Akabira, Hokkaido

Akabira 赤平
—  City  —
Flag
Location of Akabira in Hokkaidō (Sorachi)
Akabira
Coordinates: 43°33′N 142°3′E
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaidō
Prefecture	Hokkaidō (Sorachi)
Government
• Mayor	Hiroaki Takao
Area
• Total	129.88 km2 (50.15 sq mi)
Population (June 30, 2008)
• Total	13,597
• Density	105/km2 (270/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Maple
- Flower	Lily
- Bird	Varied Tit
Phone number	0125-32-2211
Address	4-1 Izumimachi, Akabira-shi, Hokkaidō 079-1192
Website	City of Akabira

Akabira (赤平市, Akabira-shi) is a city located in central Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan. The name is Ainu for Mountain Ridge.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 13,597 and the density of 105 persons per km². The total area is 129.88 km². The city was once a prosperous coal-mining city, its population reaching 59,430 in 1960. The population has been gradually declining.

History

• 1891 Settlement begins
• 1918 Moshiri Coal Mine opens
• 1922 Second-class municipality Akabira Village split off of first-class municipality Utashinai
• 1929 Akabira becomes a First-Class municipality
• 1937 Shōwa Denkō Toyosato Mine opened
• 1938 Sumitomo Coal Mine, Hokkaidō Coal Mine Railroad and Akama Coal Mine opened
• 1943 Akabira Village becomes Akabira Town
• July 1, 1954 Akabira Town becomes Akabira City
• 1967 Shōwa Denkō Toyosato Mine closesd
• 1969 Moshiri Coal Mine closed
• 1973 Akema Coal Mine closed
• 1994 Sumitomo Coal Mine closed
• 2003 Mid-Sorachi Merger Committee established.
• 2007 A major elementary school in Akabira closed down. It once had about 5000 students but has dropped rapidly after the closure of the coal mines.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)