Ashibetsu (Japanese: 芦別市; -shi, Ainu: Aspet) is a city located in Sorachi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.
As of 2004, the city has an estimated population of 19,792 and a density of 22.84 persons per km². The total area is 865.07 km². The city was once a prosperous coal mining city, its population exceeding 70,000 at its peak, but its population has fallen since the closing of the coal mines
History
- 1893 Satō Denjirō (originally from Yamagata prefecture) founds Ashibetsu
- 1897 Nae Village (now Sunagawa City) and part of Takikawa Village (now City) split off to form Utashinai Village
- 1900 Ashibetsu Village split off of Utashinai Village.
- 1906 Ashibetsu becomes a Second Class Municipality
- 1923 First Class Municipality
- 1924 Ashibetsu Mine opened
- 1935 Kamiashibetsu Mine opened
- 1938 Ashibetsu-Takane? Mine opened
- 1941 Ashibetsu Village becomes Ashibetsu Town
- 1943 Mitsui?-Ashibetsu Mine opened
- April 1, 1953 Ashibetsu Town becomes Ashibetsu City
- 1997 Canadian World business failure
- 1999 Canadian World park opened
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