Engaru, Hokkaido

Engaru
遠軽町
Town
The town view from Gambōiwa
The town view from Gambōiwa
Flag of Engaru
Official seal of Engaru
Location of Engaru in Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
Location of Engaru in Hokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
Engaru is located in Japan
Engaru
Engaru
Location in Japan
Engaru is located in Hokkaido
Engaru
Engaru
Location in Hokkaido
Coordinates: 44°4′N 143°32′E / 44.067°N 143.533°E / 44.067; 143.533
CountryJapan
RegionHokkaido
PrefectureHokkaido (Okhotsk Subprefecture)
DistrictMombetsu
Area
 • Total
1,332.32 km2 (514.41 sq mi)
Population
 (September 30, 2016)
 • Total
20,757
 • Density16/km2 (40/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+09:00 (JST)
City hall address1-1 1 Jō-Kita 3chōme, Engaru-chō, Hokkaido
099-0403
ClimateDfb
Websiteengaru.jp
Symbols
FlowerSunflower
TreeSargent's cherry

Engaru (遠軽町, Engaru-chō) is a town in the Okhotsk subprefecture of Hokkaido, Japan. The name comes from the Ainu place name Inkar-us-i ("overlook-always doing-place"), meaning a lookout point.[1][2]

On October 1, 2005, the towns of Ikutahara and Maruseppu, and the village of Shirataki, all from Monbetsu District merged into the expanded town of Engaru.[3] As of September 2016, the town has an estimated population of 20,757.[4] The total area is 1,332.32 square kilometres (514.41 sq mi),[5] making it the fifth largest municipality in Hokkaido.[6]

Engaru is known as the place where Aikido originated, in the Shirataki area.[7] It is also where the largest cosmos flower park in Japan is located. An Upper Paleolithic site at Shirataki Site Group is the source of some Yubetsu technique stone blades dating from approximately 13,000 years ago.

  1. ^ "瞰望岩(がんぼういわ)" Archived 2016-12-21 at the Wayback Machine Engaru Town Hall
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference ochoshici was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "遠軽町の沿革" Archived 2015-08-25 at the Wayback Machine Engaru Town Hall
  4. ^ "人口・世帯・動態(平成25年度)" Archived 2017-02-07 at the Wayback Machine Engaru Town Hall
  5. ^ "位置・面積" Archived 2019-04-27 at the Wayback Machine Engaru Town Hall
  6. ^ "全国都道府県市区町村別面積調" Archived 2013-01-22 at the Wayback Machine Geospatial Information Authority of Japan, 2011
  7. ^ "合気道開祖・植芝盛平翁(Aikido Founder・Morihei Ueshiba)" Archived 2013-06-13 at the Wayback Machine Tanabe City Hall