is a town

Towns of Japan

A town is a local administrative unit in Japan. It is a local public body along with prefecture , city , and village...

 located in Kamikawa (Ishikari) District

Kamikawa (Ishikari) District, Hokkaido

is a district located in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. Confusingly, there is a district of the same name, Kamikawa District, in the same subprefecture. In 1869, Hokkaidō was divided into 11 provinces and 86 districts. Kamikawa district was placed under Ishikari Province...

, Kamikawa

Kamikawa Subprefecture

is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan. The name is derived from Kamikawa no hitobito no Shūraku , a translation of the Ainu Peni Unguri Kotan. Settlement began in 1867...

, 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...

.

As of 2007, the town has an estimated population of 4,540 and a density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 5.05 persons per km². The total area is 1,049.24 km².

The town is approximately 30 minutes by bus or car from Sōunkyō Onsen and other tourist attractions which make up Daisetsuzan National Park

Daisetsuzan National Park

, or Taisetsuzan is located in the mountainous center of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō. At 2267.64 square kilometers, Daisetsuzan is the largest national park in Japan....

. The Ishikari River

Ishikari River

is a river in Hokkaidō, Japan. At in length, the river is the third longest in Japan and the longest in Hokkaidō. The river has a drainage area of , making it the second largest in Japan, as is its total discharge of around per year....

, the longest river of Hokkaidō

Hokkaido

, formerly known as Ezo, Yezo, Yeso, or Yesso, is Japan's second largest island; it is also the largest and northernmost of Japan's 47 prefectural-level subdivisions. The Tsugaru Strait separates Hokkaido from Honshu, although the two islands are connected by the underwater railway Seikan Tunnel...

, flows from here. The town also prides itself on "the most delicious ramen

Ramen

is a Japanese noodle dish. It consists of Chinese-style wheat noodles served in a meat- or fish-based broth, often flavored with soy sauce or miso, and uses toppings such as , , kamaboko, green onions, and occasionally corn...

 in Japan".

Specialties

Kamikawa has many izakaya and snack bars. Kamikawa's speciality is "karai ramen" or spicy noodles.

Economy

Many years ago, Kamikawa's primary industry was coal mining

Coal mining

The goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...

. Since then, Japan has adopted higher environmental standards

Environmentalism

Environmentalism is a broad philosophy, ideology and social movement regarding concerns for environmental conservation and improvement of the health of the environment, particularly as the measure for this health seeks to incorporate the concerns of non-human elements...

 and coal production is no longer economically sound, the townspeople like those in Kamikawa have had to find other means of employment. Beef and other types of farming are common ("Black Angus" cattle were originally imported here from Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 in the 1980s), as well as "Purin" (pudding) producers and "Ramen" producers and shops. Kamikawa also capitalizes on its proximity to Daisetsuzan National Park

Daisetsuzan National Park

, or Taisetsuzan is located in the mountainous center of the northern Japanese island of Hokkaidō. At 2267.64 square kilometers, Daisetsuzan is the largest national park in Japan....

 as many of its townspeople work with Road Construction and Transportation through the Town Municipal Government, and others work in the tourist haven/onsen heaven that is Sōunkyō Gorge (modeled after Whistler, British Columbia

Whistler, British Columbia

Whistler is a Canadian resort town in the southern Pacific Ranges of the Coast Mountains in the province of British Columbia, Canada, approximately north of Vancouver...

, Canada - site of the 2010 Winter Olympics

2010 Winter Olympics

The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...

).

Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines Inc. is one of South Korea's two major airlines, along with Korean Air. Asiana has its headquarters in Asiana Town in Osoe-dong, Gangseo-gu, Seoul...

 operates a sales office in Kamikawa, near the Asahigawa Airport grounds.

Internationalization

Kamikawa broadened its international horizons 20 years ago by becoming a Sister City with Rocky Mountain House in Alberta, Canada and participating in the JET Programme

JET Programme

or is a Japanese government initiative that brings college graduates—mostly native speakers of English—to Japan as Assistant Language Teachers and Sports Education Advisors in Japanese kindergartens, elementary, junior high and high schools, or as Coordinators for International Relations in...

. Kamikawa boasts a Rotary

Rotary International

Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...

 club (started in the 1980s) with some members that have been to Canada several times. The resident ALT of Kamikawa is often invited to join the Rotary club for monthly dinner meetings (a.k.a. enkai) where both sides can practice their command of a foreign language.

Air

The town has no airport. The nearest international airport is the New Chitose Airport

New Chitose Airport

, is an airport located south southeast of Chitose and Tomakomai, Hokkaidō, Japan, serving the Sapporo metropolitan area. By land area, it is the largest airport in Hokkaidō....

 near Sapporo, and the nearest domestic airport is in Asahikawa.

Rail

Kamikawa is one of the last stops on the main JR line running east from Sapporo, therefore a wide range of rail services are available.

Bus

Kamikawa's bus service is excellent, but limited, so it is wise to check a local schedule. The bus service to Sounkyo Gorge is approximately 770 yen one way, and the service to Asahikawa is approximately 1100 yen one way (2006 prices).

National road

Kokudou (Route) 39 leaves Asahikawa east to Kamikawa, and Kokudou (Route) 40 leaves from Asahikawa and goes as far east as Aibetsu-chou, going south through Aibetsu-chou will meet up with Kokudou 39 again.

Municipal transit

Kamikawa is very small and almost everything is within walking or bicycle distance. The Dohoku Bus company offers transport in and around Kamikawa's main spots, such as the high school and train station.

External links

• Official website in Japanese