The Ishikari coal basin lies in the tertiary mountains of the mining region of Sorachi, east of the Ishikari Plain in central Hokkaido. These coal veins contain the largest quantity of coal of Japan. Because of its late discovery the historical role of the coalfield could not be compared with that of the Chikuho coalfield, but its economic importance since the Japanese industrial revolution is comparable with that of the southern Chikuhō coalfield. [1]
It was explorer Matsuura Takeshirō (松浦 武四郎), who, during his journey through Hokkaido in 1857, first marked the coal seams on the banks of the Sorachi river near Akabira. [2] In 1868, carpenter Kimura Kichitarō (木村 吉太郎) discovered coal in Horonai, Mikasa (三笠). [3] However, it took another six years before the local government took action, and the mining engineers Benjamin Smith Lyman and Takeaki Enomoto welded an investigation. Their findings were satisfactory, and the Meiji government decided to build in Horonai the first coalmine of the Ishikari coal basin. [4] In 1889, the Meiji government sold off the mine and its railways to, Hori Motoi, who found the Hokkaido Colliery and Railway Company (北海道炭礦鉄道会社 Hokkaidō Tankō Tetsudō Kaisha), abbreviated as Hokutan. [5]
Alongside to the historic mine Horonai this basin is also home to the famous mining town of Yūbari (夕張市). Here in 1888, coal was discovered by engineer Ban Ichitarō (坂 市太郎, 1854-1920), a follower of Benjamin Smith Lyman, on the upper reaches of the river Shihorokabetsu (士幌加別川). The following year, Hokutan opened its first colliery in Yūbari, the Yūbari Saitanjo (夕張採炭所). [6]
Hokkaido Prefecture had 14 branch offices called 支庁 (shichō) in Japanese, which is often translated in English as subprefectures. Normally, a subprefecture consists of a few to a dozen cities, towns, and/or villages. From April 2010, Hokkaido has 9 General Subprefectural Bureaus and 5 Subprefectural Bureaus ).
Eniwa is a city in Ishikari Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is on the Ishikari plain, 8 km north of Chitose, and 26 km south of the prefectural capital Sapporo. It is reached through route 36 and the Chitose Railway Line. The town is separated into three major areas: Eniwa in the south, Megumino in the center, and Shimamatsu in the north.
Yūbari is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
Ashibetsu is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
Akabira is a city located in central Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. The name is Ainu for "mountain ridge".
The Hokkaido Railway Company is one of the constituent companies of the Japan Railways Group, and is often referred to using its official abbreviation of JR Hokkaido. It operates intercity and local rail services in Hokkaido, Japan. The company introduced Kitaca, a smart card ticketing system, in autumn 2008.
Taihoku Prefecture was an administrative division of Taiwan created in 1920, during Japanese rule. The prefecture consisted of modern-day Keelung, New Taipei City, Taipei and Yilan County. Its government office, which is now occupied by the Control Yuan of Taiwan, was in Taihoku City.
Ishikari Province was a short-lived province located in Hokkaidō. It corresponded to modern-day Ishikari Subprefecture minus Chitose and Eniwa, all of Sorachi Subprefecture and the southern half of Kamikawa Subprefecture excluding Shimukappu
In 1869, the island of Hokkaido, Japan was divided into 11 provinces and 86 districts. The majority of Japan's former provinces were converted into prefectures by the Meiji government between 1870 and 1876.
Yūbari Mountains is a mountain range of Hokkaidō, Japan.
The Sekishō Line is a railway line in Japan operated by Hokkaido Railway Company. The main Sekishō Line connects Minami-Chitose in Chitose and Shintoku Station in the town of Shintoku. The name of the line comes from the subprefectures along the route, namely Ishikari (石狩) and Tokachi (十勝).
Kensuke Kazama was a Japanese photographer who photographed the one-time mining town of Yūbari, Hokkaidō.
The Bibai Dam is a dam in Bibai, Hokkaidō, Japan. The Bibai Dam is constructed along the Mikawa River and is part of the Ishikari River water system.
Hokkaido Colliery and Railway Company was a company engaged in coal mining, railway operation and shipping in Hokkaidō, Japan.
The Hokkaido Chuo Bus Co., Ltd. is a Japanese bus company operating local and long-distance buses in Hokkaido prefecture, Japan. The company operates routes connecting cities within Hokkaido, as well as local city and chartered bus services.
The Horonai coal mine is the oldest mine of the Ishikari coalfield of the Sorachi (Mikasa) mining region on the Japanese island of Hokkaido. Since its privatisation in 1889, the mine came under the management of the Hokutan company until its closure in 1989.
Yūbari Coal Mine Museum opened in Yūbari, Hokkaidō, Japan in 1980. It documents the importance of coal mining to the local economy from the Meiji period to the Shōwa period. The museum is currently closed.
Naomichi Suzuki is a Japanese politician who currently serves as Governor of Hokkaidō. He previously served as mayor of Yūbari city for two consecutive terms from 2011 to 2019. He had also served in Regional Sovereignty Strategy Office of Cabinet Office and as a chief of General Affairs Division in General Affairs Department at Tokyo Governor's Office.