Rumoi 留萌市 | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Panorama view of Rumoi, from Senboudai | |
 Flag  Seal | |
 Location of Rumoi inHokkaido (Rumoi Subprefecture) | |
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  Rumoi Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates:43°56′27″N141°38′13″E / 43.94083°N 141.63694°E /43.94083; 141.63694 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Hokkaido |
| Prefecture | Hokkaido (Rumoi Subprefecture) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Shunji Nakanishi |
| Area | |
• Total | 297.81 km2 (114.99 sq mi) |
| Population (January 31, 2025) | |
• Total | 18,132 |
| • Density | 60.884/km2 (157.69/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 1-11, Saiwaichō, Rumoi-shi, Hokkaidō 077-8601 |
| Climate | Dfb |
| Website | Official website |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Azalea |
| Tree | Acacia |
Rumoi (留萌市,Rumoi-shi) is acity inRumoi Subprefecture,Hokkaido,Japan. As of 31 January 2025[update], the city had an estimatedpopulation of 18,132 in 10519 households, and apopulation density of 61 people per km2.[1] The total area of the city is 297.81 km2 (114.99 sq mi). There are several theories about the origin of the name, which comes from theAinu word for the Rumoi River. The word "rur-mo-ot-pe," means "a river with calm, constant tides," or "a river with deep tides," and this theory has been adopted by the city.
Rumoi is located in the south of Rumoi Subprefecture, on the coast of theSea of Japan.Rumoi River flows through the city.
Rumoi has ahumid continental climate (Köppen climate classificationDfb) with warm summers and cold winters. Precipitation is significant throughout the year, but is heaviest from August to December. The highest temperature recorded was 35.6 °C (96 °F) on August 1, 2021.[2]
| Climate data for Rumoi, elevation 15 m (49 ft), (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1943−present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 8.3 (46.9) | 14.0 (57.2) | 16.8 (62.2) | 24.6 (76.3) | 29.3 (84.7) | 32.0 (89.6) | 33.7 (92.7) | 35.6 (96.1) | 33.1 (91.6) | 28.3 (82.9) | 21.2 (70.2) | 14.0 (57.2) | 35.6 (96.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −1.0 (30.2) | −0.4 (31.3) | 3.2 (37.8) | 9.4 (48.9) | 15.4 (59.7) | 19.2 (66.6) | 23.1 (73.6) | 24.6 (76.3) | 21.4 (70.5) | 15.2 (59.4) | 7.8 (46.0) | 1.3 (34.3) | 11.6 (52.9) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −4.1 (24.6) | −3.7 (25.3) | 0.0 (32.0) | 5.5 (41.9) | 11.1 (52.0) | 15.4 (59.7) | 19.6 (67.3) | 20.9 (69.6) | 17.2 (63.0) | 11.1 (52.0) | 4.4 (39.9) | −1.5 (29.3) | 8.0 (46.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −7.4 (18.7) | −7.4 (18.7) | −3.5 (25.7) | 1.6 (34.9) | 7.2 (45.0) | 12.3 (54.1) | 16.7 (62.1) | 17.7 (63.9) | 13.1 (55.6) | 6.9 (44.4) | 1.1 (34.0) | −4.4 (24.1) | 4.5 (40.1) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −23.4 (−10.1) | −22.8 (−9.0) | −22.4 (−8.3) | −10.1 (13.8) | −2.8 (27.0) | 1.6 (34.9) | 5.0 (41.0) | 7.1 (44.8) | 1.1 (34.0) | −4.4 (24.1) | −9.5 (14.9) | −21.4 (−6.5) | −23.4 (−10.1) |
| Averageprecipitation mm (inches) | 95.8 (3.77) | 68.5 (2.70) | 53.5 (2.11) | 43.2 (1.70) | 59.7 (2.35) | 56.3 (2.22) | 113.9 (4.48) | 126.6 (4.98) | 145.4 (5.72) | 131.4 (5.17) | 140.0 (5.51) | 119.9 (4.72) | 1,154.1 (45.44) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 165 (65) | 120 (47) | 75 (30) | 9 (3.5) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 35 (14) | 147 (58) | 546 (215) |
| Average extreme snow depth cm (inches) | 74 (29) | 86 (34) | 72 (28) | 18 (7.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 13 (5.1) | 47 (19) | 90 (35) |
| Average precipitation days(≥ 1.0 mm) | 20.4 | 16.5 | 13.0 | 9.5 | 8.9 | 8.1 | 8.9 | 9.7 | 12.7 | 15.2 | 18.7 | 22.0 | 163.6 |
| Average snowy days(≥ 3.0 cm) | 15.5 | 12.5 | 8.0 | 0.8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3.8 | 14.1 | 54.5 |
| Averagerelative humidity (%) | 77 | 75 | 72 | 72 | 76 | 82 | 85 | 83 | 79 | 74 | 74 | 76 | 77 |
| Mean monthlysunshine hours | 48.0 | 69.7 | 129.7 | 174.5 | 201.2 | 174.0 | 169.2 | 174.4 | 167.5 | 124.3 | 51.9 | 29.6 | 1,514 |
| Percentagepossible sunshine | 18 | 26 | 39 | 43 | 42 | 40 | 37 | 40 | 47 | 38 | 19 | 11 | 35 |
| Source 1:JMA[3][4] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2:NOAA (Percent possible sunshine, 1961–1990)[5] | |||||||||||||
(Annual average: 4.9 m/s or 18 km/h or 11 mph)
| Month | m/s | km/h | mph |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 6.1 | 22 | 14 |
| February | 5.3 | 19 | 12 |
| March | 4.9 | 18 | 11 |
| April | 4.8 | 17 | 11 |
| May | 4.2 | 15 | 9 |
| June | 3.5 | 13 | 8 |
| July | 3.4 | 12 | 8 |
| August | 3.8 | 14 | 9 |
| September | 4.5 | 16 | 10 |
| October | 5.8 | 21 | 13 |
| November | 6.5 | 23 | 15 |
| December | 6.5 | 23 | 15 |
Per Japanese census data, the population of Rumoi is as shown below. The city is in a long period of sustained population loss.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1940 | 20,341 | — |
| 1950 | 32,513 | +59.8% |
| 1960 | 35,818 | +10.2% |
| 1970 | 38,691 | +8.0% |
| 1980 | 36,626 | −5.3% |
| 1990 | 32,429 | −11.5% |
| 2000 | 28,325 | −12.7% |
| 2010 | 24,454 | −13.7% |
| 2020 | 20,114 | −17.7% |
Rumoi was developed byherring fishery and mining.[6]
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Rumoi has amayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and aunicameral city council of 14 members. Rumoi, as part of Rumoi sub-prefecture, contributes one member to the Hokkaidō Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of theHokkaidō 10th district of thelower house of theDiet of Japan.
Rumoi is the central city of the Rumoi region. Its main industries are commerce,civil engineering, andseafood processing. Rumoi Port is still used for landingPacific herring, and is the largest processing center in Japan forkazunoko herring roe.
Until the 1900s, Rumoi was a fishing town that relied solely on herring fishing, with a permanent population of just under 40,000 and over 30,000 migrant workers, and a very lively entertainment district. Since the 1910s, the development ofcoal mines progressed. After the depletion of herring resources in 1950, Mitsui & Co. and others began importing fish roe and other products from overseas for seafood processing companies, and lumber processing companies in the city also began importing northern timber in the 1950s, so the city's economy has been based on commerce, fishing and mining since 1950. In the 1960s, the coal mines were closed and in the 1970s, local seafood processing companies gradually lost market share to factories inSapporo and the Tokyo metropolitan area, which are located near major consumer areas. In the 1980s, the city began to develop ports, roads, and waste disposal facilities to accommodate the unemployed leading to a rapid expansion in the issuance of city bonds. By the 1990s, wood processing companies went out of business or moved overseas, almost eliminating economic activity in the city. The government, which the city relied on, also retreated one after another, with the Rumoi Maritime Bureau moving toAsahikawa and the Rumoi Coast Guard Station integrating withOtaru. Since the 1990s, the city's economy has become government-dependent, dependent on public servants' salaries and public works. According to the 2000 census, the proportion of employees in thetertiary industry, including public servants, was overwhelmingly high, accounting for more than 70% of the total number of employees, withsecondary industry accounting for 30%.Primary industry only accounted for a little over 3%.
Rumoi has five public elementary schools and two public junior high schools operated by the city government, and one public high school operated by the Hokkaidō Board of Education.
The city does not have any passenger rail service. Prior to April 1, 2023, Rumoi Station, located in the city centre, was the terminus of theJR HokkaidoRumoi Main Line, which linked the city toFukagawa. The sections betweenRumoi andIshikari-Numata, includingTōgeshita,Horonuka,Fujiyama,Ōwada andRumoi station, were closed on March 31, 2023 due to declining passenger numbers. TheRumoi Main Line also formerly ran toMashike, located southwest of Rumoi, until December 4, 2016, when the Mashike-Rumoi section, includingSegoshi andReuke station, was closed owing to declining passenger numbers.
Fukagawa-Rumoi Expressway connects Rumoi toDō-Ō Expressway, a major expressway in the prefecture of Hokkaido.
Ulan-Ude,Buryatia,Russia (since 5 July 1972)[10]
Pontianak,West Kalimantan,Indonesia
Yingkou,Liaoning,China
Rumoi's mascot isKazumo-chan (KAZUMOちゃん). She is a 25-year-old kind herring egg who has 1 daughter namedWakako-chan (ワカコちゃん).[11]
Media related toRumoi, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons
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