Hidaka Subprefecture 日高振興局 | |
|---|---|
| Hidaka-shinkō-kyoku | |
 | |
| Prefecture | Hokkaido |
| Capital | Urakawa |
| Area | |
• Total | 4,811.91 km2 (1,857.89 sq mi) |
| Population (March 2009) | |
• Total | 81,403 |
| • Density | 16.917/km2 (43.815/sq mi) |
| Website | http://www.hidaka.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ |
Hidaka Subprefecture (日高振興局,Hidaka-shinkō-kyoku) is asubprefecture ofHokkaido Prefecture, Japan. The west side of the Hidaka mountains occupies most of the area. Hidaka is sparsely populated and has many of Hokkaido's natural resources. The governmental office is located inUrakawa.
The name Hidaka ("sun high") is derived from theprovince of the same name established in 1869, which in turn was named after an unknown place in theNihonshoki, a history book written in 720. There is no direct connection between the Hidaka of theNihonshoki and the modern Hidaka.
Located on the south-east coast of Hokkaido, Hidaka Subprefecture has an area of 4,811.91 square kilometres (1,857.89 sq mi) making it the 7th largest subprefecture in the prefecture and 5.8% of Hokkaido's total area. More than 80% of the area is covered with forest.
The prefecture bordersTokachi Subprefecture to the north across theHidaka Mountains. To the west isIburi Subprefecture. The south side of the subprefecture is its coast on thePacific Ocean.[1]
The Hidaka Mountains are known as a "Mecca of Mountaineering", with more than 20 mountains includingMount Poroshiri at 2,052 metres (6,732 ft). These mountains are part of theHidaka Sanmyaku-Erimo Quasi-National Park, which includeMount Apoi alpine vegetation community andCape Erimo coast landscape. These areas boast wildlife such asbrown bear,sika deer, andcommon seal.[2]
| Name | Area (km2) | Population | Pop. Density | District | Type | Map | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rōmaji | Kanji | ||||||
 Biratori | 平取町 | 743.16 | 5,305 | 7.14 | Saru District | Town |  |
 Erimo | えりも町 | 283.93 | 4,954 | 17.45 | Horoizumi District | Town |  |
 Hidaka | 日高町 | 992.67 | 12,596 | 12.69 | Saru District | Town |  |
 Niikappu | 新冠町 | 585.88 | 5,696 | 9.72 | Niikappu District | Town |  |
 Samani | 様似町 | 364.33 | 4,482 | 12.30 | Samani District | Town |  |
 Shinhidaka | 新ひだか町 | 1,147.75 | 23,516 | 20.49 | Hidaka District | Town |  |
 Urakawa (capital) | 浦河町 | 694.24 | 12,800 | 18.44 | Urakawa District | Town |  |
The population of Hidaka Subprefecture is 81,407 in 33,996 households.[1] In the 2005 census, this represents 1.4% of the total population of Hokkaido. The population of Hidaka peaked in 1960. The current population is down 4,613 from the last census in 2005.[3]
42°10′21″N142°46′05″E / 42.172607°N 142.768083°E /42.172607; 142.768083
