Abashiri, Hokkaido
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Abashiri 網走市 |
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 Location of Abashiri in Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture) |
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 Abashiri
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| Coordinates: 44°1′N 144°16′E / 44.017°N 144.267°ECoordinates: 44°1′N 144°16′E / 44.017°N 144.267°E | ||
| Country | Japan | |
| Region | Hokkaido | |
| Prefecture | Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture) | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Yōichi Mizutani (since December 2010) | |
| Area | ||
| • Total | 470.94 km2 (181.83 sq mi) | |
| Population (August 31, 2011) | ||
| • Total | 38,966 | |
| • Density | 85.6/km2 (222/sq mi) | |
| Symbols | ||
| • Tree | Katsura | |
| • Flower | Ezo murasaki-tsutsuji (Rhododendron dauricum) | |
| Time zone | Japan Standard Time (UTC+9) | |
| City hall address | Higashi Yon-chōme, Minami Roku-jō, Abashiri-shi, Hokkaidō 093-8555 |
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| Website | www |
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Abashiri (網走市 Abashiri-shi?) is a city located in Okhotsk Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
Abashiri is known as the site of the Abashiri Prison, a Meiji-era facility used for the incarceration of political prisoners. The old prison has been turned into a museum, but the city's new maximum-security prison is still in use.
As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 40,333 and a density of 85.6 persons per km² (222 persons per sq. mi.). The total area is 470.94 km2 (181.83 sq mi).
Abashiri is located in the eastern part of Okhotsk Subprefecture, about 50 kilometers east of Kitami. There are no tall mountains, but there are many hills. The Abashiri River flows through the city and there are three lakes (Lake Abashiri, Lake Notoro and Lake Tōfutsu) in the city as well. These lakes and Mount Tento belong to Abashiri Quasi-National Park.
Despite its reputation for extreme cold, Abashiri is not actually the coldest major town in Japan, being less cold in the winter than Obihiro and warmer in summer than Nemuro or Kushiro. Abashiri receives less precipitation than any other city in Japan because its location on the drift-ice-affected Sea of Okhotsk, which, however, causes Abashiri to receive less sunshine than the northeast coast since winter snowfall is heavier and fog less confined to the summer months when the Oyashio Current is strongest. During the winter, when Lake Abashiri freezes over, fog becomes a common occurrence. Also, the harbor closes when it ices over.
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Wikipedia