Chitose, Hokkaidō

Chitose 千歳
—  City  —
Flag
Location of Chitose in Hokkaidō (Ishikari)
Chitose
Coordinates: 42°49′N 141°39′E / 42.817°N 141.65°E / 42.817; 141.65Coordinates: 42°49′N 141°39′E / 42.817°N 141.65°E / 42.817; 141.65
Country	Japan
Region	Hokkaidō
Prefecture	Hokkaidō (Ishikari)
Government
- Mayor	Kōtarō Yamaguchi
Area
- Total	594.95 km2 (229.7 sq mi)
Population (March 2008)
- Total	92,323
- Density	155/km2 (401.4/sq mi)
Time zone	Japan Standard Time (UTC+9)
City symbols
- Tree	Japanese White Birch and Katsura (Cercidiphyllum japonicum)
- Flower	Azalea and Hanashōbu (Iris ensata var. ensata)
- Bird	Common Pheasant and Crested Kingfisher
- Fish	Sockeye salmon and Chum salmon
Phone number	0123-24-3131
Address	2-34, Shinonomechō, Chitose-shi, Hokkaidō 066-8686
Website	Chitose City

Chitose (千歳市, Chitose-shi^?) is a city located in Ishikari, Hokkaidō, Japan and home to the New Chitose Airport, the biggest international airport in Hokkaidō and closest airport to Sapporo, as well as the neighboring Chitose Air Base. The city is bounded by Eniwa in the north and by Tomakomai in the south.

As of 2008, the city has an estimated population of 92,323 and the density of 155 persons per km². The total area is 594.95 km². The city was founded on July 1, 1958.

Chitose is one of the gateways to the Shikotsu-Toya National Park, Lake Shikotsu and Mount Tarumae. Chitose also has a university (Chitose Institute of Science and Technology), 2 high schools, 18 junior high schools and 10 elementary schools. As befits its international aspirations, it was an early supporter (1990) of the JET Programme in Hokkaidō.

Chitose is accessed by two expressways with an interchange in the west and another in the north on a separate expressway and the Chitose-Eniwa Junction connecting with the Eastern Hokkaidō Expressway in the northwest. Chitose is also linked by route 36 and routes 274, 276, 337 and 453.

Twinnings

Chitose has sister city relationships with:

• Anchorage, Alaska, United States
• Ibusuki, Kagoshima, Japan
• Kongsberg, Norway

History

• 1880 Chitose (Chitose, Osatsu, Usakumai, Rankoshi, Izari, Shimamatsu) Village opened
• 1897 Eniwa (Izari and Shimamatsu) Village (now City) splits off
• 1915 Chitose (Chitose, Osatsu, Usakumai, Rankoshi) becomes a Second Class Municipality
• 1939 Chitose becomes a First Class Municipality
• 1942 Chitose Village becomes Chitose Town
• Post World War II - Chitose hosts a US Air Force base
• July 1, 1958 Chitose Town becomes Chitose City

Origin of the name

In the Ainu language Chitose was originally called shikot, meaning big depression or hollow, like Lake Shikotsu a caldera lake. To the Japanese, this sounded too much like dead bones (死骨, shikotsu^?), so it was changed to Chitose.^[1]

Climate

The hottest and coldest temperatures, respectively, ever recorded are 33.6°C and -30.7°C.

Climate data for Chitose, Japan(2008)
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high °C (°F)	1.6 (34.9)	4.5 (40.1)	13.8 (56.8)	23.9 (75.0)	21.4 (70.5)	24.3 (75.7)	27.3 (81.1)	29.5 (85.1)	28.1 (82.6)	21.2 (70.2)	17.0 (62.6)	12.5 (54.5)	29.5 (85.1)
Average high °C (°F)	−2.3 (27.9)	−0.9 (30.4)	5.8 (42.4)	13.1 (55.6)	15.7 (60.3)	19.5 (67.1)	22.4 (72.3)	23.3 (73.9)	22.9 (73.2)	16.3 (61.3)	8.3 (46.9)	3.4 (38.1)	12.3
Average low °C (°F)	−14.3 (6.3)	−14.2 (6.4)	−3.5 (25.7)	0.1 (32.2)	5.6 (42.1)	10.7 (51.3)	16.1 (61.0)	15.9 (60.6)	11.6 (52.9)	5.6 (42.1)	−2.5 (27.5)	−6.2 (20.8)	2.1
Record low °C (°F)	−19.8 (−3.6)	−21.3 (−6.3)	−14.2 (6.4)	−4.1 (24.6)	−1.7 (28.9)	6.8 (44.2)	10.7 (51.3)	11.7 (53.1)	1.1 (34.0)	−2.9 (26.8)	−10.2 (13.6)	−14.1 (6.6)	−21.3 (−6.3)
Precipitation mm (inches)	10 (0.39)	42 (1.65)	26.5 (1.043)	40.0 (1.575)	104.5 (4.114)	92.5 (3.642)	119.5 (4.705)	136.0 (5.354)	27.0 (1.063)	74.0 (2.913)	69.5 (2.736)	98.0 (3.858)	839.5 (33.051)
Snowfall cm (inches)	56 (22)	89 (35)	5 (2)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	0 (0)	7 (2.8)	59 (23.2)	185 (72.8)
Source: Japan Meteorological Agency[2]

A street in front of Chitose Station

City office.

Economy

China Airlines operates its Sapporo office on the third floor of the airport building.^[3]

The airline Hokkaido Air System was at one time headquartered at the New Chitose Airport in Chitose.^[4] Now its head office is on the property of Okadama Airport in Higashi-ku, Sapporo.^[5]

The North Country Golf Club, which is part of the Japan Tour, is near Chitose.^{[citation needed]}

External links

Japan portal

• (Japanese) Official homepage
• (English) Official homepage

References

1. ^ Akagi Sanpei (赤木 三兵^?), Journey of Hokkaidō Place Names—Notes on Ainu Language Place Names (北海道 地名の旅—アイヌ語地名解 , Hokkaidō Chimei no Tabi — Ainugo Chimei Kai^?), pp 60 and 79
2. ^ "千歳　2008年". Japan Meteorological Agency. August 2011. http://www.data.jma.go.jp/obd/stats/etrn/view/monthly_a1.php?prec_no=14&prec_ch=%90%CE%8E%EB%8Ex%92%A1&block_no=1459&block_ch=%90%E7%8D%CE&year=2008&month=/0&day=&view=p1. Retrieved 2010-03-19. 
3. ^ "Northeast Asia." China Airlines. Retrieved on August 30, 2011. "Sapporo 3F, New Chitose Airport, Bibi, Chitose City 066-0012, Hokkaido, Japan"
4. ^ "会社概要." Hokkaido Air System. Retrieved on May 19, 2009. "本社事務所 ： 千歳市美々新千歳空港ターミナルビル内"
5. ^ "会社概要." Hokkaido Air System. Retrieved on August 30, 2011. "〒007-0880　札幌市東区丘珠町 丘珠空港内"