Ebetsu, Hokkaido

Ebetsu (江別市, Ebetsu-shi) is a city in Ishikari Subprefecture, Hokkaido, Japan.

History

Ebetsu was settled originally by Japanese people in 1871, who came from the Miyagi Prefecture on Honshu. In 1878, militia began moving into the area. When the Meiji Government, in 1878, designated Hokkaido as part of Japan, settlers began to flood the area. Ebetsu earned township status in 1916 and city status in 1954. During the 1960s and 1970s, a burgeoning population in Sapporo caused the population in Ebetsu to concurrently boom. In 1991, the city reached 100,000 people.

The name Ebetsu is derived from the Ainu name of the Chitose River which flows into the Ishikari River in the city. According to John Batchelor in his "An Ainu-English Dictionary" (chapter 1, section V: Place Names Considered) the Ainu name was E-pet or "humour river" based on its murky colour.

Demographics

As of March 1, 2012, the city has an estimated population of 121,439, with 54,023 households, and a population density of 647.42 persons per km². The total area is 187.57 km².