Memuro, Hokkaido

Geography

Memuro is located in southern Hokkaido in the western part of the Tokachi Plain, bordering Obihiro City to the southeast.The western part of the town is mountainous, originating from the Hidaka Mountains, and is designated as part of the Hidakasanmyaku-Erimo-Tokachi National Park. Mount Pipairo, at 1917 meters, is the highest point in the town.

Neighboring municipalities

• Obihiro
• Otofuke
• Shikaoi
• Shimizu
• Hidaka

Climate

According to the Köppen climate classification, Memuro has a humid continental climate. Its climate is characterized by large temperature differences, with large annual and daily temperature ranges. It receives a lot of snow, making it a designated heavy snow area. In winter, temperatures below -25°C are not uncommon, making it extremely cold. On February 4, 2025, the six-hour snowfall reached 87 cm, the highest in Japan since records began.

|Jan record high C=8.2 |Feb record high C=11.7 |Mar record high C=16.5 |Apr record high C=30.7 |May record high C=38.1 |Jun record high C=36.3 |Jul record high C=37.7 |Aug record high C=36.8 |Sep record high C=33.2 |Oct record high C=28.0 |Nov record high C=20.7 |Dec record high C=14.9 |year record high C=38.1 |Jan record low C=-29.9 |Feb record low C=-31.3 |Mar record low C=-27.6 |Apr record low C=-15.6 |May record low C=-4.2 |Jun record low C=-0.1 |Jul record low C=4.5 |Aug record low C=6.0 |Sep record low C=0.1 |Oct record low C=-4.8 |Nov record low C=-17.4 |Dec record low C=-26.0 |year record low C=-31.3

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population had been increasing due to an influx of people from the Tokachi region and residential development in the Higashi-Memuro area, which began in 2002, but has been declining in recent years.

| 1970 | 15,571 | 1980 | 16,580 | 1990 | 16,577 | 2000 | 17,586 | 2010 | 18,897 | 2020 | 18,048

History

The first time "Memuro" appears in written history is on a map by Minagawa Shushudayu, who surveyed the Tokachi River in 1800. At the time, it was listed as one of the 40 kotan (Ainu settlements) that existed in Tokachi. "Memoro" is thought to come from the Ainu word "memu oro pets" ("river where a spring flows").The first Japanese settlers arrived in the Memoru area in 1886. Mimuro village was established in 1906 under the Hokkaido second-class town and village system. It was raised to a first-class village in 1919 and to a town in 1942.

Government

Memuro has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of 16 members. Memuro, as part of Tokachi Subprefecture, contributes four members to the Hokkaidō Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Hokkaidō 11th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

With fertile soil and favorable climate, Memuro's economy is centered on agriculture, especially large-scale field farming. Memuro's representative crops, wheat, potatoes, red beans, sugar beets, and sweet corn. Approximately 230 companies are located in the Memuro East Industrial Park, many of which are food processors.

Education

Memuro has four public elementary schools and three public middle schools operated by the town. The town has one public high school operated by the Hokkaido Board of Education, and one private high school.. The Hokkaido Prefectural Tokachi Agricultural Experiment Station is located in Memuro.

Transportation

Railways

: -

Highways

• [[File:JP Expressway E38.svg|30px|link=|alt=]] Dōtō Expressway
• [[File:JP Expressway E60.svg|30px|link=|alt=]] Obihiro-Hiroo Expressway

Noted people from Memuro

• Ōnokuni Yasushi, sumo yokozuka
• Karikachi Kogen Park
• Lake Sahoro
• Tokachi Dam
• Tomuraushi Natural Recreation Forest

Mt. Tsurugiyama.jpg|Mt. Tsurugiyama 芽室駅.jpg|Memuro Station Bisei Dam 1.JPG|Bisei Dam

Sister city relations

• USA Tracy, California, United States since 1989.

References

References

1. "Memuro Town official statistics".
2. [https://www.data.jma.go.jp/stats/etrn/index.php Japan Meteorological Agency ]. JMA]]
3. "Population and number of households based on the Basic Resident Register".
4. "Memuro Town Assembly home page".
5. "Memuro Town Board of Education".
6. Matthews, Sam. (March 14, 2014). "Japanese visitors celebrate sister city". Tracy Press.