320.74 sq mi)
Population
 (September 30, 2016)
 • Total22,983
 • Density27.67/km2 (71.7/sq mi)
Symbols
 • TreeJapanese Rowan
 • FlowerRugosa Rose
Time zoneUTC+9 (JST)
City hall address2-1-18, Saiwaichō, Mombetsu-shi, Hokkaidō
094-8707
Websitemombetsu.jp

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 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[1]
  • 1909: Mobetsu Village (藻鼈村) and Mombetsu Village merge to form Monbetsu Village
  • 1919: Mombetsu Village becomes Mombetsu Town
  • July 1, 1954: Shokotsu Village (渚滑村) and Kamishokotsu Village (上渚滑村) merge with Mombetsu to form the city of Mombetsu

Geography

Shokotsu River flows through the city.

Climate

Mombetsu 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.

Climate data for Mombetsu (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Average high °C (°F) −2.6
(27.3)		 −2.5
(27.5)		 1.6
(34.9)		 8.8
(47.8)		 13.9
(57.0)		 16.3
(61.3)		 20.0
(68.0)		 23.0
(73.4)		 20.2
(68.4)		 14.7
(58.5)		 7.0
(44.6)		 0.4
(32.7)		 10.1
(50.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −5.6
(21.9)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 4.5
(40.1)		 9.4
(48.9)		 12.6
(54.7)		 16.6
(61.9)		 19.4
(66.9)		 16.1
(61.0)		 10.3
(50.5)		 3.4
(38.1)		 −2.5
(27.5)		 6.4
(43.5)
Average low °C (°F) −9.3
(15.3)		 −9.9
(14.2)		 −5.4
(22.3)		 0.6
(33.1)		 5.2
(41.4)		 9.5
(49.1)		 13.9
(57.0)		 16.4
(61.5)		 12.3
(54.1)		 5.9
(42.6)		 −0.3
(31.5)		 −5.9
(21.4)		 2.8
(37.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 45.3
(1.78)		 30.5
(1.20)		 39.0
(1.54)		 46.7
(1.84)		 59.8
(2.35)		 64.7
(2.55)		 99.8
(3.93)		 112.5
(4.43)		 127.5
(5.02)		 74.7
(2.94)		 56.4
(2.22)		 53.3
(2.10)		 810.2
(31.9)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 128
(50)		 102
(40)		 92
(36)		 29
(11)		 2
(0.8)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 30
(12)		 104
(41)		 487
(190.8)
Average relative humidity (%) 73 73 70 68 72 82 85 83 76 70 69 71 74
Mean monthly sunshine hours 102.1 119.8 162.4 174.3 183.2 158.9 146.6 154.8 162.1 156.5 108.1 98.0 1,726.8
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency

Transportation

Mombetsu 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.

Education

High school
  • Hokkaido Mombetsu High School

Sightseeing

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 (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 Okhotsk Sea Ice Museum of Hokkaido,[2] 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.[3] (See also: Ethnic issues in Japan.)

Sister city

References
  1. http://mombetsu.jp/english/index.html
  2. "How climate change is triggering a chain reaction that threatens the heart of the Pacific". Washington Post. Retrieved 2019-11-14.
  3. "LETTER FROM ASIA; Foreigners Try to Melt an Inhospitable Japanese City," The New York Times
  4. Introduction of sister cities
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