thumb|[[Traffic sign|Road signs in Wakkanai also written in Russian for the Russian minorities]]

Demographics

Per Japanese census data, the population of Wakkanai is as shown below.

As of today, most of Wakkanai's residents are ethnic Japanese and can speak Japanese. However, smaller fractions of them tend to have Russian ancestry, due to the proximity between Wakkanai and Russia, who can speak Russian depending on how well Russian is taught in different households. Additionally, in even smaller numbers, there are also Ainu people or individuals of partial Ainu ancestry living in Wakkanai (see History above).

Government

Wakkanai has a mayor-council form of government with a directly elected mayor and a unicameral city council of 18 members. Wakkanai contributes one member to the Hokkaido Legislative Assembly. In terms of national politics, the city is part of the Hokkaido 12th district of the lower house of the Diet of Japan.

Economy

Wakkanai city's core industries are fisheries, agriculture, and tourism. As the largest city north of Asahikawa, it is home to regional branches of national institutions such as the Japan Coast Guard, the Self-Defense Forces, the local tax office, the courts, and the district prosecutor's office, as well as the Soya General Bureau. Tourism is facilitated in the local area via fisheries and monuments, as well as with ferries to the nearby offshore islands (see Seaports below). There are multiple fishing ports which specialize in deep sea fishing and marine products. and Fukko market located in the city.

Education

Wakkanai has nine public elementary schools, five public middle schools, and one combined elementary/middle school operated by the city government and one public high school (Hokkaido Wakkanai High School) operated by the Hokkaido Board of Education. There is also one private high school and one special education school, the Hokkaido Wakkanai Special Needs School, operated by the Hokkaido government.

Ikueikan University, formerly known as Wakkanai Hokusei Gakuen University, is located in the city.

Transportation

Airport

Wakkanai Airport is located east of central Wakkanai near the beginning of National Route 238. There are flights operated twice a day to New Chitose Airport near Sapporo as well as a single daily flight to Tokyo's Haneda Airport, both operated by ANA. During particularly strong winter months, if the weather is unfavorable, flights are often diverted to nearby Asahikawa Airport, south of Wakkanai.

Railway

frameless|20x20px JR Hokkaido - Sōya Main Line

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The Soya Main Line previously served , but it was closed in 2024.

The Sōya limited express runs once a day to and from Sapporo, while the Sarobetsu runs twice a day to and from Asahikawa, with a change of trains to either a Lilac or Kamui limited express service at Asahikawa required to reach Sapporo.

Highways

Seaports

thumb|250px|Chihaku ferry "Aniwamaru" of Japanese Governmental Railway, touching down the north pier of Wakkanai port. Chihaku ferry had connected Wakkanai in Hokkaido and Odomari in Sakhalin, until the ferry ceased its operation in 1945.

Heartland Ferry operates seasonal ferry service to Rebun Island and Rishiri Island. Ferry service to Korsakov on Sakhalin Island was terminated on September 18, 2015. Wakkanai mayor Hiroshi Kudo pledged to restore ferry service to Sakhalin and in 2016, the route resumed operation between the months of June and September. It was commercially operated by the Commonwealth of Dominica flagged vessel Penguin 33, which is a high-speed craft owned by Penguin International Limited and operated by Sakhalin Shipping Company. The route was suspended for passengers in 2019, and efforts to reintroduce service ended in 2022.

Sister City and Friendship Cities

Sister City

  • Baguio, Philippines (since 1973)

Friendship cities

Domestic

  • Ishigaki, Okinawa (since 1987)
  • Makurazaki, Kagoshima (since 2012)

International

  • Nevelsk, Russia (since 1972)
  • Korsakov, Russia (since 1992)
  • Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia (since 2001)
  • Hengchun, Pingtung County, Taiwan (since 2023)

Sister Port

  • Port of Anchorage, United States (since 1982)

Local attractions

  • The Daisuke Matsuzaka Museum, dedicated to the baseball pitcher "Dice-K" and opened in 2008, is located in Wakkanai, which is his father's hometown.
  • Wakkanai Park, home to the Centennial Tower, commemorating the 100th anniversary of the founding of the city, and the Hoppo Memorial Museum
  • Cape Sōya, home to a monument to the northernmost point in Japan
  • Dashinosuke is a green harbor seal who is Rinzou-kun's assistant. His flippers and his tail resemble kelp.

See also

  • Shiranushi

References

  • Official Website