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  • 21 Aug, 2019

  • By, Wikipedia

Ebetsu

Ebetsu (江別市, Ebetsu-shi) 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" (chapter 1, section V: Place Names Considered) the Ainu language name was E-pet or "humour river" based on its murky colour.

Demographics

As of July 31, 2023, the city had an estimated population of 118,764, with 56,325 households, and a population density of 634 persons per km². The total area is 187.38 km².

Geography and transportation

The majority of commercial Ebetsu is on or immediately surrounding Route 12 (runs north-south through town). 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 (at Oasa, Nopporo, Takasago, and Ebetsu stations), joining with the northwest-southeast running main line that extends from Chitose Airport to Sapporo Station in Shinsapporo (New Sapporo, a district of larger metropolitan Sapporo).

The extensive Nopporo Forest State Park (the world's largest park of virgin forest on level ground) is behind Ebetsu's Rakunō Gakuen University (the first university in Ebetsu, founded in 1949), encompassing 2015 hectares of preserved forest. Because of Ebetsu's location approximately in the middle of the Ishikari Plain (Sapporo city is the southwestern extent), 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 34.7 °C (94.5 °F) and −27.7 °C (−17.9 °F).

Climate data for Ebetsu (2000−2020 normals, extremes 2000−present)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 6.9
(44.4)
7.2
(45.0)
14.6
(58.3)
24.6
(76.3)
31.9
(89.4)
31.7
(89.1)
35.6
(96.1)
34.7
(94.5)
31.9
(89.4)
24.8
(76.6)
19.7
(67.5)
13.2
(55.8)
35.6
(96.1)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −2.2
(28.0)
−1.1
(30.0)
3.0
(37.4)
10.6
(51.1)
16.9
(62.4)
20.9
(69.6)
24.3
(75.7)
25.8
(78.4)
22.5
(72.5)
15.7
(60.3)
7.8
(46.0)
0.3
(32.5)
12.0
(53.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −6.4
(20.5)
−5.5
(22.1)
−0.8
(30.6)
5.6
(42.1)
11.4
(52.5)
15.7
(60.3)
19.5
(67.1)
21.0
(69.8)
17.1
(62.8)
10.3
(50.5)
3.5
(38.3)
−3.5
(25.7)
7.3
(45.2)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −12.2
(10.0)
−11.5
(11.3)
−5.6
(21.9)
0.6
(33.1)
6.4
(43.5)
11.7
(53.1)
16.0
(60.8)
17.1
(62.8)
11.9
(53.4)
4.8
(40.6)
−0.8
(30.6)
−8.2
(17.2)
2.5
(36.5)
Record low °C (°F) −26.1
(−15.0)
−25.8
(−14.4)
−21.2
(−6.2)
−9.8
(14.4)
−3.6
(25.5)
2.6
(36.7)
8.0
(46.4)
7.5
(45.5)
1.5
(34.7)
−4.6
(23.7)
−14.8
(5.4)
−24.2
(−11.6)
−26.1
(−15.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 67.1
(2.64)
47.9
(1.89)
39.1
(1.54)
42.4
(1.67)
56.1
(2.21)
83.1
(3.27)
102.8
(4.05)
144.9
(5.70)
123.2
(4.85)
94.1
(3.70)
88.3
(3.48)
73.0
(2.87)
965.0
(37.99)
Average rainy days 16.2 13.9 10.3 8.6 9.0 8.7 9.3 10.8 10.2 12.8 14.8 15.0 139.6
Mean monthly sunshine hours 82.6 95.1 149.4 176.9 198.0 171.3 161.0 159.5 165.1 144.5 98.4 74.2 1,676.5
Source 1: JMA
Source 2: JMA

Sister cities

Sister city

Friendship city

Education

Universities

High schools

Public

  • Hokkaido Ebetsu High School
  • Hokkaido Nopporo High School
  • Hokkaido Ooasa High School

Private

  • Ritsumeikan keisho High School
  • Towanomori San-ai High School

Mascot

Ebechun, the city's mascot

Ebetsu's mascot is Ebechun (えべチュン). He is a yellow flightless bird that resembled a young rooster who loves to be petted. His head is unusually square. Because of this, he is nicknamed Renga tori (レンガ鳥). He may looked sad because of his tears (which is his charm point), he is actually happy. Whenever something wonderful happens (e.g. farmers working hard, witnessing children, falling leaves, etc.), he will shed tears for joy. He is known for carrying a grain ear. He likes locally grown wheat. When he was first revealed back in 2011, he was genderless. He is originally an unofficial mascot until it is chosen by the local tourism association to represent the city.

References

  1. ^ "Official website of Ebetsu City" (in Japanese). Japan: Ebetsu City. Retrieved 16 May 2017.
  2. ^ "江別市の概要 気象 江別市". Archived from the original on 2013-06-30. Retrieved 2013-03-25.
  3. ^ 観測史上1~10位の値(年間を通じての値). JMA. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  4. ^ 気象庁 / 平年値(年・月ごとの値). JMA. Retrieved February 18, 2022.
  5. ^ "Sister city and friendship city of Ebetsu". Archived from the original on 2015-10-21. Retrieved 2015-05-17.
  6. ^ "About GESCA | Gresham-Ebetsu Sister City Association | Gresham, OR". 2020-10-28. Archived from the original on 2020-10-28. Retrieved 2021-03-16. The Gresham-Ebetsu Sister City Association is a non-profit, volunteer based organization that develops strong bonds of friendship with its sister city Ebetsu by promoting cultural education and understanding through student exchange and cultural events. The Gresham Sister City Association was formed in 1977 between Gresham, Oregon and Ebetsu, Japan. It expanded to add Sokcho, South Korea in 1985, and later Owerri, Nigeria in 1991. In 2014 it split into separate sister city organizations. Mission Statement: "To foster friendships with our sister city that promote and strengthen our educational, economic and cultural ties to enrich the lives of our citizens."
  7. ^ "江別市のえべチュン". Hokkaido Fan Magazine.
  8. ^ "えべチュン (北海道)". Yuru-Chara Grand Prix.