Biratori, Hokkaido
Encyclopedia
is a town located in Saru District
, Hidaka
, Hokkaidō, Japan
.
As of 2008, the town has an estimated population
of 5,909 and a density
of 7.95 persons per km². The total area is 743.16 km².
The Nibutani Dam
was constructed in Nibutani
(二風谷) district on the Saru River
, though there was a strong objection due to a sacred meaning of the place for indigenous Ainu people
. Nibutani is the site of the Ainu Cultural center. Nibutani's best known son is perhaps Shigeru Kayano
, an advocate for the Ainu and Ainu language and culture. The 'Cultural Landscape along the Sarugawa River
resulting from Ainu
Tradition and Modern Settlement' within Biratori has been designated an Important Cultural Landscape
.
Biratori is primarily an agricultural town, growing many different kinds of fruits and vegetables for people and livestock. It was also known for its lumber industry.
Other places of note in Biratori:
Saru District, Hokkaido
is a district located in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, Japan.As of 2004, the district has an estimated population of 21,190 and a density of 12.21 persons per km²...
, Hidaka
Hidaka Subprefecture
is a subprefecture of Hokkaidō, Japan. The west side of the Hidaka mountains occupies most of the area. Hidaka is sparsely populated and has many of Hokkaidō's natural resources...
, Hokkaidō, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
.
As of 2008, the town has an estimated population
Population
A population is all the organisms that both belong to the same group or species and live in the same geographical area. The area that is used to define a sexual population is such that inter-breeding is possible between any pair within the area and more probable than cross-breeding with individuals...
of 5,909 and a density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
of 7.95 persons per km². The total area is 743.16 km².
The Nibutani Dam
Nibutani Dam
is a dam on the Saru River in Hokkaidō, Japan, which stands at Nibutani in Biratori town, Saru District. Work on the dam began in 1990. It was completed in March 1997, despite objections from the local Ainu people.-Controversy:...
was constructed in Nibutani
Nibutani
The Nibutani , Niputay in Ainu, district is part of the town of Biratori in Hokkaidō, Japan, a particularly large proportion of the population of which is of the indigenous Ainu ethnicity. It is the site of the Nibutani Dam, and the hometown of Shigeru Kayano. Nibutani is also the site of two Ainu...
(二風谷) district on the Saru River
Saru River
Saru River is a river in Hokkaidō, Japan.The Saru River rises in the Hidaka Mountains and empties into the Pacific. The Nibutani Dam is situated on the Saru River, at Nibutani village. The construction of this dam was the subject of famous domestic litigation, producing the first ever Japanese...
, though there was a strong objection due to a sacred meaning of the place for indigenous Ainu people
Ainu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
. Nibutani is the site of the Ainu Cultural center. Nibutani's best known son is perhaps Shigeru Kayano
Shigeru Kayano
was one of the last native speakers of the Ainu language and a leading figure in the Ainu ethnic movement in Japan.- Early life :...
, an advocate for the Ainu and Ainu language and culture. The 'Cultural Landscape along the Sarugawa River
Saru River
Saru River is a river in Hokkaidō, Japan.The Saru River rises in the Hidaka Mountains and empties into the Pacific. The Nibutani Dam is situated on the Saru River, at Nibutani village. The construction of this dam was the subject of famous domestic litigation, producing the first ever Japanese...
resulting from Ainu
Ainu people
The , also called Aynu, Aino , and in historical texts Ezo , are indigenous people or groups in Japan and Russia. Historically they spoke the Ainu language and related varieties and lived in Hokkaidō, the Kuril Islands, and much of Sakhalin...
Tradition and Modern Settlement' within Biratori has been designated an Important Cultural Landscape
Cultural Landscapes of Japan
Landscapes which have evolved together with the way of life and geocultural features of a region, and which are indispensable for understanding the lifestyle of the Japanese people, are recognized by the government of Japan as under article 2, paragraph 1, item 5 of the Law for the Protection of...
.
Biratori is primarily an agricultural town, growing many different kinds of fruits and vegetables for people and livestock. It was also known for its lumber industry.
Other places of note in Biratori:
- Biratori Onsen
- Family Land
- Suzuran Field in Memu, where Lily of the ValleyLily of the ValleyConvallaria majalis , commonly known as the lily-of-the-valley, is a poisonous woodland flowering plant native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia and Europe....
(also known as Maybells) bloom from May to June. The field covers 15 hectares and is the largest in Japan. It opened to the public in 1963, but had to be closed in 1975 due to damage from overpicking and trampling. It was able to open again ten years later.. - The UFO park (Set up as a UFO observation platform, it was later closed in the 1970s-1980s.)
External links
- Official website in Japanese