- Yoichi, Hokkaidō
nihongo|Yoichi|余市町|Yoichi-chō is a town located in the Yoichi District, Shiribeshi,
Hokkaidō ,Japan .Demographics
As of
2008 , thepopulation of Yoichi is estimated to be 21,908 with a density of 162.21 persons per km². The total area of Yoichi is 140.60 km². The climate is mild (8.2°C average), with temperatures ranging from -6°C to 26°C [Web Japan (http://web-japan.org)] .Industry
Yoichi is home of the Nikka Whisky Distillery. Yoichi is famous for fruit, particularly apples, and wine, and Yoichi apple juice is also famous throughout Japan. Yoichi is also the home of Kosugi Motors, one of the oldest car dealerships in Shiribeshi region of Hokkaidō. [ [http://www.kosugimotors.com Yoichi Dealer] ]
Culture and tourism
A coastal town, with a particularly nice beach, Yoichi is popular with surfers for a large part of the year, and also a popular tourist destination for Japanese holiday makers during the hotter months of July and August.
Yoichi is the birthplace of the "Soran" folk song, known throughout Japan, and recently associated with the Hokkaidan
Yosakoi dance.Fact|date=February 2007 The Yoichi Soran festival, featuringdancing ,firework s and delicious food and drink, is held every year in the first weekend of July, a few weeks after the Yoichi shrine festival.The
cave paintings atFugoppe Cave in Yoichi are the first known signs ofprehistoric life on Hokkaidō.Yoichi is easily accessible by
bus andtrain , which run approximately hourly to and fromOtaru ,Sapporo , andKutchan , a town 45 minutes south of Yoichi where world classskiing andsnowboarding may be enjoyed.Notable people
Yoichi is the birthplace of Mamoru "Mark" Mohri, the first Japanese
astronaut ; he attended elementary and junior high schools here. TheYoichi Space Museum , also called theSpace Apple ), was dedicated in his honor when it opened in 1998. Other Yoichi luminaries include ski-jump gold medallists inWinter Olympic Games .References
External links
* [http://www.town.yoichi.hokkaido.jp/ Official website] in Japanese
* [http://www.yoichi-kankoukyoukai.net/english/midokoro.html Recommendations of the Yoichi sightseeing association (in English)]
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