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Sarufutsu 猿払村
Village
Sarufutsu Park
Flag Seal
Location of Sarufutsu in Hokkaido ( Sōya Subprefecture)
Sarufutsu Location in Japan
Coordinates: 45°20′N 142°7′E / 45.333°N 142.117°E / 45.333; 142.117
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido ( Sōya Subprefecture)
District	Sōya
Area
• Total	590.00 km2 (227.80 sq mi)
Population  (December 31, 2007)
• Total	2,884
• Density	4.9/km2 (13/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+09:00 ( JST)
City hall address	172 Onishibetsu-nishi, Sarufutsu-mura, Hokkaidō 098-6292
Climate	Dfb
Website	www.vill.sarufutsu.hokkaido.jp
Symbols
Flower	Vaccinium vitis-idaea
Tree	Rowan

Sarufutsu (猿払村, Sarufutsu-mura) is a village located in Sōya Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

As of September 2014, the village has an estimated population of 2,884 and a density of 4.91 persons per km². The total area is 590.00 km².

Geography

Sarufutsu is the northernmost village in Japan and is the largest village in Hokkaido in area. Located on the Tonbetsu Plain, it faces the Sea of Okhotsk to the east where, during the winter, there is drift ice. ^[1] 80% of the village's total area is covered by forests.

• Mountains: Mount Horoshiri
• Rivers: Sarufutsu River
• Lakes: Poro Swamp, Kamuito Swamp, Mokeuni Swamp

Settlements/Localities in Sarufutsu

• Ashino (芦野)
• Asajino (浅茅野)
• Chiraibetsu (知来別)
• Hamaonishibetsu (浜鬼志別)
• Hamasarufutsu (浜猿払)
• Onishibetsu (鬼志別)(Town Hall is located here)
• Koishi (小石)

Neighbouring municipalities

• Hokkaido
  • Wakkanai
  • Toyotomi
  • Hamatonbestu
  • Horonobe

Climate

Economy

Sarufutsu is famous for its large and particularly excellent scallops, among other seafood. Likewise, a relatively large part of the village is utilized for dairy farming. Sarufutsu has a fledgling tourist industry, as it is a highlight for motor bikers in the summer, who stop overnight at one of the biker camps. The tourist center is located a few kilometers south of Hamaonishibetsu.

History

World War II

During World War II, many Korean prisoners of war were sent to Sarufutsu, where they were kept as a labor force building an air field in Asajino. Approximately 80 Korean prisoners of war died over the course of construction from abuse or malnutrition. The air field was never completed, and since that time, has almost completely vanished. In recent year, the village made attempts to construct a monument in memory of the Korean prisoners who died there. However, construction was cancelled after Japanese nationalists orchestrated a protest movement via the internet. The village office was overwhelmed with threatening phone calls, who called the office workers traitors, and threatened the village with a boycott of its scallop industry. ^[4]

Settlements

Koishi

In the 1960s to early-1970s, Koishi was the largest settlement in Sarufutsu with several thousand people working in the coal industry. It had its own hospital, as well as a movie theater. With the decline of the coal industry across Japan, the population also drastically dropped in Koishi, and its current population is less than 50 people.

Asajino

As previously mentioned, Asajino was the potential site for an air field during World War II.

Education

• Primary Schools
  • Onishibestu Elementary School
  • Hamaonishibestu Elementary School
  • Hamasarufutsu Elementary School (closed spring 2015)
  • Asajino Elementary School
  • Ashino Elementary School (closed spring 2017)
  • Chiraibetstu Elementary School
• Junior High Schools
  • Takushin Junior High School

Transportion

• Sarufutsu Station
• Onishibetsu Station

Recreation

• Onishibetsu Sports Center has weekly sports activities for residents and guests.

Summer

• Onishibetsu swimming pool is open during the summer into early fall.

Winter

• Onishibetsu has a small single-lift ski hill.

Mascot

Sarufutsu's mascot is Saruppu (さるっぷ). He is a Japanese macaque who moved to Hokkaido. He is a skilled dancer and scallop sculptor. He also likes to travel around the world. His favourite foods are scallops and milk. ^{[5] [6]}

See also

• Esanbe Hanakita Kojima (エサンベ鼻北小島) formerly an island, now underwater

References

• https://www.nytimes.com/2014/10/29/world/asia/japanese-village-grappling-with-wartime-sins-comes-under-attack.html?_r=0

External links

• Media related to Sarufutsu, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons
• Official Website (in Japanese)