Shibetsu, Hokkaido

Shibetsu

士別市
Shibetsu ; 士別市
City
	Shibetsu city hall
	Flag Seal
	Location of Shibetsu in Hokkaido (Kamikawa Subprefecture)
	Shibetsu Location in Japan
	Coordinates: 43°33′N 141°55′E / 43.550°N 141.917°ECoordinates: 43°33′N 141°55′E / 43.550°N 141.917°E
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Kamikawa Subprefecture)
Government
• Mayor
Area
• Total	1,119.29 km2 (432.16 sq mi)
Population (September 2016)
• Total	19,794
• Density	18/km2 (46/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address	4-1, Higashi Roku-jō, Shibetsu-shi, Hokkaidō; 095-8686
Website	www.city.shibetsu.lg.jp
Flower
Symbols
Flower	Cosmos and Ezo murasaki-tsutsuji (Rhododendron dauricum)
Tree	Japanese Rowan and Ezo Spruce

Shibetsu (士別市, Shibetsu-shi, Ainu: シペㇳ Sipet) is a city located in Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of September 2016, the city has an estimated population of 19,794 and the density of 18 persons per km². The total area is 1119.29 km².

On September 1, 2005, the town of Asahi was merged into Shibetsu.

History[]

1902: Shibetsu village was founded.
1915: The village became Shibetsu town.
1954: Shibetsu town, Kamishibetsu village, Tayoro village, and Onneppu village were merged to form Shibetsu city.
2005: Asahi town was merged into Shibetsu city.

Geography[]

Shibetsu is located N of Asahikawa and NNE of Sapporo. It is situated by the Shibetsu River in the north and its valley. The name comes from the Ainu word for "great river".

Transportation[]

Rail[]

Sōya Main Line: Shibetsu - Shimo-Shibetsu - Tayoro - Mizuho

Road[]

Shibetsu is accessed by the Hokkaidō Expressway. The Shibetsu-Kenbuchi Interchange opened on October 4, 2003, connecting the expressway with Route 40. The bypass is not yet planned.