Yūbari, Hokkaido

Yūbari (夕張市, Yūbari-shi) is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

Yūbari 夕張市
City
From top left: Yubari melon, Mount Yubari, Yubari River, Coal Mine Museum in Yubari, Yubari Melon Castle, Yubari Film Festival site
Flag Seal
Location of Yūbari in Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Yūbari Location in Japan
Coordinates: 43°3′N 141°58′E
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Sorachi Subprefecture)
Government
• Mayor	Tsuyoshi Atsutani
Area
• Total	763.20 km2 (294.67 sq mi)
Population  (January 31, 2024)
• Total	6,374
• Density	8.4/km2 (22/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	4-2 Honchō, Yūbari-shi, Hokkaido 068-0492
Climate	Dfb
Website	www.city.yubari.lg.jp
Symbols
Flower	Azalea
Tree	Sakura

As of January 31, 2024, the city has an estimated population of 6,374, with 3,863 households.^[1] The total area is 763.20 km². Hemmed in by mountains, Yūbari stretches for 25 kilometers along a mountain valley.

The city is famous for the Yubari Melon and the Yubari International Fantastic Film Festival, which skipped a show in 2007 due to the city's financial crisis.^[2] It is also birthplace of Mitsuharu Misawa.

History

The city was founded on April 1, 1943, as a coal mining town. When the mines were operating Yūbari had as many as 120,000 people. With the closing of the colliery in the 1980s, an attempt was made to convert the economic base to tourism. Subsidies were obtained from the central government and huge debts incurred for the building of tourist attractions, but few visitors came. In 2007 the city was in the news due to bankruptcy and the refusal of the national government to bail it out. City services had been severely cut and its white elephant amusement park and museums were up for sale.^[3] The amusement park has begun to be demolished as of June 2008.^[4]

Roughly half of Yūbari's government officials resigned in March 2007 as part of an attempt to streamline the local fiscal situation. The majority of officials stepping down who responded to a survey conducted by Mainichi Shimbun say they "feel no sense of responsibility" for the city's financial problems.^[5]

Geography

• Mountain : Mount Yūbari
• River : Yūbari River

Climate

Climate data for Yūbari (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1976−present)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	6.6 (43.9)	11.6 (52.9)	14.4 (57.9)	26.2 (79.2)	31.3 (88.3)	31.6 (88.9)	35.0 (95.0)	34.9 (94.8)	31.5 (88.7)	24.4 (75.9)	19.0 (66.2)	11.5 (52.7)	35.0 (95.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−2.7 (27.1)	−1.7 (28.9)	2.4 (36.3)	9.9 (49.8)	17.0 (62.6)	20.6 (69.1)	23.7 (74.7)	24.4 (75.9)	20.7 (69.3)	14.1 (57.4)	6.3 (43.3)	−0.6 (30.9)	11.2 (52.1)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−6.6 (20.1)	−6.0 (21.2)	−1.8 (28.8)	4.5 (40.1)	10.9 (51.6)	15.0 (59.0)	18.8 (65.8)	19.6 (67.3)	15.6 (60.1)	8.9 (48.0)	2.1 (35.8)	−4.2 (24.4)	6.4 (43.5)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−11.1 (12.0)	−10.8 (12.6)	−6.4 (20.5)	−0.3 (31.5)	5.5 (41.9)	10.5 (50.9)	15.2 (59.4)	16.0 (60.8)	11.3 (52.3)	4.2 (39.6)	−1.8 (28.8)	−8.1 (17.4)	2.0 (35.6)
Record low °C (°F)	−21.6 (−6.9)	−23.6 (−10.5)	−19.5 (−3.1)	−13.8 (7.2)	−2.8 (27.0)	1.2 (34.2)	5.1 (41.2)	7.1 (44.8)	0.2 (32.4)	−3.8 (25.2)	−13.3 (8.1)	−19.0 (−2.2)	−23.6 (−10.5)
Average precipitation mm (inches)	115.3 (4.54)	82.0 (3.23)	78.5 (3.09)	78.4 (3.09)	107.1 (4.22)	86.4 (3.40)	129.8 (5.11)	185.6 (7.31)	156.0 (6.14)	119.7 (4.71)	129.5 (5.10)	131.5 (5.18)	1,399.8 (55.12)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	225 (89)	172 (68)	132 (52)	34 (13)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	3 (1.2)	84 (33)	230 (91)	880 (347.2)
Average rainy days	19.0	16.3	14.9	12.5	12.0	10.1	10.8	12.3	12.2	14.5	17.0	20.2	171.8
Average snowy days	18.7	16.4	14.5	5.0	0	0	0	0	0	0.4	6.6	18.7	80.3
Mean monthly sunshine hours	94.7	103.7	142.5	160.4	186.1	160.8	132.8	142.0	153.7	134.9	90.9	80.1	1,582.6
Source: JMA[6][7]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population has been rapidly declining since 1960.

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1950	99,530	—
1960	107,972	+8.5%
1970	69,871	−35.3%
1980	41,715	−40.3%
1990	20,969	−49.7%
2000	14,791	−29.5%
2010	10,922	−26.2%
2020	7,334	−32.9%
2024	6,374	−13.1%
Source: Censuses[8][9]

Public sector

Police

• Kuriyama Police Station (Main station is Kuriyama Town)
  • Yubari Police Building (Former Yubari Police Station)
  • Shimizusawa Police Box, Wakana Police Box
  • Nambu Residential Station, Numanosawa Residential Station, Momijiyama Residential Station

Education

High school

• Hokkaido Yubari High School
• Hokkaido Yubari Special High School

Junior high school

• Yubari Junior High School

Elementary school

• Yubari Elementary High School

Transportation

Rail

Panorama of Yuni village in Yubari district

The central train station was Yūbari Station on the Yubari branch of the Sekishō Line, formerly operated by JR Hokkaido. However, on March 31, 2019, the Yubari branch line closed after 127 years of operation,^[10] requiring passengers from Yubari to take a bus to Shin-Yūbari Station.

• Sekishō Line (Main Line) : Takinoue - Tomisato - Shin-Yūbari - (Kaede Passing Loop)
• Sekishō Line (Yūbari Branch Line - now closed): Shin-Yūbari - Numanosawa - Minami-Shimizusawa - Shimizusawa - Shikanotani - Yūbari

Road

• Dōtō Expressway : Yūbari IC

Bus

• Hokkaido Chuo Bus
• Yubari Tetsudo

Sister city

• Fushun, Liaoning, China (since April 1982)

See also

• Furano-Ashibetsu Prefectural Natural Park
• Ishikari coalfield
• Ōyūbari Dam