Bifuka, Hokkaido

Bifuka 美深町
Town
Bifuka town hall
Location of Bifuka in Hokkaido (Kamikawa Subprefecture)
Bifuka Location in Japan
Coordinates: 44°29′N 142°21′E / 44.483°N 142.350°ECoordinates: 44°29′N 142°21′E / 44.483°N 142.350°E
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaido
Prefecture	Hokkaido (Kamikawa Subprefecture)
District	Nakagawa (Teshio)
Area
• Total	672.14 km^2 (259.51 sq mi)
Population (2013)
• Total	4,804
• Density	7.1/km^2 (19/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
Website	www.town.bifuka.hokkaido.jp

Bifuka (美深町 Bifuka-chō) is a town in Nakagawa (Teshio) District, Kamikawa Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of 2013, the town had an estimated population of 4,804 and a density of 7.1 persons per km². The total area is 672.14 square kilometres (259.51 sq mi).^[1]

Geography

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.

Neighboring municipalities

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

• Kamikawa Subprefecture
  • Nayoro
  • Otoineppu
  • Nakagawa
  • Horokanai
• Okhotsk Subprefecture
  • Ōmu
• Sōya Subprefecture
  • Esashi

Education

Hokkaido Bifuka High School is located in the town.

Museum

Bifuka is home to the 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.^[2]

Transportation

Bifuka is served by the JR Hokkaido Sōya Line.

The town is linked with Route 40 linking Wakkanai and southern Hokkaido. Another route the Route 275 is also connected.

References

1. 美深町の人口 [Enbetsu] (in Japanese). Bifuka, Hokkaido: Town of Bifuka. 2013. Retrieved 2013-09-12.
2. "美深町チョウザメ館" [Bifuka Sturgeon Museum]. Dijitaru Daijisen (in Japanese). Tokyo: Shogakukan. 2013. OCLC 56431036. Retrieved 2013-09-12.

External links

• Media related to Bifuka, Hokkaidō at Wikimedia Commons
• Official website (Japanese)