Muroran, Hokkaido
Muroran .mw-parser-output .nobold{font-weight:normal} 室蘭市 | |||
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City | |||
 View of Muroran Station area and Mount Sokuryo | |||
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 Location of Muroran in Hokkaido (Iburi Subprefecture) | |||
  Muroran Location in Japan | |||
| Coordinates: 42°19′N 140°58′E / 42.317°N 140.967°E / 42.317; 140.967Coordinates: 42°19′N 140°58′E / 42.317°N 140.967°E / 42.317; 140.967 | |||
| Country | Japan | ||
| Region | Hokkaido | ||
| Prefecture | Hokkaido (Iburi Subprefecture) | ||
| Government | |||
| • Mayor | Takeshi Aoyama (since May 2011) | ||
| Area | |||
| • Total | 80.65 km2 (31.14 sq mi) | ||
| Population (February 29, 2012) | |||
| • Total | 93,716 | ||
| • Density | 1,162.01/km2 (3,009.6/sq mi) | ||
| Symbols | |||
| • Tree | Japanese rowan | ||
| • Flower | Azalea | ||
| • Bird | Coal tit | ||
| • Fish | Rockfish | ||
| Time zone | UTC+9 (JST) | ||
| City hall address | 1-2 Saiwaichō, Muroran-shi, Hokkaidō 051-8511 | ||
| Website | www.city.muroran.lg.jp | ||
Muroran (室蘭市, Muroran-shi) is a city and port located in Iburi Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan. It is the capital city of Iburi Subprefecture.
As of February 29, 2012, the city has an estimated population of 93,716, with 47,868 households and a population density of 1,162.01 people per km2 (3,009.59 people per sq. mi.). The total area is 80.65 km2 (31.14 sq mi).
Contents
1 History
2 Climate
3 Scenic spots
4 Transportation
5 Economy
6 Education
6.1 Universities
6.2 High schools
6.2.1 Public
6.2.2 Private
7 Notable people
8 Twin towns and sister cities
9 References
10 External links
History
The origin of Muroran's name is derived from the Ainu word "Mo Ruerani", which means "the bottom of a little slope". The little slope, in front of the former Senkai Temple in Sakimori-cho, is noted in connection with the name of Muroran.
In the late 16th century, the Muroran region came under the administration of the Matsumae clan. Muroran was developed as a trading post between the Ainu and the Matsumae clan people.
In 1892, the Port of Muroran was opened for the wooden bridge construction at Kaigan (former Tokikaramoi); at the same time, the main road began construction from Hakodate to Sapporo as the first step of Hokkaido Colonization Plan.
An Imperial decree in July 1899 established Muroran as an open port for trading with the United States and the United Kingdom.[1]
With the opening of a ship route from Muroran to Mori and railroad extension to Iwamizawa, Muroran's municipality was started on August 1, 1922 as the core of the major land and sea traffic in the pioneer era of Hokkaido. Since then, Muroran has been developing as an important transportation hub and a center of the steel industry. This unfortunately earned the town's industrial plants a bombardment by some of the newest American battleships in July 1945, in the closing days of World War II.
Today, there are large cement factories, steel mills, oil refineries, and shipyards clustered around the port of Muroran.[2]
Climate
Muroran features an oceanic climate (Köppen climate classification Cfb), a climate type that is very rare in Japan. Despite it being located on Hokkaido, Muroran typically does not see the very cold winters that the majority of the island is known for, yet it does experience some snowfall in the course of the year, averaging roughly 210 cm (83 in) of snow per season. Summers in Muroran are mild by Japanese standards, not nearly as hot as summers in other Japanese cities. Average high temperatures in August, the city's warmest month, is around 24 °C.
| Climate data for Muroran (1981–2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Average high °C (°F) | 0.3 (32.5) | 0.5 (32.9) | 3.9 (39) | 9.5 (49.1) | 14.3 (57.7) | 17.5 (63.5) | 20.9 (69.6) | 23.4 (74.1) | 21.1 (70) | 15.7 (60.3) | 8.9 (48) | 2.9 (37.2) | 11.6 (52.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2.0 (28.4) | −1.9 (28.6) | 0.9 (33.6) | 5.8 (42.4) | 10.2 (50.4) | 14.0 (57.2) | 17.9 (64.2) | 20.5 (68.9) | 18.0 (64.4) | 12.6 (54.7) | 6.1 (43) | 0.5 (32.9) | 8.6 (47.5) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −4.2 (24.4) | −4.1 (24.6) | −1.5 (29.3) | 2.9 (37.2) | 7.2 (45) | 11.5 (52.7) | 15.8 (60.4) | 18.5 (65.3) | 15.4 (59.7) | 9.6 (49.3) | 3.3 (37.9) | −1.8 (28.8) | 6.1 (42.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 54.9 (2.16) | 43.0 (1.69) | 48.2 (1.9) | 75.1 (2.96) | 101.3 (3.99) | 107.5 (4.23) | 165.1 (6.5) | 192.8 (7.59) | 164.4 (6.47) | 93.0 (3.66) | 75.2 (2.96) | 64.4 (2.54) | 1,184.9 (46.65) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 65 (26) | 56 (22) | 36 (14) | 8 (3) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 8 (3) | 38 (15) | 211 (83) |
| Average snowy days | 28.7 | 24.9 | 20.2 | 4.8 | 0.1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.7 | 11.0 | 24.1 | 114.5 |
| Average relative humidity (%) | 70 | 71 | 72 | 75 | 79 | 87 | 90 | 88 | 81 | 72 | 69 | 69 | 77 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 89.7 | 121.9 | 181.6 | 194.2 | 194.1 | 156.5 | 128.0 | 143.0 | 167.8 | 170.2 | 105.0 | 74.4 | 1,726.4 |
| Source: Japan Meteorological Agency | |||||||||||||
Scenic spots
Hakucho Bridge spans the Port of Muroran and is the largest suspension bridge in eastern Japan.- Mount Washibetsu
- Itanki Beach
Muroran holds eight specific scenic sights called Muroran-Hakke (室蘭八景). The most famous of them is the Earth Cape (地球岬, chikyū misaki).
A view of Muroran
Chikyu Misaki
Chikyu Misaki in winter
Transportation
There are five JR Hokkaido stations in Muroran, starting from Higashi Muroran and ending in downtown Muroran, which can be used to access both Hakodate to the South West, and Sapporo to the North East.
Muroran Main Line : Sakimori - Moto-Wanishi - Higashi-Muroran
- Muroran Branch Line : Higashi-Muroran - Wanishi - Misaki - Bokoi - Muroran
Economy
Japan Steel Works has its global headquarters in Muroran.
Education
Muroran houses one of the most prominent Marine Biology institutes in Japan, the Institute of Algological Research of Hokkaido University.
Universities
- Muroran Institute of Technology
High schools
Public
- Hokkaido Muroran Sakae High School
- Hokkaido Muroran Shimizugaoka High School
- Hokkaido Muroran Tosho High School
- Hokkaido Muroran Technical High School
Private
- Hokkaido Ootani Muroran High School
- Kaisei Gakuin High School
Notable people
Natsumi Abe - idol, singer, actress. Hello! Project soloist. former Morning Musume member.
Asami Abe - singer, actress. Younger sister of Natsumi Abe.
Kaori Iida - singer. Hello! Project soloist. former Morning Musume member.
Satoru Iwata - Previous CEO of Nintendo, Former HAL lab CEO and Game Designer
Twin towns and sister cities
Shizuoka, Shizuoka, since 1976
Knoxville, Tennessee, since 1991[3]
Joetsu, Niigata, since 1995
References
^ US Department of State. (1906). A digest of international law as embodied in diplomatic discussions, treaties and other international agreements (John Bassett Moore, ed.), Vol. 5, p. 759.
^ Karan, Pradyumna (2010). Japan in the 21st Century. University Press of Kentucky. p. 327. ISBN 9780813127637..mw-parser-output cite.citation{font-style:inherit}.mw-parser-output q{quotes:"""""""'""'"}.mw-parser-output code.cs1-code{color:inherit;background:inherit;border:inherit;padding:inherit}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-free a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/65/Lock-green.svg/9px-Lock-green.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-limited a,.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-registration a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d6/Lock-gray-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-gray-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-lock-subscription a{background:url("//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/a/aa/Lock-red-alt-2.svg/9px-Lock-red-alt-2.svg.png")no-repeat;background-position:right .1em center}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration{color:#555}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription span,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration span{border-bottom:1px dotted;cursor:help}.mw-parser-output .cs1-hidden-error{display:none;font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-visible-error{font-size:100%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-subscription,.mw-parser-output .cs1-registration,.mw-parser-output .cs1-format{font-size:95%}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-left,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-left{padding-left:0.2em}.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-right,.mw-parser-output .cs1-kern-wl-right{padding-right:0.2em}
^ "City Directory". Sister Cities International. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
External links
 | Wikimedia Commons has media related to Muroran, Hokkaido. |
 | Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Muroran. |
Official Website (in Japanese)
 Hokkaido | ||||||||||
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Sapporo (capital) | ||||||||||
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