Yoichi, Hokkaido

Yoichi 余市町
Town
Location of Yoichi in Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture) Location of Yoichi in Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)
Yoichi Location in Japan
Coordinates:
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Shiribeshi Subprefecture)
District	Yoichi
Government
• Mayor	Tamotsu Shima
Area
• Total	140.60 km2 (54.29 sq mi)
Population (2008)
• Total	21,908
• Density	160/km2 (400/sq mi)
Symbols
• Tree	Apple
• Flower	Apple
• Bird	Common gull
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City Hall Address	26 Asahi-cho, Yoichi, Yoichi-gun, Hokkaido 046-8546
Website	www.town.yoichi.hokkaido.jp

Yoichi (余市町, Yoichi-chō) is a town located in the Yoichi District, Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

Demographics

As of 2008, the population of Yoichi is estimated to be 21,908 with a density of 160 persons per km². The total area of Yoichi is 140.60 km². The climate is mild (8.2 °C average), with temperatures ranging from -6 °C to 26 °C.

Geography

Yoichi is located on the southeastern of the Shakotan Peninsula and faces the Sea of Japan. A north part of the town belongs to Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park.

Neighboring municipalities

• Otaru
• Niki
• Akaigawa
• Furubira

Industry

Yoichi is the home of the Yoichi distillery owned by Nikka Whisky Distilling. Yoichi is famous for fruit, particularly apples, and wine, and Yoichi apple juice is also famous throughout Japan. Yoichi is also the home of Kosugi Motors, one of the oldest car dealerships in Shiribeshi region of Hokkaido.

Culture and tourism

A coastal town, with a particularly nice beach, Yoichi is popular with surfers for a large part of the year, and also a popular tourist destination for Japanese holiday makers during the hotter months of July and August.

Yoichi is the birthplace of the "Soran" folk song, known throughout Japan, and recently associated with the Hokkaidan Yosakoi dance. The Yoichi Soran festival, featuring dancing, fireworks and delicious food and drink, is held every year in the first weekend of July, a few weeks after the Yoichi shrine festival.

The cave paintings at Fugoppe Cave in Yoichi are the first known signs of prehistoric life on Hokkaido.

Yoichi is easily accessible by bus and train, which run approximately hourly to and from Otaru, Sapporo, and Kutchan, a town 45 minutes south of Yoichi where world class skiing and snowboarding may be enjoyed.

Twin Town

• Bishopbriggs, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland

Education

High schools

Hokkaido Yoichi High School was merged with Hokkaido Niki High School (Niki) and Hokkaido Furubira High School (Furubira) in 2010.

• Public
  • Hokkaido Yoichi Koshi High School
• Private
  • Hokusei Gakuen Yoichi High School

Junior high school

• Asahi Junior High School
• Higashi Junior High School
• Nishi Junior High School

Elementary school

• Kurokawa Elementary School
• Nobori Elementary School
• Ōkawa Elementary School
• Sakae Elementary School
• Sawamachi Elementary School

Notable people

Yoichi is the birthplace of Mamoru "Mark" Mohri, the first Japanese astronaut; he attended elementary and junior high schools here. The Yoichi Space Museum, also called the Space Apple), was dedicated in his honor when it opened in 1998. Other Yoichi luminaries include ski-jump gold medallists in Winter Olympic Games.

External links

• Official website (Japanese)
• Recommendations of the Yoichi sightseeing association (English)