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factoids

| official_name = Wakkanai CityCities of Japan>City| image_skyline = Wakkanai montage.jpg| imagesize = | image_alt = Clockwise from top:{{hlist>View of Wakkanai from Wakkanai Park, Cape Sōya monument, Wakkanai Lighthouse in Cape Nossapu, Wakkanai Train Station, North Breakwater Dome, Cape Sōya Wind Farm, Wakkanai Ice Snow Gate}}| image_flag = Flag of Wakkanai, Hokkaido.svg| flag_alt = | image_seal = Emblem of Wakkanai, Hokkaido.svg| seal_alt = | image_shield = | shield_alt = | image_blank_emblem = | nickname = | motto = | image_map = Wakkanai in Hokkaido Prefecture Ja.svg| map_caption = Location of Wakkanai in Hokkaido Prefecture, highlighted in pink| pushpin_map = Japan| pushpin_label_position = | pushpin_map_alt = | pushpin_map_caption =  4556.414123region:JP|display=inline,title}}| coor_pinpoint = | coordinates_footnotes = | subdivision_type = Country| subdivision_name = JapanList of regions of Japan>Region| subdivision_name1 = HokkaidoPrefectures of Japan>Prefecture| subdivision_name2 = Hokkaido| subdivision_type3 = | subdivision_name3 = | established_title = | established_date = | founder = | named_for = | seat_type = | seat = | government_footnotes = | leader_party = | leader_title = Mayor| leader_name = Hiroshi Kudo (since May 2011)| leader_title1 = | leader_name1 = | total_type = | unit_pref = | area_magnitude = | area_footnotes = | area_total_km2 = 761.47| area_land_km2 = | area_water_km2 = | area_water_percent = | area_note = | elevation_footnotes = | elevation_m = | population_footnotes = | population_total = 31195| population_as_of = August 31, 2023| population_density_km2 = 72.8| population_est = | pop_est_as_of = | population_demonym = | population_note = | timezone1 = Japan Standard Time| utc_offset1 = +9| timezone1_DST = | utc_offset1_DST = | postal_code_type = | postal_code = | area_code_type = | area_code = | blank_name_sec1 = Phone number| blank_info_sec1 = 0162-23-6161| blank1_name_sec1 = Address| blank1_info_sec1 = 3-13-15 Chūō, Wakkanai-shi, Hokkaido 097-8686Köppen climate classification>ClimateHumid continental climate>Dfbwww.city.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp/}}| footnotes =



factoids



tree

Sakura, rowan
| flower = Rosa rugosa
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}}{{Nihongo|Wakkanai|稚内市|Wakkanai-shi| {{transl|ain|Yam-wakka-nay}} meaning “cold water river” or more literally “cold river valley“}}WEB,www.pref.hokkaido.lg.jp/ks/ass/grp/141145P.pdf, ja:アイヌ語地名リスト, Ainu Language Place Name List, Office of Ainu Measures Promotion, Department of Environment and Lifestyle, Hokkaido Government, ja, January 29, 2015, is a city located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital of Sōya Subprefecture. It contains Japan’s northernmost point, Cape Sōya, from which the Russian island of Sakhalin can be seen.As of 31 August 2023, the city has an estimated population of 31,195 and a population density of 72.8 persons per km2 (189 persons per mi2). The total area is {{convert|761.47|km2|abbr=on}}.Wakkanai is also home to Japan’s first nursing home built inside the central train station of its city, a novel approach to caring for Japan’s growing elderly population that has since been imitated in several other cities.WEB, Every Human Intention by Dreux Richard: 9781101871119 {{!, PenguinRandomHouse.com: Books|url=https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/535667/every-human-intention-by-dreux-richard/|access-date=2021-10-04|website=PenguinRandomhouse.com|language=en-US}}

History

Wakkanai was originally home to an Ainu population. The first Japanese settlement was established in 1685.History of Wakkanai

• 1879: The village of Wakkanai was founded.
• 1897: Sōya Subprefecture established.
• 1901: Wakkanai village became Wakkanai town.
• 1949: Wakkanai town became Wakkanai city.
• 1955: Soya village was merged into Wakkanai city.
• 1959: Wakkanai Airport opened.

During World War II, the Imperial Japanese Navy used the harbor and port as a submarine base. Wakkanai was far enough north to be outside the range of American heavy bombers and was safe from air attacks. Until the early to mid-1960s, the northern portion of the harbor remained divided by concrete sub-mooring pens. The large breakwater structure (which still exists) was actually a sub-repair facility. At the shore end there was a huge winching mechanism capable of hauling subs up into the partially enclosed structure where they could be repaired while completely out of the water. Built into the hills above the city there were several reinforced concrete bunker-type caves where (anecdotally) they were used either to store ammunition and armament, or as air raid shelters for the civilian populace. History would suggest the former use, rather than the latter. During a re-build/renovation of the harbor sometime during the 1960s or 1970s, the harbor was cleared of the concrete pens and the machinery was removed from the breakwater structure which was reconfigured.

Geography

Japan’s northernmost point, Cape Sōya, is located in Wakkanai, which is on a peninsula jutting towards Sakhalin Island in Russia, which is 43 kilometers (27 miles) away. On a clear day, the Russian island can be easily seen. There is also an island called Benten-jima located northwest of Cape Sōya.

• Rivers: Koetoi River
• Lakes: ÅŒnuma Lake

Surrounding municipalities

• Toyotomi
• Sarufutsu

Climate

Wakkanai has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfb) typical of Hokkaido but with strong influence of the ocean as island portions near the great land masses (such as the smaller islands of Nova Scotia),BOOK,books.google.com/books?id=az3qCAAAQBAJ&q=wakkanai+koppen&pg=PA126, Selected climatic data for a global set of standard stations for vegetation science, Muller, M. J., 2012-12-06, Springer Science & Business Media, 9789400980402, en, with cold winters, warm summers and generally heavy precipitation from the Aleutian Low, whose winds hit the city direct from the Sea of Japan but with strong oceanic influence (46 Â°F). The winter is cold enough not to fall in a “Cfb” climate and the summers although very mild for typical climate “b” is warm enough to fall into a “Dfc”, both in the classification of Koppen.WEB,portais.ufg.br/up/68/o/Classifica____o_Clim__tica_Koppen.pdf, Koppen Climate Classification, 2018-10-08, 2019-04-12,web.archive.org/web/20190412021303/https://portais.ufg.br/up/68/o/Classifica____o_Clim__tica_Koppen.pdf, dead, The mean annual temperature, at {{convert|6.8|C|F}}, is the second lowest for a significant population centre in Japan after Nemuro. Snowfall at {{convert|6.6|m|in}}, the third highest for a big city in Japan after Asahikawa and Aomori and one of the highest anywhere in the world. For comparison, Nain in Canada receives {{convert|194|in|m|1}} of snow.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}The Aleutian Low also makes the sunshine hours the lowest of Japan’s major population centres and in the winter the wind speeds are the highest in Japan with an average of {{convert|20.2|km/h|mph|abbr=on}}, which adds to the {{convert|−4.7|C|F|1}} cold of a typical winter day. The city’s port is usually usable throughout the year, but does occasionally freeze in cold winters.{{Citation needed|date=December 2018}}The highest temperature ever recorded in Wakkanai was {{cvt|32.7|C}} on 29 July 2021.WEB,www.ogimet.com/cgi-bin/gsynres?ind=47401&ano=2021&mes=7&day=29&hora=18&min=0&ndays=30, 47401: Wakkanai (Japan), 29 July 2021, ogimet.com, OGIMET, 30 July 2021, The coldest temperature ever recorded was {{cvt|-19.4|C}} on 30 January 1944.{{Weather box|collapsed = Y|single line = Y|metric first = Y|location = Wakkanai (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1938−present)|Jan record high C = 7.4|Feb record high C = 9.3|Mar record high C = 13.1|Apr record high C = 20.2|May record high C = 26.9|Jun record high C = 26.8|Jul record high C = 32.7|Aug record high C = 31.6|Sep record high C = 29.7|Oct record high C = 23.5|Nov record high C = 17.4|Dec record high C = 11.5|Jan record low C = -19.4|Feb record low C = -18.3|Mar record low C = -17.4|Apr record low C = -8.0|May record low C = -2.2|Jun record low C = 2.1|Jul record low C = 6.4|Aug record low C = 8.9|Sep record low C = 3.5|Oct record low C = -4.4|Nov record low C = -11.4|Dec record low C = -16.0|precipitation colour = green|Jan precipitation mm = 84.6|Feb precipitation mm = 60.6|Mar precipitation mm = 55.1|Apr precipitation mm = 50.3|May precipitation mm = 68.1|Jun precipitation mm = 65.8|Jul precipitation mm = 100.9|Aug precipitation mm = 123.1|Sep precipitation mm = 136.7|Oct precipitation mm = 129.7|Nov precipitation mm = 121.4|Dec precipitation mm = 112.9|year precipitation mm = 1109.2|Jan mean C = -4.3|Feb mean C = -4.3|Mar mean C = -0.6|Apr mean C = 4.5|May mean C = 9.1|Jun mean C = 13.0|Jul mean C = 17.2|Aug mean C = 19.5|Sep mean C = 17.2|Oct mean C = 11.3|Nov mean C = 3.8|Dec mean C = -2.1|year mean C = 7.0|Jan high C = -2.4|Feb high C = -2.0|Mar high C = 1.6|Apr high C = 7.4|May high C = 12.4|Jun high C = 16.1|Jul high C = 20.1|Aug high C = 22.3|Sep high C = 20.1|Oct high C = 14.1|Nov high C = 6.3|Dec high C = 0.0|year high C = 9.7|Jan low C = -6.4|Feb low C = -6.7|Mar low C = -3.1|Apr low C = 1.8|May low C = 6.3|Jun low C = 10.4|Jul low C = 14.9|Aug low C = 17.2|Sep low C = 14.4|Oct low C = 8.4|Nov low C = 1.3|Dec low C = -4.2|year low C = 4.5|Jan avg record high C = 3.1|Feb avg record high C = 4.1|Mar avg record high C = 7.9|Apr avg record high C = 14.9|May avg record high C = 20.1|Jun avg record high C = 22.6|Jul avg record high C = 25.6|Aug avg record high C = 26.4|Sep avg record high C = 25.0|Oct avg record high C = 19.6|Nov avg record high C = 13.9|Dec avg record high C = 6.6|year avg record high C = 27.2|Jan avg record low C = -11.4|Feb avg record low C = -11.7|Mar avg record low C = -8.6|Apr avg record low C = -2.7|May avg record low C = 1.5|Jun avg record low C = 5.9|Jul avg record low C = 10.4|Aug avg record low C = 13.6|Sep avg record low C = 9.1|Oct avg record low C = 2.4|Nov avg record low C = -5.7|Dec avg record low C = -9.4|year avg record low C = -12.5|Jan humidity = 72|Feb humidity = 71|Mar humidity = 70|Apr humidity = 75|May humidity = 79|Jun humidity = 85|Jul humidity = 87|Aug humidity = 84|Sep humidity = 75|Oct humidity = 68|Nov humidity = 67|Dec humidity = 70|year humidity = 75|Jan sun = 40.6|Feb sun = 74.7|Mar sun = 137.5|Apr sun = 173.5|May sun = 181.6|Jun sun = 154.6|Jul sun = 142.7|Aug sun = 150.7|Sep sun = 172.1|Oct sun = 134.6|Nov sun = 55.9|Dec sun = 28.4|year sun = 1446.9|snow colour = green|Jan snow cm = 129|Feb snow cm = 105|Mar snow cm = 68|Apr snow cm = 9|May snow cm = 0|Jun snow cm = 0|Jul snow cm = 0|Aug snow cm = 0|Sep snow cm = 0|Oct snow cm = 1|Nov snow cm = 41|Dec snow cm = 122|year snow cm = 477|unit precipitation days = 0.5 mm|Jan precipitation days = 23.8|Feb precipitation days = 20.0|Mar precipitation days = 16.3|Apr precipitation days = 11.3|May precipitation days = 10.8|Jun precipitation days = 10.2|Jul precipitation days = 9.5|Aug precipitation days = 10.6|Sep precipitation days = 12.6|Oct precipitation days = 16.3|Nov precipitation days = 20.2|Dec precipitation days = 23.9|year precipitation days = 185.4|source 1 = Japan Meteorological AgencyWEB,www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_sfc_ym.php?prec_no=11&block_no=47401&year=&month=&day=&view=h0, ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）, Japan Meteorological Agency, 1 March 2022, WEB,www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_s.php?prec_no=11&block_no=47401&year=&month=&day=&view=h0, ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）, Japan Meteorological Agency, 1 March 2022, |source 2 = Météo ClimatHTTP://METEO-CLIMAT-BZH.DYNDNS.ORG/METE4-961-1938-2021.PHP>TITLE=MéTéO CLIMAT STATS FOR WAKKANAI ACCESS-DATE=1 MARCH 2022, HTTP://METEO-CLIMAT-BZH.DYNDNS.ORG/METE8-961-1938-2021.PHP>TITLE=MéTéO CLIMAT STATS FOR WAKKANAI ACCESS-DATE=1 MARCH 2022, }}{{Graph:Weather monthly history| table=Ncei.noaa.gov/weather/Wakkanai.tab| title=Wakkanai temperature}}

Transportation

Air

Wakkanai Airport is located in Wakkanai. There is a daily flight to New Chitose Airport near Sapporo and there is also a daily flight to Tokyo Haneda Airport.

Rail

JR Hokkaido runs diesel train services on the Sōya Main Line from Wakkanai to Nayoro, Asahikawa and Sapporo. The Sōya limited express runs once a day to and from Sapporo, while the Sarobetsu runs twice a day to and from Asahikawa, with a change of trains to either a Lilac or Kamui limited express service at Asahikawa required to reach Sapporo.

• Sōya Main Line : {{STN|Wakkanai}} - {{STN|Minami-Wakkanai}} - {{STN|Bakkai}} - {{STN|YÅ«chi}}

Above are the stations located in Wakkanai.There are plans for a massive extension of the Trans-Siberian Railway. If becoming a reality, it would go via Sakhalin and end in Wakkanai.Russia Is All In: the New Trans-Siberian Railway May Actually Happen

Sea

(File:Aniwamaru and Wakkanai port north pier.jpg|thumb|250px|Chihaku ferry “Aniwamaru” of Japanese Governmental Railway, touching down the north pier of Wakkanai port. Chihaku ferry had connected Wakkanai in Hokkaido and Odomari in Sakhalin, until the ferry ceased its operation in 1945.)Heartland Ferry operates seasonal ferry service to Rebun Island and Rishiri Island. Ferry service to Korsakov on Sakhalin Island was terminated on September 18, 2015. Wakkanai governor KUDO Hiroshi pledged to restore ferry service to Sakhalin and in 2016, the route resumed operation between the months of June and September of each year and is commercially operated by the Commonwealth of Dominica flagged vessel Penguin 33, which is a High-speed craft owned by Penguin International Limited and operated by Sakhalin Shipping Company.WEB,www.city.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp.e.dh.hp.transer.com/sangyo/saharin/teikikouro/, Sakhalin regular line / Wakkanai-shi, 稚内市, www.city.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp.e.dh.hp.transer.com, 2017-06-15, WEB,hs-line.com/, HSL 北海道サハリン航路株式会社, hs-line.com, ja, 2017-06-15,

Education

University

• Wakkanai Hokusei Gakuen University

High schools

Public

• Hokkaido Wakkanai High School

Private

• Wakkanai Otani High School

Tourist attractions

• The Daisuke Matsuzaka Museum, dedicated to the baseball pitcher “Dice-K” and opened in 2008, is located in Wakkanai, which is his father’s hometown.
• Wakkanai Park, home to the Centennial Tower, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the city,WEB,www.forbes.com/sites/geoffreymorrison/2016/12/31/check-out-wakkanai-and-the-northernmost-point-of-japan/, Touring Wakkanai And The Northernmost Point Of Japan, Morrison, Geoffrey, 2016-12-31, Forbes, en, 2020-03-02, and the Hoppo Memorial MuseumWEB,www.straitstimes.com/lifestyle/travel/a-windy-tour-of-northern-japan, Exploring the northernmost tip of Japan, Nanda, Akshita, 2016-11-06, The Straits Times, en, 2020-03-02,
• Cape Sōya, home to a monument to the northernmost point in Japan
• Hokumon Jinja, a Shinto shrine
• Wakkanai Onsen Dome, Japan’s northernmost onsen.

Mascots

{{multiple image| align = right| direction = horizontal| total_width = 240| footer = Rinzou-kun and Dashinosuke, the city’s mascots| footer_align = center| image1 = Rinzou-kun.png| image2 = Dashinosuke.png}}Wakkanai’s mascots are {{Nihongo|Rinzou-kun|りんぞうくん}} and {{Nihongo|Dashinosuke|出汁之介}}.

• Rinzou-kun is a descendant of Mamiya Rinzō who explored the Strait of Tartary in what is now Russia.WEB,www.city.wakkanai.hokkaido.jp/sangyo/kanko/rinzou.html, りんぞうくん（稚内市キャラクターデザイン）の使用について, Wakkanai,
• Dashinosuke is a green harbor seal who is Rinzou-kun’s assistant. His flippers and his tail resembled kelp. He loves fish and shellfish.WEB,www.yurugp.jp/jp/vote/detail.php?id=00000128, 出汁之介 (北海道), Yuru-Chara Grand Prix,

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Sister cities and friendship cities

Sister city

• {{Flagicon|PHI}} Baguio, Philippines (since 1973)International interaction of Wakkanai

Friendship cities

Domestic

• {{Flagicon|Japan}} Ishigaki, Okinawa (since 1987)Domestic Interaction of Wakkanai
• {{Flagicon|Japan}} Makurazaki, Kagoshima (since 2012)

International

• {{Flagicon|Russia}} Nevelsk, Russia (since 1972)
• {{Flagicon|Russia}} Korsakov, Russia (since 1992)
• {{Flagicon|Russia}} Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia (since 2001)

Sister ports

• {{flagicon|US}} Port of Anchorage, United States (since 1982)

Gallery

Image:Wakkanai shore.jpg|Shore of WakkanaiImage:The_northernmost_point_of_Japan_monument_in_Soya_cape.jpg|The northernmost point in Japan monument (on land) in Cape SōyaImage:Wakkanai lighrhouse.JPG|Wakkanai lighthouse in 2006

References

External links

• {{Wikivoyage-inline|Wakkanai}}
• {{Commons category-inline|Wakkanai, Hokkaido}}
• Official Website {{in lang|ja}}

{{Hokkaido}}{{Authority control}}