Iwanai 岩内町 | |
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Town | |
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 Flag  Emblem | |
 Location of Iwanai inHokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture) | |
  Iwanai Location in Japan | |
| Coordinates:42°58′44″N140°30′33″E / 42.97889°N 140.50917°E /42.97889; 140.50917 | |
| Country | Japan |
| Region | Hokkaido |
| Prefecture | Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture) |
| District | Iwanai |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Yuji Kamioka |
| Area | |
• Total | 70.64 km2 (27.27 sq mi) |
| Population (September 30, 2016) | |
• Total | 13,210 |
| • Density | 190/km2 (480/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+09:00 (JST) |
| City hall address | 134-1 Takadai, Iwanai, Iwanai-gun, Hokkaido 045-8555 |
| Website | www |
| Symbols | |
| Flower | Lespedeza |
| Mascot | Taramaru (たら丸) |
| Tree | Sorbus commixta[1] |
Iwanai (岩内町,Iwanai-chō) is atown located inShiribeshi Subprefecture,Hokkaido,Japan.
As of September 2016, the town has an estimatedpopulation of 13,210. The total area is 70.64 km2.
Iwanai is one of the oldest towns in the region. Unlike many Hokkaido towns, it predates theMeiji Restoration, having started as a seasonal fishing location c. 1450, and developing into a year-round village in the mid-18th century. (Its official founding date is 1751). Citizens of Iwanai whose families have been native for many generations have a peculiar "fisherman" accent to their Japanese, distinct to others living in the region. (Most Hokkaido citizens speak Kantō, or Tokyo region, dialect; their ancestors emigrated from theKantō region in the late 19th century).
A massive fire broke out in Iwani in 1954, partly due to the effects ofTyphoon Marie, and destroyed most of the traditional buildings, as they were mostly wooden structures.[2][3] Modern Iwanai is much more Western in style, although there are still extensive Shinto shrines and Buddhist temples intact or rebuilt in the traditional fashion. The town also has a large shrine festival held every July.[4]
Iwanai is located on the western of theShakotan Peninsula. A part of the town is inNiseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park.
Today Iwanai still has a heavy fishing industry, along with farming in the local region. It also has skiing in winter. Although the local slopes are rougher than those of nearbyKutchan, the bay is visible from the slopes. The town is also well known in the region for its sushi restaurants.
Iwanai's mascot isTaramaru (たら丸), who is an anthropomorphicAlaska pollack. His marks are "nejiri hachimaki" (a traditional Japanese headband), a "kuroi nagagutsu" (a black boot) and his mouth and always carries an asparagus as a weapon. His birthday is 9 August 1985. His siblings areBeniko (べに子) who is his twin sister andPinsuke (ぴん助) who is his littler brother.[6]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
Media related toIwanai, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons
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