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Kamikawa 上川町
Town
Sounkyo Gorge Ice Fall Festival, one of the famous winter festivals in Hokkaido
Flag Emblem
Location of Kamikawa inHokkaido (Kamikawa Subprefecture)
Location ofKamikawa Subprefecture inHokkaido
Kamikawa Location in Japan
Coordinates:43°50′52″N142°46′13″E / 43.84778°N 142.77028°E /43.84778; 142.77028
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Kamikawa Subprefecture)
District	Kamikawa (Ishikari)
Government
• Mayor	Yoshiji Sato (since April 2008)
Area
• Total	1,049.24 km2 (405.11 sq mi)
Population  (December 31, 2017)
• Total	3,706
• Density	3.53/km2 (9.1/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	Minami-machi 180, Kamikawa Town, Kamikawa District, Hokkaido (北海道上川郡上川町南町180) 078-1753
Climate	Dfb
Website	www.town.hokkaido-kamikawa.lg.jp
Symbols
Flower	Therorhodion camtschaticum
Mascot	Kamikki (かみっきー)
Tree	Picea glehnii

Kamikawa (上川町,Kamikawa-chō) is atown located inKamikawa Subprefecture,Hokkaido,Japan.

As of December 31, 2017, the town has an estimated population of 3,706, and adensity of 3.53 persons per km². The total area is 1,049.24 km².

The town is approximately 30 minutes by bus or car fromSōunkyō Onsen and other tourist attractions which make upDaisetsuzan National Park. TheIshikari River, the longest river inHokkaido, flows from here. The town also prides itself on "the most deliciousramen in Japan".^[1]

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Many years ago, Kamikawa's primary industry wascoal mining. Since then, Japan has adopted higherenvironmental standards 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 fromAlberta, Canada in the 1980s), as well as "Purin" (pudding) producers and "Ramen" producers and shops. Kamikawa also capitalizes on its proximity toDaisetsuzan National Park 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 afterWhistler, British Columbia, Canada - site of the2010 Winter Olympics).

Asiana Airlines operates a sales office in Kamikawa, near theAsahigawa Airport grounds.^[4]

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

Kamikawa's mascot isKamikki (かみっきー). He is a brown bear. He wears a helmet which resembles a bell. His favourite food is karai ramen served with rainbow trout sashimi. He loves hot springs and drawing nature. He usually ends his sentences with "powa-ru" (ぽわ～る) and "powan" (ぽわん). He was unveiled in 2014.^[5]

Kamikawa broadened its international horizons in 1984 by becoming aSister City withRocky Mountain House in Alberta, Canada and participating in theJET Programme.^[6] Kamikawa boasts aRotary club (started in the 1980s) with some members that have been to Canada several times. The residentAssistant Language Teacher of Kamikawa is often invited to join the Rotary Club dinner meetings (a.k.a. enkai) where both sides can practice their command of a foreign language.

In 2018, the town is expected to hire a secondJET ProgrammeAssistant Language Teacher, bringing the total up to two. This is in response to changes to the English education in Japan taking place between 2018 and 2020.

The town has no airport. The nearest international airport is theNew Chitose Airport nearSapporo, and the nearest domestic airport is inAsahikawa.

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.

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 1000 yen one way, and the service to Asahikawa is approximately 2100 yen one way (2019 prices).

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.

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.

• Sara Takanashi, ski jumper

Media related toKamikawa, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons

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