is a town located in Shiribeshi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. As of September 2016, the town had a population of 2,215, and a density of 9.3 persons per km<sup>2</sup>. The total area of the town is , and located west of Sapporo, the capital and economic hub of Hokkaido. Shakotan occupies the north of the Shakotan Peninsula. It was founded in 1869 as part of the short-lived Shiribeshi Province, which was dissolved in 1882 to become Hokkaido. Shakotan, along with neighboring Otaru, is home to Japan's only national-level marine sanctuary. Shakotan is home to the three great capes of the Shakotan Peninsula: Kamui, Shakotan, and Ōgon.
Etymology
The name of the town originates from the word "ShakKotan" in the Ainu language. It is formed from two words, the first, "shak", meaning "summer", and the second, "kotan", meaning "village".
In the Japanese language the name of the town is written with ateji, or kanji characters used to phonetically represent native or borrowed words. The first, , means to "store" or "accumulate", and the second, , means "red" or "red earth". The meaning of the written form of Shakotan has no relationship to the meaning of "Shakotan" in the Ainu language.
History
thumb|left|Cape Shakotan Lighthouse
Shakotan was first settled by the Japanese immigrants in the Edo period (1603 – 1868). The Tokugawa shogunate, the feudal rulers of Japan of the period, granted the Matsumae Clan rights to trade with the Ainu people in the southern Hokkaido region. With the decline of the fortune of samurai families during the Edo period, many chose to give up life as a warrior and migrate to Shakotan and other coastal areas of southern Hokkaido to farm and develop the rich herring industry.
The entire coast of Shakotan is protected as part of Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park. The park, established in 1962, covers , and is managed by the prefectural government of Hokkaido. Shakotan's capes and dramatic Shimamui Coast are important parts of the park. The marine park of Niseko-Shakotan-Otaru Kaigan Quasi-National Park, located off the shore of Shakotan and Otaru, is the only designated marine sanctuary in the national parks system of Japan. Fishing is prohibited along the length of the marine sanctuary.
Capes
thumb|left|View south from Cape Kamui
The three major capes of the Shakotan Peninsula, Cape Kamui, Cape Shakotan, and Cape Ōgon, define the coast of the Shakotan Peninsula. All are located in the town of Shakotan, and numerous smaller capes dot the coastline of the town.
- Cape Shakotan is located at the north of Shakotan. Irika area and its fishing port sit near the cape. Cape Shakotan rises over above the Sea of Japan, and offers views of the rugged coast and mountains of the Shakotan Peninsula. Cape Shakotan heads the scenic Shimamui Coast, and is home to the Cape Shakotan Lighthouse.
- Cape Kamui is located at the west of Shakotan. The Yobetsu area and its fishing port sit near the cape. Cape Kamui is designated a Prefectural Natural Landscape by Hokkaido. Its lighthouse, the Cape Kamui Lighthouse, overlooks the Sea of Japan.
Ports and harbors
Shakotan is home to four natural harbors and several small ports. Bikuni, Irika, and Yobetsu are active fishing ports.
Fauna and flora
thumb|right|[[Ezokanzō, a lily species]]
Shakotan has large tracts of unspoiled natural areas. Gyōja garlic, taranome, and udo, all parts of traditional Japanese cuisine, are gathered in the wild during spring in Shakotan. A lily species, the ezokanzō, blooms on the Shimamui Coast in summer.
Population
Shakotan is in a period of significant, ongoing population decline which mirrors that of other areas of rural Japan.
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Year !! Population
|-
| 1970 || 6,102
|-
| 1975 || 5,635
|-
| 1980 || 4,910
|-
| 1985 || 4,271
|-
| 1990 || 4,012
|-
| 1995 || 3,648
|-
| 2000 || 3,149
|-
| 2005 || 2,860
|-
| 2010 || 2,514
|-
| 2016 || 2,215
|}
Economy
thumb|left|Unidon restaurant, Shakotan
The fishing industry remains an important part of the economy of Shakotan. Shakotan is noted for its catch of sea urchin (uni), squid, Olive flounder, cod, and Alaska pollock.
Shakotan has four post offices: one each in Bikuni, Nozuka, Irika, and Yobetsu. The town does not maintain a municipal police force. The regional police office, located in Yoichi, has branches serving the town of Shakotan in Bikuni, Irika, and Yobetsu.
Education
There are no high schools or institutions of higher education in Shakotan. Two high schools are accessible by public transportation from Shakotan: the prefectural Hokkaidō Yoichi Kōshi High School and the private Hokuseigakuen Yoichi High School, both in the nearby city of Yoichi.
The Town of Shakotan Board of Education maintains one middle school: Bikuni Middle School, and four elementary schools: Bikuni Elementary School, Hizuka Elementary School, Nozuka Elementary School, and Yobetsu Elementary School. The town maintains two nursery schools: Bikuni Nursery School and Minato Nursery School.
Transportation
Public transport
Shakotan is not connected by rail to other areas of Hokkaido. The town is connected to nearby Otaru and the prefectural capitol Sapporo by Hokkaidō Chūō Bus Company. The Bikuni area of Shakotan can be reached by bus in 75 minutes from the JR Hokkaido Otaru Station.
Highways
Japan National Route 229, a national highway of Japan, runs through the east of Shakotan and connects the town to Otaru and Esashi. Japan National Route 229 was completed in 1971. Kamui Shrine, located in the hilly forested areas of Raikishi west of the port of Yobetsu, was established in the 19th century. The shrine, after absorbing several smaller Inari shrines around Yobetsu, was rebuilt in 1931 using hinoki cypress from Aomori Prefecture. The festival of Kamui Shrine is held annually on July 17.
Sister city
The town of Shakotan has a sister city relationship with the city of Seaside, Oregon, in the United States.
- Seaside, Oregon, in the United States
Footnotes
:A.Cape Ōgon is also known as Cape Kannon; the latter name is less frequently used.
References
External links
- Official Website