Erimo, Hokkaido
Encyclopedia
is a town located in Horoizumi District
, Hidaka
, Hokkaidō, Japan
.
Erimo is famous for its strong winds, kelp (konbu), and its scenic cape, Cape Erimo
erimo-misaki. The cape was made famous by Shinichi Mori
's enka
song. It is supposed to be a romantic place to visit. The cape hosts a population of Kurile seals
, as well as a museum dedicated to wind (kaze-no-yakata). Winds in Erimo are strong enough that in addition to two windmills on the cape, Erimo Elementary School (built in 2000) is completely powered by electricity generated by its own windmill. This is a popular location in Hokkaidō to view the first sunrise of the year, and hundreds of people from all over Japan brave the strong cold wind to watch.
While the main industry is fishing (salmon
and squid
in particular) Erimo's most famous harvest is kelp which is harvested by most of the native residents during the summer months. The kelp is sold in Japan as Hidaka
konbu, and Erimo has a museum in the main part of town dedicated to kelp and fishery.
The Hidaka Mountains
come right down to the ocean at Erimo. For that reason the road north to Hiroo
had to be carved out of the rock. The road is known as the , because it cost so much to build. In March 2006, due to steady population decline, Erimo's Elementary and Junior High School along this road were closed, and students began busing into the main Junior High in the center of town.
Horoizumi District, Hokkaido
is a district located in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2004, the district has an estimated population of 5,872 and a density of 20.68 persons per km². The total area is 283.93 km².-Towns and villages:*Erimo...
, Hidaka
Hidaka Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan. The west side of the Hidaka mountains occupies most of the area. Hidaka is sparsely populated and has many of Hokkaidō's natural resources...
, Hokkaidō, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
Erimo is famous for its strong winds, kelp (konbu), and its scenic cape, Cape Erimo
Cape Erimo
is a cape in Hokkaidō, located at . It is the de facto southern tip of Hidaka Mountains.Hot and cold fronts meet nearby of the cape thus creating a dense mist which covers the cape for more than 100 days a year. Wind blows here with the speed of 10 m/s for almost 300 days a year...
erimo-misaki. The cape was made famous by Shinichi Mori
Shinichi Mori
is a Japanese male enka singer and composer, who also sings folk and pop music. Nishinippon Shimbun claims that his total sales of gramophone records and CDs has been over 90 million copies....
's enka
Enka
is a popular Japanese music genre considered to resemble traditional Japanese music stylistically. Modern enka, however, is a relatively recent musical form which arose in the context of such postwar expressions of modern Japanese nonmaterial nationalism as nihonjinron, while adopting a more...
song. It is supposed to be a romantic place to visit. The cape hosts a population of Kurile seals
Harbor Seal
The harbor seal , also known as the common seal, is a true seal found along temperate and Arctic marine coastlines of the Northern Hemisphere...
, as well as a museum dedicated to wind (kaze-no-yakata). Winds in Erimo are strong enough that in addition to two windmills on the cape, Erimo Elementary School (built in 2000) is completely powered by electricity generated by its own windmill. This is a popular location in Hokkaidō to view the first sunrise of the year, and hundreds of people from all over Japan brave the strong cold wind to watch.
While the main industry is fishing (salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
and squid
Squid
Squid are cephalopods of the order Teuthida, which comprises around 300 species. Like all other cephalopods, squid have a distinct head, bilateral symmetry, a mantle, and arms. Squid, like cuttlefish, have eight arms arranged in pairs and two, usually longer, tentacles...
in particular) Erimo's most famous harvest is kelp which is harvested by most of the native residents during the summer months. The kelp is sold in Japan as Hidaka
Hidaka Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan. The west side of the Hidaka mountains occupies most of the area. Hidaka is sparsely populated and has many of Hokkaidō's natural resources...
konbu, and Erimo has a museum in the main part of town dedicated to kelp and fishery.
The Hidaka Mountains
Hidaka Mountains
Hidaka Mountains is a mountain range in southeastern Hokkaidō, Japan. It runs 150 km from Mount Sahoro or Karikachi Pass in central Hokkaidō south, running into the sea at Cape Erimo. It consists of folded mountains that range from 1500 to 2000 metres in height. Mount Poroshiri is the highest...
come right down to the ocean at Erimo. For that reason the road north to Hiroo
Hiroo, Hokkaido
is a town located in Hiroo District, Tokachi, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2008, the town has an estimated population of 8,209 and a density of 14.28 persons per km². The total area is 596.14 km²....
had to be carved out of the rock. The road is known as the , because it cost so much to build. In March 2006, due to steady population decline, Erimo's Elementary and Junior High School along this road were closed, and students began busing into the main Junior High in the center of town.