Bifuka, Hokkaido

Geography

Bifuka is located in a valley in the north central region of the island of Hokkaido. The town is surrounded by mountains. The Teshio River flows roughly northwest through Bifuka.

Neighboring municipalities

Bifuka borders six other municipalities, which span Kamikawa, Okhotsk, and Sōya subprefectures: Kamikawa Subprefecture

• Nayoro
• Otoineppu
• Nakagawa
• Horokanai Okhotsk Subprefecture
• Ōmu Sōya Subprefecture
• Esashi

Climate

Nakagawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by cold summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nakagawa is 4.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1337 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 18.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around −9.3 °C.

|Jan record high C = 6.4 |Feb record high C = 9.9 |Mar record high C = 13.3 |Apr record high C = 26.7 |May record high C = 32.2 |Jun record high C = 34.0 |Jul record high C = 36.6 |Aug record high C = 35.9 |Sep record high C = 31.5 |Oct record high C = 25.7 |Nov record high C = 21.1 |Dec record high C = 9.8 |year record high C= 36.6 |Jan record low C = -34.9 |Feb record low C = -37.0 |Mar record low C = -31.5 |Apr record low C = -16.5 |May record low C = -4.3 |Jun record low C = -0.8 |Jul record low C = 3.3 |Aug record low C = 4.7 |Sep record low C = 0.6 |Oct record low C = -5.6 |Nov record low C = -19.6 |Dec record low C = -28.3 |year record low C= -37.0 | Jan snow depth cm = 116 | Feb snow depth cm = 133 | Mar snow depth cm = 129 | Apr snow depth cm = 81 | May snow depth cm = 0 | Jun snow depth cm = 0 | Jul snow depth cm = 0 | Aug snow depth cm = 0 | Sep snow depth cm = 0 | Oct snow depth cm = 2 | Nov snow depth cm = 35 | Dec snow depth cm = 91 | year snow depth cm = 137 |script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値） | access-date = February 17, 2022}} |script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値） | access-date = February 17, 2022}}}}

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, Bifuka has undergone significant population decline over the past half-century.

| 1940 | 11314 | 1950 | 13390 | 1960 | 14046 | 1970 | 11,433 | 1980 | 8,350 | 1990 | 7,103 | 2000 | 6,040 | 2010 | 5,178 | 2020 | 4,145

History

The area of Bifuka has been inhabited since the Jōmon period, and was the site of a kotan was built by the Ainu people. On June 1, 1920 Chiebun Village (now part of Nayoro City) was divided, and Shimonayoro Village is renamed Bifuka Village. In the first census in October 1, 1920, Bifuka Village has 2,045 households and 10,991 inhabitants. It was raised to town status on April 1, 1923.

Government

Bifuka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of eight members. Bifuka, collectively with the other municipalities of Kawakami sub-prefecture, contributes three members to the Hokkaidō Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Hokkaidō 6th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

The main industries are agriculture, dairy farming, and forestry. Sturgeon, raised in fish farms is a local specialty.

Education

Bifuka has one public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school (Hokkaido Bifuka High School) operated by the Hokkaidō Board of Education. The prefecture also operates a special education school for the handicapped.

Transportation

Railways

:

The Soya Main Line previous had - - - within Bifuka, but all were closed between 2021 and 2024.

Highways

Sister city relations

• Canada, Ashcroft, British Columbia

Local attractions

• Bifuka Sturgeon Museum, a small facility which maintains eight species of sturgeon. Sturgeon were found in the Teshio River as far as Bifuka until the Meiji Period.
• Bikuka Ski Resort

Culture

Mascots

Bifuka's mascot are Bifuka-kun and Mimi-chan. They are pumpkins who are best friends. Both wear hats made of birch trees. However, Bifuka-kun is a green pumpkin who wears a tie that resembled a sturgeon while Mimi-chan is an orange pumpkin who carries a bag that resembled a sturgeon.

References

References

1. "Bifuka Town official statistics".
2. [https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/hokkaido/nakagawa-37563/ Nakagawa climate: Average Temperature, weather by month]
3. "Bifuka (Hokkaidō, Japan) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information".
4. "美深町イメージキャラクター（ゆるキャラ）が誕生しました".
5. (2013). "美深町チョウザメ館". Shogakukan.