Bifuka, Hokkaido

Bifuka is located in a valley in the north central region of the island of Hokkaido. The town is surrounded by mountains. The Teshio River flows roughly northwest through Bifuka.

Bifuka borders six other municipalities, which span Kamikawa, Okhotsk, and Sōya subprefectures:

Kamikawa Subprefecture

• Nayoro
• Otoineppu
• Nakagawa
• Horokanai

Okhotsk Subprefecture

• Ōmu

Sōya Subprefecture

• Esashi

Nakagawa has a Humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb) characterized by cold summers and cold winters with heavy snowfall. The average annual temperature in Nakagawa is 4.7 °C. The average annual rainfall is 1337 mm with September as the wettest month. The temperatures are highest on average in August, at around 18.9 °C, and lowest in January, at around -9.3 °C.[https://en.climate-data.org/asia/japan/hokkaido/nakagawa-37563/ Nakagawa climate: Average Temperature, weather by month]

{{Weather box

|collapsed = Y

|single line = Y

|metric first = Y

|location = Bifuka (1991−2020 normals, extremes 1977−present)

|Jan high C = -4.1

|Feb high C = -2.7

|Mar high C = 2.0

|Apr high C = 9.2

|May high C = 17.4

|Jun high C = 22.1

|Jul high C = 25.5

|Aug high C = 25.8

|Sep high C = 21.4

|Oct high C = 14.2

|Nov high C = 5.3

|Dec high C = -1.8

|Jan mean C = -8.6

|Feb mean C = -8.0

|Mar mean C = -3.0

|Apr mean C = 3.8

|May mean C = 10.7

|Jun mean C = 15.4

|Jul mean C = 19.4

|Aug mean C = 20.1

|Sep mean C = 15.4

|Oct mean C = 8.5

|Nov mean C = 1.5

|Dec mean C = -5.3

|Jan low C = -14.7

|Feb low C = -15.0

|Mar low C = -9.0

|Apr low C = -1.6

|May low C = 4.3

|Jun low C = 9.6

|Jul low C = 14.5

|Aug low C = 15.5

|Sep low C = 10.3

|Oct low C = 3.4

|Nov low C = -2.4

|Dec low C = -10.0

|Jan record high C = 6.4

|Feb record high C = 9.9

|Mar record high C = 13.3

|Apr record high C = 26.7

|May record high C = 32.2

|Jun record high C = 34.0

|Jul record high C = 36.6

|Aug record high C = 35.9

|Sep record high C = 31.5

|Oct record high C = 25.7

|Nov record high C = 21.1

|Dec record high C = 9.8

|year record high C= 36.6

|Jan record low C = -34.9

|Feb record low C = -37.0

|Mar record low C = -31.5

|Apr record low C = -16.5

|May record low C = -4.3

|Jun record low C = -0.8

|Jul record low C = 3.3

|Aug record low C = 4.7

|Sep record low C = 0.6

|Oct record low C = -5.6

|Nov record low C = -19.6

|Dec record low C = -28.3

|year record low C= -37.0

|precipitation colour = green

|Jan precipitation mm = 81.0

|Feb precipitation mm = 60.2

|Mar precipitation mm = 60.2

|Apr precipitation mm = 47.5

|May precipitation mm = 60.1

|Jun precipitation mm = 64.8

|Jul precipitation mm = 121.1

|Aug precipitation mm = 131.6

|Sep precipitation mm = 136.2

|Oct precipitation mm = 130.7

|Nov precipitation mm = 139.2

|Dec precipitation mm = 126.0

|year precipitation mm=

|Jan rain days = 19.4

|Feb rain days = 15.8

|Mar rain days = 15.6

|Apr rain days = 11.2

|May rain days = 10.7

|Jun rain days = 8.8

|Jul rain days = 10.3

|Aug rain days = 11.1

|Sep rain days = 13.3

|Oct rain days = 16.9

|Nov rain days = 20.8

|Dec rain days = 23.7

|Jan snow cm = 200

|Feb snow cm = 157

|Mar snow cm = 138

|Apr snow cm = 46

|May snow cm = 0

|Jun snow cm = 0

|Jul snow cm = 0

|Aug snow cm = 0

|Sep snow cm = 0

|Oct snow cm = 3

|Nov snow cm = 111

|Dec snow cm = 244

|year snow cm=

|Jan snow days = 21.2

|Feb snow days = 17.8

|Mar snow days = 17.1

|Apr snow days = 7.2

|May snow days = 0

|Jun snow days = 0

|Jul snow days = 0

|Aug snow days = 0

|Sep snow days = 0

|Oct snow days = 0.3

|Nov snow days = 9.7

|Dec snow days = 22.1

|Jan sun = 42.5

|Feb sun = 66.3

|Mar sun = 108.4

|Apr sun = 150.2

|May sun = 181.1

|Jun sun = 162.3

|Jul sun = 148.5

|Aug sun = 140.1

|Sep sun = 134.7

|Oct sun = 111.1

|Nov sun = 48.1

|Dec sun = 26.5

|year sun=

|source 1 = JMA{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/rank_a.php?prec_no=12&block_no=0006&year=&month=&day=&view=

|script-title=ja:観測史上1～10位の値（年間を通じての値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = February 17, 2022}}

|source 2 = JMA{{cite web

| url = https://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/nml_amd_ym.php?prec_no=12&block_no=0006&year=&month=&day=&view=

|script-title=ja:気象庁 / 平年値（年・月ごとの値）

| publisher = JMA

| access-date = February 17, 2022}}}}

Per Japanese census data,{{Cite web|url=https://www.citypopulation.de/en/japan/hokkaido/_/01469__bifuka/|title=Bifuka (Hokkaidō , Japan) - Population Statistics, Charts, Map, Location, Weather and Web Information|access-date=22 December 2024}} Bifuka has undergone significant population decline over the past half-century.

{{Historical populations

| 1940 | 11314

| 1950 | 13390

| 1960 | 14046

| 1970 | 11,433

| 1980 | 8,350

| 1990 | 7,103

| 2000 | 6,040

| 2010 | 5,178

| 2020 | 4,145

| align=none

}}

The area of Bifuka has been inhabited since the Jōmon period, and was the site of a kotan was built by the Ainu people. On June 1, 1920 Chiebun Village (now part of Nayoro City) was divided, and Shimonayoro Village is renamed Bifuka Village. In the first census in October 1, 1920, Bifuka Village has 2,045 households and 10,991 inhabitants. It was raised to town status on April 1, 1923.

Bifuka has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral town council of eight members. Bifuka, collectively with the other municipalities of Kawakami sub-prefecture, contributes three members to the Hokkaidō Prefectural Assembly. In terms of national politics, the town is part of the Hokkaidō 6th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

The main industries are agriculture, dairy farming, and forestry. Sturgeon, raised in fish farms is a local specialty.

Bifuka has one public elementary schools and one public junior high school operated by the town government, and one public high school (Hokkaido Bifuka High School) operated by the Hokkaidō Board of Education. The prefecture also operates a special education school for the handicapped.

File:JR logo (hokkaido).svg JR Hokkaido - Sōya Main Line

:{{color|#954a35|■}} {{STN|Bifuka|x}}

The Soya Main Line previous had {{STN|Hatsuno|x}} - {{STN|Momponai |x}} - {{STN|Onnenai |x}} - {{STN|Toyoshimizu |x}} within Bifuka, but all were closed between 2021 and 2024.

• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|40}}
• {{jct|country=JPN|Route|275}}

• {{flagdeco|Canada}}, Ashcroft, British Columbia

• Bifuka Sturgeon Museum, a small facility which maintains eight species of sturgeon. Sturgeon were found in the Teshio River as far as Bifuka until the Meiji Period.
• Bikuka Ski Resort

File:Bifuka-kun and Mimi-chan.png

Bifuka's mascot are {{Nihongo|Bifuka-kun|美深くん}} and {{Nihongo|Mimi-chan|美深ちゃん}}. They are pumpkins who are best friends. Both wear hats made of birch trees. However, Bifuka-kun is a green pumpkin who wears a tie that resembled a sturgeon while Mimi-chan is an orange pumpkin who carries a bag that resembled a sturgeon.{{cite web|url=http://www.town.bifuka.hokkaido.jp/cms/section/soumu/qgeqg00000001jf4.html|title=美深町イメージキャラクター（ゆるキャラ）が誕生しました|website=Bifuka}}

{{clear|left}}

{{reflist|2|refs=

{{cite encyclopedia|encyclopedia=Dijitaru Daijisen |title=美深町チョウザメ館 |url=http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ |access-date=2013-09-12 |year=2013 |publisher=Shogakukan |location=Tokyo |language=ja |trans-title=Bifuka Sturgeon Museum |oclc=56431036 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070825113418/http://rekishi.jkn21.com/ |archive-date=August 25, 2007 }}

}}

• {{Commons category-inline|Bifuka, Hokkaido|Bifuka, Hokkaidō}}
• [http://www.town.bifuka.hokkaido.jp/ Official Website] {{in lang|ja}}

{{Hokkaido}}

{{Authority control}}

{{Hokkaido-geo-stub}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Bifuka, Hokkaido}}

Category:Towns in Hokkaido

Category:Bifuka, Hokkaido