Monbetsu, Hokkaidō

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This article is about the city in Hokkaidō Prefecture, Japan. There is a town in Hidaka Subprefecture, Hokkaidō with this name, see Monbetsu, Hokkaidō (Hidaka). For the district in Abashiri Subprefecture, Hokkaidō, see Monbetsu District, Hokkaidō.

**Monbetsu**
**紋別市**
Monbetsu's location in Hokkaidō (Abashiri), Japan.
Location
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaidō
Prefecture	Hokkaidō (Abashiri)
Physical characteristics
Area	830.70 km² (320.74 sq mi)
Population (as of March 2008)
Total	25,678
Density	30.9 /km² (80 /sq mi)
Location	44°21′N, 143°21′E
Symbols
Tree	Japanese Rowan
Flower	Rugosa Rose
Flag
Monbetsu Government Office
Mayor	Yoshikazu Miyakawa
Address	〒094-8707 2-1-18, Saiwaichō, Monbetsu-shi, Hokkaidō
Phone number	0158-24-2111
Official website: City of Monbetsu

The city viewed from Mount Monbetsu

Monbetsu (紋別市, Monbetsu-shi^?) is a city located in Abashiri, Hokkaidō, Japan, on the Sea of Okhotsk. The name comes from Ainu Mopet (Quiet River). It is often called Ōhotsuku-Monbetsu (Okhotsk-Monbetsu) to distinguish from town of Monbetsu in Hidaka Subprefecture (different kanji, but same reading).

Most of Monbetsu's economy is dedicated to fishing for cold-water species such as crab. The crab from Monbetsu is reputably the best in Japan, and is such a source of town pride that a sculpture of a crab claw nearly 10m tall was built down by the waterfront.

The city is also a center for research on sea ice with an international conference held in February (usually the time of peak sea ice) each year. There is also a local Sea Ice Festival held each year that coencides with the Sapporo Snow Festival. The sea ice festival features impressive sculptures actually built out of sea ice along with a large ice maze.

Sea ice is very symbolic of Monbetsu. There is the Okhotsk Tower, constructed out in the bay, where one can observe sea ice from both high above, and from below the ocean. It is complete with an information center and aquarium. Nearby there is also the Sea Ice Museum, covering all aspects of sea ice and featuring a sub-zero room and "frozen aquarium" of various fish preserved in ice. There is also a sight seeing icebreaker ship the Garinko II that makes regular trips through the sea ice

During the summertime, when the sea ice melts, sailors from Russia are a common sight in the city. Some local businesses have banned Russian visitors for their supposed "unruly" behavior, which has led some activists, such as Debito Arudou, to criticize Monbetsu as a hotbed of racial discrimination.^[1] (See also: Ethnic issues in Japan.)

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 25,678 and a density of 30.9 persons per km². The total area is 830.70 km².

Monbetsu does not have passenger rail service. There are buses to Sapporo and Asahikawa, as well as a daily flight to Tokyo from Monbetsu Airport.

[edit] History

1909 Mobetsu Village (藻鼈村) and Monbetsu Village merge to form Monbetsu Village
1919 Monbetsu Village becomes Monbetsu Town
July 1, 1954 Shokotsu Village (渚滑村) and Kamishokotsu Village (上渚滑村) merge with Monbetsu to form the city of Monbetsu